BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha told European investors on Wednesday that he was not a dictator and that his government was seeking to create a Thailand that would be more attractive for their long-term investments.

Prayuth was appointed prime minister on Monday after he was elected by a rubber-stamp parliament he hand-picked.

The army chief seized power in a bloodless coup on May 22 following six months of sometimes deadly protests that helped oust elected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The military said intervention was necessary to avoid further bloodshed.

Prayuth met representatives from the Thai-European Business Association (TEBA), a group representing 80 Thai and European investors including automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical and logistics firms, telling them he was prepared to do “everything” to ensure Thailand remains a hub for foreign investors.

“I am prepared to do everything. Just show me your investment roadmap,” he said Prayuth, 60, who is also Thailand’s army chief, said the country needs time to deal with its political transition.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2014