Thailand's army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha receives royal appointment

Thailand's army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha has been formally appointed to run the nation in a ceremony in the country's capital city, Bangkok.

According to the BBC, the ceremony, where the military leader reportedly received royal endorsement, was not attended by the 86 year old King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The royal command reportedly said that to restore peace and order in the country and for sake of unity, the king appointed Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha as head of the National Council of Peace and Order to run the country.

Speaking at the ceremony, Gen Prayuth said that the most important thing was to keep peace and order in the country.

Earlier, the military in Thailand disbanded the Senate, placing all lawmaking authority in the hands of the army chief.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said there was no justification for the coup, and warned that Washington could seriously consider suspending the USD 10 million in bilateral aid because of this unacceptable development.

France and Germany also condemned the coup, while the United Nations expressed serious concern.

The Thai Army on Thursday suspended the constitution, banned gatherings and detained politicians, saying order was needed after months of turmoil.

The military had declared martial law on Tuesday and two days later, it gathered political leaders together in Bangkok for talks on the crisis. However, army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha then went on TV to announce the coup.