Thai PM Prayuth sets Nov 2018 for election after false starts

Bangkok

THAILAND will hold a general election in November 2018, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday, the most precise date he has given yet for the vote since taking power in a 2014 military coup.

Mr Prayuth, head of the ruling junta, said the exact date would be announced in June 2018. The junta has announced election dates at least two times in the past, only to push them back later, citing concerns such as changes to the constitution and security issues. "Around June, we will announce the date for the next election," Mr Prayuth told reporters at Bangkok's Government House.