BANGKOK—Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said he is ready to revoke martial law in Thailand, asking King Bhumibol Adulyadej for royal approval.
The tourism industry praised the move, saying it may encourage some countries to lift travel advisories that drove away many tourists. But the prime minister will retain sweeping powers under Article 44 of the interim constitution, crafted after Gen. Prayuth staged a military coup in May.
“The government will exercise [power under] Article 44 in the best possible way to maintain the national security,” Gen. Prayuth said Tuesday. Article 44 will allow Gen. Prayuth to bypass the time-consuming process of legislative approval of his actions.
Gen. Prayuth used Article 44 powers Tuesday to address fallout from a poor safety rating for Thailand by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The problems, ICAO spokesman said Anthony Philbin said Tuesday, primarily concerned certification procedures for airlines and charter flight service operators. Japan and South Korea banned Thai charter flights and new routes from Thai-registered airlines over the poor rating.
Gen. Prayuth said Tuesday that he ordered the Transport Ministry to fix problems identified by the ICAO within 30 days, rather than the 90 days requested by the ministry, without going to the legislature for approval. He also said he is reaching out to the European Space Agency to help correct certification problems.
Gen. Prayuth’s military-appointed government has faced the daunting task of reviving Thailand’s economy, which was hard hit by political crisis at home before the coup as well as by the global economic slowdown. The government, which officially took office last August, has taken such steps to boost the economy as unlocking fiscal spending and announcing plans to invest billions of dollars in upgrading the country’s transportation infrastructure.
Ittirit Kinglake, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, expressed hope that ending martial law will increase tourism, which accounts for about 10% of the country’s GDP and is hoped to be one of the drivers of economic growth this year.
Official data from the Bank of Thailand shows tourist arrivals contracted 6.7% in 2014 but have started to make a marked pickup this year. The arrival numbers grew an on-year average of 22.6% during January and February, the country’s high tourist season.
“The travel sector has long been concerned about the effect of martial law, which has led many governments to warn their citizens against visiting Thailand,” Mr. Ittirit said. “So the lifting will definitely benefit the tourism industry as it will likely result in the cancellation of travel advisories against Thailand.”