Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thailand's army chief said the military -- one of Thailand's most powerful institutions -- would not step into the current political crisis, saying that the country's laws were enough to confront deadly protests that have punctuated a three-month power struggle.
In a televised address, Gen. Prayuth Chanocha said the military did not want to exacerbate an already volatile situation.
"If we use full military force, there is no guarantee that the situation would return to normalcy," he said, in an address widely seen as a signal to the Thai public.
"The current conflict has spread wider than in 2010," he said, adding that the political impasse had more complicated conditions and involved more disparate groups.
"The military does not want to use weapons and forces against our own Thai (people)," he added. "Under the current situation, constitution laws are perfectly effective. If there is a continuation of a loss of life, the country will fall."