Democratic elections in Thailand could be delayed for another 18 months, the coup-prone country's finance minister has said, days after the military ruled out lifting martial law imposed six months ago.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, had earlier said that they could hold democratic elections in a year's time, at the end of 2015.
However, Finance Minister Sommai Phasee said it could take "a year and a half", BBC reported.
Phasee said: "As announced by the prime minister, it would take about one year. But, from my feeling, I think it may take, maybe, a year and a half."
The delay means that Thailand wouldn't return to democracy until the middle of 2016.
Phasee also confirmed that there is no end date for martial law as "it's something that he [the Prime Minister] needs as his tool to deal with security."
Thailand's economy has been stagnant this year. After contracting at the start of the year, the economy has barely grown.
Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya had earlier said that martial law is here to stay.
On May 7, the country's top court ordered Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and nine members of her cabinet to resign after charging them with abuse of power and violating the constitution.
Following which Prayuth seized power and became the country's prime minister, the first serving army officer to assume the top office in 22 years.
Martial law imposed by the army two days before the coup bans political gatherings, allows detention of dissidents for up to seven days without charge and permits trials in a military court.
