Thai junta chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday has been appointed prime minister by the National Legislative Assembly.

The National Legislative Assembly, which consists of retired and current soldiers handpicked by the junta, voted for Prayuth 191-197, with three opting to abstain while the other three were absent. No one opposed the appointment of the general, who was the only nominated candidate.

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The new post requires royal endorsement from King Bhumibol Adulyadej but it is nothing more than a formality, Channel News Asia reported.

Prayuth's appointment is seen as part of the military's attempt to maintain control over the future government, which the general has said will be established sometime in 2015.

"It is designed to give him the power to run the country according to the law," said Mahidol University human rights studies lecturer Gothom Arya.

While the 60-year-old general is due for mandatory military retirement on September, Prayuth's post as prime minister will allow him to lead the junta.

Chulalongkorn University professor and Thai military expert Surachart Bamrungsuk called the current arrangement a "soft democracy," with the military intending to lead the country to a "soft democracy" where it retains supervisory control.

A Western official in Thailand told Reuters the appointment was expected, and described it simply as a "cosmetic change" of title from junta leader to prime minister.

He said Western countries will persist in its efforts to urge Bangkok toward a fair and free election but claimed that they were currently more worried about the country's human rights practices.

At least 500 activists and politicians have been detained since the May 22 coup. Most of them have already been released though no official records have been released on the total number of arrests and releases.

The military gained power on May after a coup that eventually led to the removal of Yingluck Shinawatra as prime minister.

Gothom said it would be hard to tell what Prayuth's next step as prime minister would be, noting troubling consequences if Prayuth does not follow through with the promised interim government, reforms and elections.

TagsThailand, Junta, coup, Prayuth Chan-ocha, National Legislative Assembly, Junta politics