Thai Deputy Supreme Commander General Worapong Sanganetra speaks at a news conference at the Army Club after the army declared martial law nationwide to restore order. (Reuters)

Announcing the decision on television at 3 am (local time), Army Chief General Prayuth Chanocha said that rallies and violence have negatively affected national security and public order.

He affirmed the move is not a coup and called on the public not to panic, declaring that the army will maintain peace and order and bring the situation back to normal.

He announced the establishment of a peacekeeping command centre and dissolved the caretaker government's Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order.

Following the martial law, armed soldiers have been deployed to take control of TV stations, power and water factories, as well as demonstrators’ rally sites.

According to Paradon Pattanatabut, chief security adviser to Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, the government was not consulted in advance by the military about the declaration of martial law. He said the caretaker government remains in place and everything is normal except that the military is responsible for all national security issues.

Nhan Dan/VNA