Bangkok, March 27 (IANS): Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Friday that he was planning to lift the martial law in the country and replace it with a controversial section from the interim charter.

He did not reveal when the martial law, enforced since the coup in May last year, would be lifted, only saying that it would depend on the situation, Xinhua news agency reported.

The decision to lift the martial law was his own and he would take full responsibility for it, Prayut was quoted by Bangkok Post as saying.

There was no need to consult the cabinet, Prayut said after a cabinet meeting in Hua Hin. He is concurrently the chairman of the coup-making National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

The lifting of the martial law will require endorsement from the king.

According to the premier, the martial law will be replaced by Section 44 of the interim constitution, which many have criticised for granting the NCPO chairman "absolute power".

Section 44 authorizes the NCPO leader to issue any order or direct any action to be done or not to be done, irrespective of whether the order or action would produce legislative, executive or judicial effect, for the sake of national security, reform and unity.

Those orders or actions, as well as their observance, shall be deemed lawful, constitutional and final, the section says.