Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha formally resigned as the head of the military government on Monday, saying the country would function as a normal democracy after five years of military rule. 

Prayuth stays on as prime minister with the backing of pro-military parties in parliament and a military-appointed upper house. 

Prayuth, in a televised address to the nation, said military rule had brought success in many areas, from fixing the problem of illegal fishing and human trafficking, to the rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a flooded cave last year. 

The former army chief who seized power in a 2014 coup, said the intervention then had been necessary to restore order after six months of street protests and violent clashes, but things were getting back to normal after a March 24 election. 

"Thailand is now fully a democratic country with a constitutional monarchy, with a parliament whose members are elected," Prayuth said. 

"All problems will be addressed normally based on a democratic system with no use of special powers," he said, referring to sweeping powers the military government wielded. 

King Maha Vajiralongkorn last week endorsed Prayuth’s new civilian cabinet, drawn from a 19-party coalition government that holds a slim majority in parliament. 

The new government will officially take power after a swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday. It is due to present its policies to parliament next week.