ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION<br/> <br />Thailand's Army Chief and Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha handed over his military position to General Udomdej Sitabutr on Tuesday (September 30).<br/> <br />Udomdej is a close confidante of Prayuth, and his appointment signals the dominance of an army faction known as the Eastern Tigers, a clique of arch-royalists known for their animosity toward former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.<br/> <br />Prayuth, 60, who led a coup in May unseating a government led by Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, presided over a lavish military parade on Monday (September 29) marking his retirement as commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army.<br/> <br />In his farewell speech, the Prime Minister spoke of the challenges lying ahead, as he and his government laid out plans to turn the country's economy and divided society around.<br/> <br />Prayuth will remain leader of the junta and the National Council for Peace and Order, as it is likely his government will soon face the t
