"The government wants to make elections happen faster, and the elections must be free and fair and transparent," army-appointed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said.

The polls -- originally scheduled for December -- would be preceded by a referendum on August 19 on the new constitution, which was drafted by a body appointed by the junta that seized power last September, election commission chair Apichart Sukhagganond said.

The moves will likely appease the international community, which has been pushing for early polls, but the party of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra said any elections would be illegitimate unless it was able to contest them.

The Thai Rak Thai party was dissolved three weeks ago over vote fraud violations, and a law has not yet been passed allowing twice-elected TRT to register a new party.

"It's good that they moved up the election, but they have to open up the opportunity to register the political parties otherwise the election will not be legitimate," said Kudeb Saikrajang, a senior member of TRT.

Surayud denied that the new poll date was part of the masterplan by the junta and government to erase TRT from political life.