Thailand's 81-year-old monarch makes second public appearance during 6-week hospitalization

By GRANT PECK , Associated Press

Last update: November 2, 2009 - 9:08 AM

BANGKOK - Thailand's ailing 81-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej made a brief public appearance Monday, the second during his six-week hospitalization, easing concerns about his health that have shaken the public and the local stock market.

Bhumibol was hospitalized on Sept. 19 with fever, fatigue and lack of appetite. Most Thais revere the monarch, who has been on the throne for 63 years, and are deeply unsure about what will happen in the politically divided nation at the eventual end of his reign.

The king, accompanied by family members and a retinue of aides and nurses, appeared alert but weak as he was taken Monday evening by wheelchair from his hospital room to a nearby pier on the Chao Phraya River, where he briefly celebrated the Loy Krathong holiday.

During Loy Krathong, Thais set afloat lotus-shaped trays containing flowers, candles and incense with prayers that their misfortunes will drift away and good luck will come. The king was handed one of the floats, which he handed back to an aide to place in the water.

Crowds of well-wishers at the hospital held up Thai flags as the king was wheeled past, and he raised his hand slightly in greeting.

The palace has reported that the king is recovering from an inflammation of the lungs and is in no danger, but his disappearance from the public eye and a lack of details in official bulletins about his health have caused uneasiness.

Rumors that his health was in decline sent the Stock Exchange of Thailand tumbling sharply Oct. 14-15. Police have arrested two people and accused them of spreading the rumors.

The market rebounded a few days later after the king's youngest daughter, Princess Chulabhorn, said he was recovering well and remained in the hospital mainly for physical therapy. The king then appeared in public at the hospital on Oct. 24.

Bhumibol's hospitalization has raised fears of a power vacuum in the divided Asian nation, which has endured more than three years of sometimes violent political turmoil as supporters and opponents of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra — ousted by a 2006 military coup — contend for power.

The king has been virtually the country's sole unifying force in times of crisis.

His 57-year-old son and heir apparent, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, does not yet have the moral authority or the popularity of his father.

Police Maj. Gen. Kriangsak Arunsrisophon said a third person would be arrested Monday for spreading rumors about the king's health and that others might also be detained.

Two people were charged over the weekend with disseminating incorrect information that could threaten national security or cause public panic. Both were granted bail, Kriangsak said.

Thiranan Vipuchanan, a former executive for a securities firm, and Katha Pajajiriyapong, who worked for one, are accused of posting news of the king's deteriorating health on Web sites.

Politicians and pro-government media have sharply criticized them, but there has been no consensus on whether they intended to hurt the monarchy or manipulate stock prices.

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