Overall Condition of Thailand’s Ailing King Still ‘Not Stable’: Palace

Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s health has not stabilized following a medical procedure four days ago, palace officials said late Wednesday, as devotees held vigil outside the hospital where he is being treated.

All four of the royal children – Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and princesses Sirindhorn, Chulabhorn and Ubolratana – visited the 88-year-old Bhumibol at the Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok in the afternoon and evening, hospital staff confirmed to BenarNews.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha cancelled meetings scheduled in Chonburi province and returned to Bangkok to meet with the crown prince, who flew home from Germany earlier in the day, according to reports.

Junta spokesman Lt. Gen. Sansern Kaewkamnerd described the meeting with the prince, who often travels abroad, as a routine briefing.

“The prime minister cancelled his tasks in Chonburi in preparation to have an audience with Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn to report on the administrative progress, as he [the prince] wished. It is a regular basis report,” Sansern told reporters in Bangkok.

Wednesday’s statement from the Royal Household Bureau, the office that manages palace affairs, was the second issued since Sunday that described the king’s condition as unstable.

“The general condition is not stable and needs to be controlled with medication. The medical-doctor team is closely monitoring [his] condition and treatment,” it said.

“The physicians reported that since Oct. 11, the King had low blood pressure, a quickened pulse and more acidic blood. The blood test showed blood infection and liver dysfunction,” the statement said.

On Saturday, the king’s medical team initiated hemodialysis and changed a tube that drains excess cerebrospinal fluid, a statement announced the following day. Hemodialysis is a treatment for kidney failure.

Bhumibol, who earlier this year marked the 70th anniversary of his accession to the throne, has not been seen in public for nearly a year, and his deteriorating health has led to multiple procedures and hospitalizations in recent years.

‘I need to pray for him’

Several hundred of the king’s supporters flocked to the hospital on Wednesday to pray for his recovery.

“I came here today because of my loyalty to the king, like many others. I heard the king is sick, so I rushed here. I need to pray for him to get well soon,” Wanna, 60, a resident of Samut Sakorn province, told BenarNews.

Pacharajutha, 10, a student at La-or Unthit School in Bangkok, was among the well-wishers.

“My mother told me the king is in critical condition, so I came to pray for the king to recover soonest,” Pacharajutha, who came with her mother, told BenarNews.

Thailand’s currency and stock market dropped to multi-month lows Wednesday on concern over the king’s health, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“Our bourse still looks risky because of negative news and bad news, and then we had panic sales,” Nattawuth Rungwong, a Thai stock analyst, said on his personal Facebook page.