BANGKOK, Thailand — Thailand's ailing king, a pillar of stability during his six decades on the throne, failed to attend celebrations marking his 81st birthday Friday as many Thais feared his fading from the scene could deepen the turmoil that has plagued the country for three years.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej was scheduled to take part in a birthday ceremony at the Grand Palace's throne hall but it was canceled due to an illness that also prevented him from delivering his annual birthday speech Thursday, local media said.
The Royal Palace said in a statement that Bhumibol was suffering from a fever and was being given liquid food.
Many Thais had been eagerly awaiting his address in hopes it might point a way out of political turbulence that in the past two weeks has included a seven-day seizure of Bangkok's two airports by anti-government protesters and the ouster of the government. The capital's Suvarnabhumi International Airport officially reopened Friday, but was operating at only about 50 percent capacity.
Early Friday, hundreds of Thais gathered on a field outside the ornate, walled palace to give alms to 282 Buddhist monks as a way of conveying their best wishes to the king.
"The conflict between the groups will linger on and hurt the country's economy and reputation for years," said Jiraporn Chaoprayoon Yamamoto, a social worker
"I think with his majesty the king's weak health condition and the political conflict that divides Thais in two, Thailand's future is bleak," she said. Like many Thais, she said she was praying for the king's recovery.
On Thursday, Princess Sirindhorn said the king was weak and suffering from bronchitis and inflammation of the esophagus but that his "condition is not serious."
The king's last public appearance was Tuesday when he looked haggard while inspecting royal troops. He spoke briefly, reading hoarsely from a text, and seemed barely able to keep his head up.
Last year, the king was hospitalized for more than three weeks for symptoms of a stroke and a colon infection. He also has a history of heart trouble.
Although a constitutional monarch, Bhumibol built up his great power through decades of work on behalf of the poor, charisma and political astuteness.
His 56-year-old son, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, has nowhere near the king's talents, stature or moral authority. There is concern that Vajiralongkorn, who has married three times and fathered seven children, will have difficulty living up to Bhumibol's record of diligence.
Sirindhorn, 53, who could technically also succeed her father, is talented and highly popular but said to lack political savvy. There is also almost no historical precedent for a woman becoming the country's ruler.
The royal crisis could not have come at worse time for Thailand, as it struggles to recover from an anti-government campaign by the People's Alliance for Democracy.
It started with mass protests in late 2005 to oust then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was removed in a 2006 military coup amid accusations of gross corruption and attempting to undermine the monarchy. The coup is widely believed to have been backed by the palace.
Thaksin's supporters won elections held in December 2007. But the protest alliance rejected the outcome, saying the new government was a proxy for Thaksin, and began another round of agitation that culminated with the seizure of Bangkok's two airports.
The alliance _ backed largely by the urban middle class _ ended its airport siege after a court Tuesday ousted the government for voter fraud in the last elections.
Although international flights have been partially restored, the crisis has knocked out the lucrative tourist industry and will also hit hard at other economic sectors.
Deep, potentially explosive, divisions in Thai society also remain. A new government is likely to still include Thaksin allies and the pro-monarchy alliance has vowed to return to the streets if it does.
"Thaksin was seen as a competitor to the throne. His popular regime was seen as dangerous to the monarchical institution in a longer term," said Thongchai Winichakul, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin.
The king and monarchy as an institution have been key elements in the political upheaval of recent years although much has been carried out in the shadows, given the secrecy and reverence surrounding Bhumibol as well as strict laws punishing those who speak against royal family members.
Insulting the monarchy, known as the crime of "lese majeste," carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
On Thursday, Reporters Without Borders called for the release of Australian author Harry Nicolaides, who faces a lese majeste charge. The group said Nicolaides has been held in prison since August on a charge related to a book published three years ago in which he referred to the way an unnamed crown prince treated one of his mistresses.
Meanwhile, the government, headed by acting Prime Minister Chaowarat Chandeerakul, is to continue next week searching for a new prime minister to be presented to Parliament for approval.
Also, work crews were working to restore Government House, the prime minister's seat, which had been badly damaged during a 97-day occupation by protesters. Loyluen Bunnag, an official in the prime minister's office, said he hoped some staff could begin work there Monday.
Local television stations showed the prime minister's room vandalized and valuables missing. Police also found explosives and weapons hidden in the rubble, the stations said.
(The foxnews.com)
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