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Thailand’s 86-year-old king remains in hospital after surgery to remove his gallbladder, the palace has said.
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Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, is revered by many Thais as a unifying force, especially in times of crisis. His portrait hangs in government buildings and in many shops and homes.
The king, who was admitted to Siriraj hospital in Bangkok on 3 October, was diagnosed with a swollen intestine in 1999, the palace said, and has had several recurrences since then. Gallbladder removal is a common surgical procedure and does not cause complications for most patients.
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The monarch’s health has formed part of the backdrop to a national crisis driven by rival business and political elites.
Bhumibol, a constitutional monarch, made several interventions in the 1970s and 90s to call for calm during political upheaval. However, he was silent during the latest crisis, which began in November and culminated in a coup in May.
The king was discharged from hospital in September after nearly five weeks of treatment for stomach inflammation. He left the same hospital in 2013 after spending nearly four years there in a special suite after being admitted in 2009 for a lung infection.
