Thais pray for their king as stock market takes a tumble
Print Edition
THAIS prayed as the country’s stock market and currency tumbled yesterday amid concerns about long-ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s health.
The prime minister canceled an overseas trip.
The king’s son, the crown prince, returned home from Germany as Thais in pink shirts, a color associated with the king, gathered outside the Siriraj hospital in Bangkok, his home for much of the past decade.
The royal palace said the 88-year-old’s blood pressure had dropped, his liver and kidneys were not working properly and he remained on a ventilator. “His majesty’s overall condition is still unstable,” it said.
Dozens of Thais holding incense sticks and images of the king chanted prayers outside the hospital for his recovery.
“The king is the heart of our country. So, without a heart, we cannot survive. So we pray for our heart, for the heart of our land,” said Donnapha Kladbupha, a 42-year-old English tutor. “I want to see him come and say hello to the Thai people again.”
Thai stocks have slid daily since Sunday, when the royal palace announced that Bhumibol’s condition was unstable, the first time it has used that phrase regarding his health.
Yesterday, the Stock Exchange of Thailand’s benchmark fell nearly 7 percent in afternoon trading before recovering somewhat for a 4.1 percent loss for the day. The Thai baht fell 1.1 percent to end at 35.76 to the US dollar.
Bhumibol, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, has suffered a variety of ailments related to old age, including kidney and lung problems.
Last week, doctors performed a hemodialysis to purify his blood. They also replaced a tube that drains excess cerebrospinal fluid.
Because Bhumibol has been king since 1946, there is great concern about the eventual succession. Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn has not earned the same respect as his father.
When Vajiralongkorn flew back to Bangkok, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha went to the airport to meet him. Prayuth was supposed to fly to Laos on an official visit but canceled it in the morning.
Bhumibol, a monarch with no formal political role, is widely regarded as Thailand’s unifying figure. But as his health deteriorated, his participation in public affairs declined.
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