Thai king's illness sparks anxiety amid crisis

A pall of uncertainty hung over normally joyous celebrations of the Thai king's birthday Friday after the revered monarch failed to appear for ceremonies because of an illness that has shocked a nation reeling from political turmoil.

The ailing, 81-year-old 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 much-revered constitutional monarch has been a cornerstone of stability, stepping in to defuse political crises and halt bloodshed during his six decades on the throne.

Many Thais had been eagerly awaiting his address in hopes it might point away out of political turbulence that in the past two weeks has included a seven-day seizure of Bangkok's two airports by protesters and the ouster of the government.

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.

"I am worried. I think all Thais are worried. Thailand needs him. He is the only one who can make people on both sides realize they are ruining the country. He is the only one who can unify Thailand," said Rojana Duangkaew, a 28-year-old pharmacist, shortly after the king sent his son and daughter to represent him at Thursday's event.

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 Wednesday 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.

The question of royal succession has long weighed heavily on Thai politics, and ordinary Thais, but probably never more than now.

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, 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 ended its airport siege after a court Tuesday ousted the government for voter fraud in the last elections.

Deep, potentially explosive, divisions in Thai society 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.

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.

"There were great expectations that awaited this speech and it had been a collective hope that he would be the savior of the day," said Thitinan Pongsidhirak, a political scientist at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.

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 move 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.

Both the Thaksin camp and the alliance pledged their loyalty to Bhumibol - it would have been political suicide not to do so. But Thaksin's pledges were viewed as highly suspect, although he gained, and maintains, immense popularity among the rural poor, who are generally genuine supporters of the king.

"Thaksin was seen as a competitor to the throne. His popular regime was seen as dangerous to the monarchical institution in a longer term. Monarchists worried that with the king's passing and uncertainty of succession, the Thaksin camp would gain so they were anxious to suppress him," said Thongchai Winichakul, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin.

Thus the king's mortality and the succession issue contributed to the sharpening of the political conflict and will probably continue to do so.

The new government, headed by acting Prime Minister Chaowarat Chandeerakul, is to next week continue searching for a permanent leader to be presented to Parliament for approval.

Work crews, meanwhile, were working to restore Government House, the prime minister's seat, which had been badly damaged during a 97-day occupation by protesters. Loyluen Boonnak, 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.

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Associated Press writers Grant Peck, Ambika Ahuja and Vijay Joshi contributed to this report.