In this photo by Sakchai Lalit, Thais hold portraits of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej outside Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, where the ailing 88-year-old monarch has been treated for years. Several people had gathered at the hospital to pray and burn incense for the king's well-being. Bhumibol is the world's longest-reigning monarch and has been a key unifying figure in the Southeast Asian country. Thais are concerned about the eventual succession as he has been king since 1946 and the crown prince has not earned the same respect as his father. The king's health was described as unstable after he underwent procedures over the weekend to purify his blood and change a tube that drains excess cerebrospinal fluid. </s> Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest reigning monarch, is in an unstable condition after receiving dialysis treatment, the palace has said in a statement.

The Royal Household Bureau said on Sunday that the 88-year-old was given some medicine and put on a ventilator to bring his blood pressure back to normal.

"The medical team are watching his symptoms and giving treatments carefully because the overall symptoms of his sickness are still not stable," the statement said.

Historically the palace has tightly controlled news about his health and it is difficult to ascertain his overall condition.



In recent months the palace has begun issuing more regular updates that point to a string of major health issues including renal failure.

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Over the past two years he has also been treated for bacterial infections, breathing difficulties, heart problems and hydrocephalus - a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid often referred to as "water on the brain".

He has not been seen in public since January 11 when he spent several hours visiting his palace in Bangkok.



News about the king's health is closely monitored in Thailand, where King Bhumibol is deeply revered.

Anxiety over the king's health and an eventual succession has formed the backdrop to more than a decade of bitter political divide in Thailand that has included two military coups and often-violent street demonstrations. </s> Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej is in an “unstable” condition after undergoing multiple medical procedures, and is now confined in a hospital, a statement from the palace confirmed. At 88 years old, the king is the world’s longest-serving monarch and is widely revered.

In recent years, the king has received treatment for a number of illnesses, the BBC reports. He has not appeared in public over the last few months, and spent most of the last year in a hospital.

The palace statement, released Sunday night, relates that doctors at the Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok conducted hemodialysis – a procedure that requires inserting a tube into a vein to allow the kidney to filter blood. The medical team also changed a draining tube that was releasing fluid from his brain. After these procedures, the monarch’s blood pressure dropped on occasion, and he had to be put on a ventilator.

The king then underwent echocardiography to check on his heart. While his blood pressure has improved, his general condition “remains unstable” and his condition is now closely monitored.

Public concern over King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s health has been growing due to his prolonged hospital stays. Last month, he was treated for fluid in his lungs, reduced kidney function and a severe infection, following removal of his gallbladder last year, according to CNN.

Thailand’s Royal Household Bureau has been posting updates on the king’s condition on its Facebook page.

The king is seen as a unifying symbol in a country rife with political divisions, violence, and tension. Also known as Rama IX, King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the ninth leader in the Chakri Dynasty. He ascended to the throne on June 9, 1946, after his brother King Ananda Mahidol died from a gunshot wound, and has served for over 70 years. He has been married to Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara since 1950 and is succeeded by Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, as well as three daughters, the Princesses Ubolratana Rajakanya, Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and Chulabhorn Walailak. </s> The 88-year-old, the world's longest-serving monarch, is now being closely monitored.

On Saturday, doctors at the Siriraj hospital in Bangkok inserted a tube into his vein to enable kidney dialysis to filter the blood -- known as hemodialysis.

The team also changed a draining tube which releases fluid from his brain. Following the procedures, the King's blood pressure "dropped occasionally" and he was given medicine and put on a ventilator.

On Sunday, the doctors gave the King medicine to expand blood vessels around his lungs following an echocardiography -- a sonogram of the heart -- which showed that blood flow to the left side of his heart had reduced significantly.

His blood pressure then "improved," but his general condition "remains unstable," according to the statement from the Bureau of the Royal Household, posted on the King's official Facebook page. Concerns for the much-revered King have been mounting in recent years, due to his extended hospital stays. Last month, he was treated for a severe infection, reduced kidney function and fluid in his lung. He had surgery to remove his gallbladder last year. </s> The health of Thailand's ailing 88-year-old king has deteriorated and his condition is unstable, the palace said, adding to concerns about the eventual succession of the monarchy.

Doctors performed a hemodialysis on King Bhumibol Adulyadej to purify his blood and changed a tube that drains excess cerebrospinal fluid during a 2 ½-hour procedure, the palace said in a statement late Sunday.

"The medical team are watching his symptoms and giving treatments carefully because the overall symptoms of his sickness are still not stable," the statement said.

Previous statements have said the king's kidneys are not functioning properly.

Bhumibol, the world's longest-reigning monarch, has been hospitalized for much of the past decade. Because Bhumibol, who turns 89 on Dec. 5, has been king since 1946, there is great concern about his eventual succession by Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, who has not earned the same respect as his father.

Thailand's main stock index fell 2.9 percent on Monday, and the Thai baht sank to a two-month low against the dollar.

While Bhumibol is a constitutional monarch with no formal political role, he has generally been regarded as Thailand's unifying figure. However, as his health has deteriorated, his participation in public affairs has sharply declined in recent years.

Concern about succession has been entwined with Thailand's political turmoil in the past decade, as royalists have sought to ensure that they control the process instead of certain politicians whose fealty to the monarchy they doubt.

Sunday's statement said that the hemodialysis procedure and the replacement of the tube were carried out on Saturday. After that procedure, his blood pressure dropped, which was brought back to normal after he was put on a ventilator and administered medication.

Early Sunday, the king's pulse was faster and an inspection found higher levels of acid in the blood, the statement said. An echocardiogram found a sharp drop in blood injected into the lower left chamber of his heart as a result of high blood pressure in the lungs.

Subsequently, medicines were administered to enlarged blood vessels in the lungs, which led to the improvement of the pulse and blood pressure, the statement said. </s> BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest reigning monarch, is in an unstable condition after receiving hemodialysis treatment, the palace said in a statement late on Sunday.

A well-wisher gestures in front of a picture of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, October 10, 2016. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom

News about the king’s health is closely monitored in Thailand, where King Bhumibol is widely revered, and the wording of palace statements on his health is intensely scrutinized.

Strict laws protecting the royal family stifles any public discussion of the king’s health.

It is unusual for the palace to state that the king’s health is not stable. Statements on his health are usually issued after the monarch’s condition shows improvement or when he is recovering from an illness.

Thailand's main stock index .SETI tumbled as much as 3.6 percent on Monday and the baht THB=TH fell to more than two-month lows, following the news.

The king has been treated for various ailments over the past year at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital - his home for much of the past year - and was last seen in public on Jan. 11, when he spent several hours visiting his palace in the Thai capital.

Anxiety over the king’s health and an eventual succession has formed the backdrop to more than a decade of bitter political divide in Thailand that has included two military coups and often-violent street demonstrations.

Sunday’s statement was the second health bulletin this month after the palace said on Oct. 1 that the king was recovering after a respiratory infection.

On Saturday, the king was given hemodialysis - a way of cleansing the blood of toxins, extra salts and fluids - which made his blood pressure drop occasionally, the palace said.

Doctors gave him some medicine and put him on a ventilator to bring his blood pressure back to normal, it said.

They continue to monitor his condition closely, the statement said.

“His condition has yet to stabilize,” the palace said.

In 2011, Princess Chulabhorn, the king’s youngest daughter, said in a rare televised statement that the king had suffered a health scare and fell unconscious after suffering from internal bleeding likely induced by stress as a result of a flood crisis at the time.

Laws protecting the royals from insult make it a crime to defame, insult or threaten the king, queen, heir to the throne or regent. </s> BANGKOK (AP) — His Majesty King Bhumibol, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, has died at age 88.

The Royal palace said the HM the King passed away peacefully on Thursday at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital.

“Even though the board of doctors has closely monitored and treated him to the best of its abilities, his Majesty’s condition never improved but deteriorated until Thursday,” it said in a statement.

It did not mention details of mourning or succession.

The entire Royal family were by his side as he passed at 3:52pm Thursday 13th of October.

Bhumibol Adulyadej became the King in 1946 and is revered here in Thailand as a demigod. He anchored the Southeast Asian country through violent upheavals at home and communist revolutions next door with a blend of majesty and a common touch.

The once-vigorous King had withdrawn from public life over the last decade due to his ill health. He lived at the Siriraj Hospital and had been notably silent about the political upheaval that has shaken Thailand in recent years.
Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 88, the world's longest reigning monarch, is in unstable condition after a hemodialysis treatment.