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Thai king released from hospital
07/11/2007 09:06 - (SA)
Bangkok - Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej was released from a hospital on Wednesday after more than three weeks of treatment for weakness on his body's right side and a colon infection.
Thousands of cheering, flag-waving well-wishers, as well as members of the royal family, were on hand as the 79-year-old king rolled out of Siriraj Hospital in an electric wheelchair, then rose to his feet and walked slowly with the assistance of a walker.
He smiled and stopped to speak to several people at the hospital, where Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and other government officials greeted the monarch on their knees.
"The king has now recovered, his blood pressure in normal, his colon has recovered and there is no longer a shortage of blood flow to the brain," a statement from the Royal Household Bureau said.
Bhumibol, the world's longest-serving monarch, is a unifying figure in Thailand, which usually turns to him in times of crisis, even though his powers are limited as a constitutional monarch.
An avid photographer, the king at one point pulled out a camera on Wednesday and took photographs of the adoring crowd that spilled out from the hospital grounds and lined the road to Chitralada Palace, his Bangkok residence, about 5km away.
Doctors advised the king to continue physical exercise to regain muscle strength, the palace said.
Bhumibol has suffered from several ailments including heart problems in recent years.
The monarch was admitted on October 13 to the hospital, where large crowds gathered regularly to express their concern. A major celebration is planned for his 80th birthday on December 5.
Still remaining at the same hospital is his 84-year-old sister, Princess Galyani Vadhana, who was hospitalised on June 15 after doctors found abdominal cancer.
- AP
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