King Bhumibol suffers another bout of colon inflammation: Thai palace

BANGKOK - Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-serving monarch, is being treated for another bout of colon inflammation, the palace said Thursday, days after the monarch made a rare public appearance.

The 86-year-old king, who has suffered from a series of ailments in recent years, is treated as a near-deity in Thailand and his health is a subject of public concern.

Doctors treating Bhumibol at Bangkok's Siriraj hospital said the king is suffering from another episode of colon inflammation after his condition had improved last week, according to the Royal Household Bureau.

The inflammation to his colon "is occurring more frequently than before so doctors are giving him intravenous antibiotics", it reported in a statement.

"The fever has reduced and other symptoms have improved," the bureau said.

In early October the king was rushed from his palace in the southern seaside resort of Hua Hin to the hospital, where he underwent an operation to remove his gall bladder and has remained admitted since.

On Saturday he was briefly escorted into the hospital grounds to sit on the river bank and pay homage to a statue of his father in an event shown on public broadcaster Thai PBS.