Thailand stocks, currency slump amid concern over king's health

Bangkok

THAILAND'S junta chief said on Wednesday he planned to hold talks with the crown prince following days of unprecedented concern over the health of ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

King Bhumibol, 88, is the world's longest-reigning monarch and beloved by many in Thailand. But he has not been seen in public for nearly a year as he battles a series of ailments in a Bangkok hospital. The latest statement on Wednesday from the palace said, "his illness overall is still unstable." "Blood tests show he has an infection and his liver is working irregularly. The doctors have given him antibiotics and have corrected acid levels in his blood, placing him on a ventilator together with Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy," the Royal Household Bureau said in the statement.