Updated: Out of hospital

Update (1 March 2010): There are now conflicting reports on whether the king was discharged from hospital. Both English-language newspapers reported he was discharged. AP has a report from 28 February that says the king left the hospital for 4 hours and then returned. AP says: “It was the first time the 82-year-old monarch has left Siriraj Hospital since he was hospitalized Sept. 19 with fatigue and loss of appetite.” That’s wrong because he left once previously. It goes on: “Bhumibol left for Chitralada Palace at about 9 p.m. Saturday night on “personal” business and returned to the hospital at 1 a.m. Sunday, a palace official said.The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to release information, did not explain the nature of the personal business.She said there would be no official announcement because the visit was regarded as part of the king’s personal affairs. Hospital officials said they could not comment.” That seems wrong as well as Sunday night’s royal news on television showed the king being discharged from hospital and traveling by van to the palace.

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So now we know why the king was in hospital for more than 5 months. He was just waiting for the Thaksin Shinawatra assets case verdict. Sure he was ill initially, but he seemed to stay on and on, and there was all kinds of speculation. He spoke publicly to judges at least twice in the run-up to the verdict, ensuring that his views were clear (see here and here).

Now the verdict is out, as The Nation (27 February 2010) reports, “[w]earing pink and accompanied by his pet dog Tongdaeng, His Majesty returned to his Chitralada Palace.”

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