BANGKOK — His Majesty the King will return to Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok today for an annual health checkup, the Bureau of Royal Household said in a statement.
The 86-year-old monarch is due to undergo his yearly health checkup, which requires specific equipment at the hospital in Bangkok, the statement says.
It does not say what time King Bhumipol will arrive in Bangkok and whether His Majesty's stay at the hospital will be a long one.
Hundreds of Thai well-wishers are expected to await His Majesty's arrival in Bangkok along the roads near Siriraj Hospital.
His Majesty the King spent several years at Siriraj Hospital to undergo surgeries and other medical operations. He was released from hospital on 1 August 2013 and has since been recovering at his summer retreat, Klai Kang Won Palace, an approximately two-hour drive south of Bangkok.
The king has rarely appeared in public during his stay at Klai Kang Won Palace, but made a brief appearance on 22 July when he endorsed the 2014 interim charter.
King Bhumipol's frail health is a cause of great anxiety for many Thais, though the issue is mostly discussed in private because of Thailand's strict lese majeste law, which criminalises any remark considered negative toward the monarchy.
In November 2009, two businessmen were arrested and prosecuted under the Computer Crimes Act for spreading false rumours about the health of His Majesty the King, which negatively affected the Thai stock market.
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