Thailand's 86-year-old king in hospital with fever

(AP) — Thailand's 86-year-old king was admitted to a Bangkok hospital and being treated for a fever that doctors believe was caused by an infection, the palace said Saturday.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej arrived at Siriraj Hospital late Friday night from his seaside palace 120 miles (200 kilometers) southwest of the capital.

The palace said in a statement that when he arrived he had high fever, an increased heart rate and a blood test showed he had an infection.

The statement said that "after giving (the king) intravenous antibiotics, his blood pressure has stabilized and his fever has decreased." It said the king would undergo tests to determine the cause of the infection.

Worries about the king's health and succession have contributed to Thailand's political instability of the last eight years.

The king spent almost four years in the hospital until leaving in August last year. When he was admitted in 2009, doctors said he was suffering from a lung inflammation, though he also suffers from a variety of ailments usually associated with age.

His wife, Queen Sirikit, apparently suffered a stroke in 2012. The 82-year-old queen has made almost no public appearances since she was admitted to the same hospital that year after experiencing symptoms indicative of a stroke.