Monday, December 21, 2009   


Bangkok airport arrests

Monday, November 02, 2009

Thai police arrested two people at a Bangkok airport yesterday on suspicion of spreading rumors about the health of the country's 81-year-old king that triggered a slide in Thailand's stock market.

Thai stocks plunged a combined 7.2 percent on October 14-15 as rumors circulated over the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has been in hospital for more than a month, before rebounding 3.5 percent the following day.

"They were initially accused of feeding untrue information through a computer system which undermined the security of the nation," Captain Suttichai Tienbhodhi said.

They were taken to the police Crime Suppression Division for questioning, he added.

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The king was admitted to hospital on September 19 with a lung infection and fever and has been seen only once in public since then, on October 23.

The palace has said he is recovering.

Police said last week they may charge four or five people suspected of spreading rumors about the king's health.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has said it is seeking trading information on two accounts from two foreign brokers, Credit Suisse in Hong Kong and UBS in Singapore, in connection with the market plunge and is also looking at one domestic account.

Credit Suisse and UBS have not commented.

The king's health is a sensitive topic as he is seen as the sole unifying figure in a politically polarized country with a long history of coups and upheaval. REUTERS


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