Across the World: Thailand

King meets with public

Thailand's 81-year-old king made his first public appearance on Friday after more than a month in hospital, with hundreds of well-wishers surrounding his electric wheelchair as he visited statues of his parents.

The health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, is a sensitive topic in financial markets because he is the sole unifying figure in a politically polarized country with a long history of coups and upheaval.