Bangkok (AsiaNews) – Bishop George Yod Phimphisarn, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand, has issued a circular letter to Catholic churches nationwide asking them to hold mass for the health and swift recovery of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who underwent back surgery yesterday.

The 78-year-old monarch suffered an injury last month and the doctors, although they initially applied the non-invasive treatment of physical rehabilitation, thought it wise to operate him.

"The team of doctors of Sriiraj hospital [the oldest one in Thailand] asked His Majesty for permission to undertake microsurgical decompression of his spinal chord," said a statement issued by the Royal Palace. The operation, which lasted for around five hours, was successful: there were no complications and the king is now in convalescence.  

For the duration of the operation, a crowd of Thai people sat outside the hospital windows in the rain, dressed in yellow, to await the first medical report. This is just another display of how much the king is loved by his 63 million subjects, who last year marked the 60th anniversary of his reign.

Subsequently, Rongphon Jareonphan, secretary-general of the executive, told the press that the king today approved a government decision to hold new political elections on 15 October.

According to the Constitution, royal authorisation is needed 60 days before the decree announcing new elections takes effect. The decree will take effect on 24 August, continued Rongphon.  

Political elections were held on 2 April, three years early, but they were boycotted by the three largest opposition parties that accused Premier Thaksin Shinawatra of electoral fraud and corruption. The Supreme Court consequently annulled the vote.

Since parliament was dissolved in February, the country of King Bhumipol does not have a functioning parliament but only a provisional government led by the prime minister.