HM in good condition

His Majesty will continue to receive medication until the course is complete, said the statement.

Meanwhile, a large number of wellwishers have been signing messages wishing His Majesty a full and speedy recovery at Siriraj Hospital, where he is being treated.

Among them is a sailboat crewman who participated in a regional sporting event in 1967 and worked closely with His Majesty in a series of competitions, which later saw the Monarch winning a gold medal on December 16 that year after racing in a ship he built.

During the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games (SEAP Games), MR Somchanok Kridakorn, now 79, said he witnessed His Majesty's expertise in designing and building a sailing ship himself.

Somchanok, a retired Army ltgeneral, was impressed with the King's success in building a ship according to design - all with his bare hands and at a time when there was no computerised assistance.

His Majesty won gold in the "OK Series", sailing a ship he built and named - "Mod" [Ant].

Somchanok said the name Ant was given because fibreglass powder used in moulding the ship irritated the skin, like an ant bite.