Thai king's illness sparks anxiety "failing for long-awaited radio speech"

It started with mass protests in late 2005 to oust then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was removed in a 2006 military coup amid accusations of gross corruption and attempting to undermine the monarchy. The coup is widely believed to have been backed by the palace.

Thaksin's supporters won elections held in December 2007. But the protest alliance rejected the outcome, saying the new government was a proxy for Thaksin, and began another round of agitation which culminated with the seizure of Bangkok's two airports.

The alliance ended its airport siege after a court Tuesday ousted the government for voter fraud in the last elections.

But deep, potentially explosive, divisions in Thai society remain. A new government is likely to still include Thaksin allies and the pro-monarchy alliance has vowed to return to the streets if it does.

Although international flights have been partially restored, the crisis has knocked out the lucrative tourist industry and will also hit hard at other economic sectors.

"There were great expectations that awaited this speech and it had been a collective hope that he would be the savior of the day. I think the fact that it did not take place should force Thais to rethink and come to terms with their own conflict because the king will not be around forever," said Thitinan Pongsidhirak, a political scientist at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.