By Rachel Harvey
BBC News, Bangkok
**Celebrations are taking place across Thailand to mark the 82nd birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.**However, a traditional eve of birthday address and a military parade were postponed indefinitely.
The king, who has been in hospital since mid-September, is due to grant an audience to members of the royal family and politicians at the royal palace.
The monarch’s health is a sensitive topic in Thailand, where strict laws restrict debate about the royal family.
Anxiety
King Bhumibol, the world’s longest serving monarch, is treated with reverent devotion.
His portrait hangs in shops, offices and on roadside billboards.
Thais stand respectfully for the royal anthem - played in cinemas before every screening of every movie.
His birthday is a time of national celebration, but this year there is an unspoken anxiety behind the festivities.
The king has been in hospital for the past two and half months, suffering from what palace sources say is a respiratory problem and loss of appetite.
Two years ago, royal astrologers decreed that the colour pink was auspicious for the king’s wellbeing.
In recent days, as the king’s birthday approached, increasing numbers of Thais have been seen sporting bright pink shirts.
The last time the Thai monarch was seen in public, in early November, he was confined to a wheelchair.
On Saturday he is due to grant an audience to selected members of the royal household and political establishment.
Edited highlights will be shown later on state television and millions of Thais are expected to tune in, hoping for signs that the man often described as the one truly unifying figure in a politically divided country, is on the road to recovery.