BANGKOK – Thailand’s ailing 81-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej made a brief public appearance Monday, the second during his six-week hospitalization, easing concerns about his health that have shaken the public and the local stock market.

Bhumibol was hospitalized on Sept. 19 with fever, fatigue and lack of appetite. Most Thais revere the monarch, who has been on the throne for 63 years, and are deeply unsure about what will happen in the politically divided nation at the eventual end of his reign.

The king, accompanied by family members and a retinue of aides and nurses, appeared alert but weak as he was taken Monday evening by wheelchair from his hospital room to a nearby pier on the Chao Phraya River, where he briefly celebrated the Loy Krathong holiday.

During Loy Krathong, Thais set afloat lotus-shaped trays containing flowers, candles and incense with prayers that their misfortunes will drift away and good luck will come. The king was handed one of the floats, which he handed back to an aide to place in the water.

Crowds of well-wishers at the hospital held up Thai flags as the king was wheeled past, and he raised his hand slightly in greeting.

The palace has reported that the king is recovering from an inflammation of the lungs and is in no danger, but his disappearance from the public eye and a lack of details in official bulletins about his health have caused uneasiness.