Former Cambodian monarch says his health is deteriorating

Former Cambodian King, Norodom Sihanouk, who has said his health is deteriorating

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Cambodia's former king Norodom Sihanouk said his health was deteriorating and hinted that he did not have long to live, in a letter seen on his website Monday.

The 86-year-old, who left for Beijing in July for his annual medical treatment, wrote in a message titled "The deterioration of the state of my health" that his "eminent Chinese doctors" had told his wife, former queen Monineath, that he should be hospitalised in case of emergency.

"My important and respected Chinese friends dare not speak about my death (from old age) in the not so distant future. But I told them I would prefer to die in 'my' residence instead of a hospital, where I have very comfortable apartments," Sihanouk said.

In the message, dated December 1 but only posted recently on his website, the former monarch added that doctors had increased their examinations from once a week to many times a week, and sometimes twice a day.

Sihanouk has suffered from a number of ailments, including cancer, diabetes and hypertension.

Despite giving up his role as monarch, he remains a prominent figure in Cambodia who often uses messages to weigh in on matters affecting the country.