Thailand's revered monarch called on the Thai people to "support each other for the sake of the country," during his annual birthday address to the nation.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who turns 86 Thursday, spoke as opposition protesters paused their efforts aimed at overthrowing the government.
The king, who was released from the hospital earlier this year after a four-year stay, spoke slowly as he read his address at his seaside palace in Hua Hin.
The weeks-old protests were stopped out of respect for the monarch, who is widely revered as a unifying figure in the politically polarized nation.
But protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban pledged to continue the fight Friday, vowing to not back down until Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra resigns and turns over control to an unelected council.