BANGKOK, Nov 1 (Bangkok) – Police in Bangkok have arrested two people suspected of being connected with spreading a rumour regarding the health of the Thai monarch, a rumour which sent the Thai stock market tumbling last month.

Theeranun Wiphuchanun, 43, a former executive of a finance and securities company in Switzerland was nabbed by the police at Suvarnabhumi Airport on her arrival from a trip to Austria.

She was arrested with a warrant charging her with feeding false information through a computer system, which undermined Thailand’s national security or which caused panic among the public.

If she is found guilty, she may face a five year imprisonment and a maximum fine of Bt100,000.

She said she translated that information from news of a Singapore-based news agency and posted it to an online newspaper website to give a fact to stock traders and internet surfers. No one hired her to do so, she added.

“I posted it in the evening after the stock tumbled. I just wanted to tell people why it happened,” she said.

She was detained at the office of the Economic and Cyber Crime Division, and her notebook, camera, mobile phone were seized, said Deputy Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau Pol. Maj-Gen. Panya Mamen.

The other suspect, Katha Pajariyapong, was arrested at a building in Silom, a business district in downtown Bangkok. He posted a message on that topic on the same website.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij will convene a meeting on Monday with executives from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Stock Exchage of Thailand (SET) to follow progress of the probe on stock speculation and manipulation related to the rumours.

The rumours over the king's health began October 14 and the stock index tumbled 2.04 per cent, while the following day, it was down 5.3 per cent as a result of massive sell orders from foreign investors in a panic fuelled by rumours.

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been in hospital since September for treatment of a lung infection.

He made a public appearance once in October, visiting a royal monument in the hospital compound. He has recovered well, according to the statements of the Royal Household Bureau.