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LONDON (AFP) – Mr Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, owner of the Thai billionaire Leicester City, whose helicopter crashed on Saturday 27 October in front of the Premier League club stadium, is the author of the One of the biggest football tales.
Vichai, a 61-year-old polo player, has always been seduced by Leicester fans when the old-fashioned club broke the grip of the English giants to win the Premier League in 2016 – the first title in their history.
The victory of the title, against all odds, placed the city of the Midlands in England on the world sports map and has given glory to generations of fans who have suffered for a long time.
Leicester has not been able to reach the same meteorological highs since, finishing 12th in the next and ninth season of 2017-18, but is now firmly established as a Premier League club.
Striker Jamie Vardy, Leicester's talisman of fame, tweeted Saturday a message that simply showed that eight hands were gathered in prayer.
Thai magnate with glasses Vichai is known for his infallible common touch, distributing free beer and donuts at King Power Stadium in Leicester, where he often lays his helicopter in the central circle.
It is from there that his helicopter took off after the 1-1 draw against West Ham on Saturday before crashing into the parking lot just outside the stadium.
Despite his popularity, Mr. Vichai remains an enigmatic figure and seldom gives interviews, preferring to let his son Aiyawatt, known as "Top", play the role of family leader.
He also rubs shoulders with celebrities and his last name, which means "light of progressive glory", was awarded by the late Thai king Bhumibol Adulyadej.
"He (Vichai) is a successful businessman and he has tried to challenge himself to do something," said AFP Top, Vice President of Leicester, in Bangkok in 2016.
"He said, I think two or three years ago, that he wanted the team to be a Premier League success, and now we are."
POWER OF KARMA
Mr. Vichai, who is in a siege position, has carefully sailed through the treacherous political waters of Thailand in recent years, while strengthening his King Power empire.
He founded the company in 1989, starting with a single store in Bangkok and building a multi-billion dollar empire.
Leicester fans were pleased with him after purchasing second-class wrestlers of the time for about 40 million pounds ($ 70.84 million) in 2010.
The Buddhist devotee strongly believes in the power of karma, flying in Thai monks to bless the Leicester field and give their players good luck amulets.
And while injecting tens of millions of pounds into the team, the club's debt and infrastructure, Mr. Vichai spent wisely.
The success of Leicester is based on teamwork, effort and hard work.
DUTY FREE
Mr. Vichai came out of relative obscurity, flourishing in recent years of political upheaval in Thailand, a country in which large contracts are tied to political loyalties.
King Power won the jackpot in 2006 by winning the zero-rated deal for Suvarnabhumi's new cavernous airport in Bangkok and a captive market of tens of millions of travelers.
In 2007, a year after ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the former owner of Manchester City, was removed from office by a coup, Vichai considered to break its duty-free monopoly.
In a kingdom where relationships matter, it now belongs firmly to the Royalist establishment that led to Thaksin. His family received his royal last name in 2013.
Before football, his first sports love was polo, the beloved sport of the international elite, and he and Top are accomplished players.
Mr. Vichai enjoys a lifetime membership at Ham Polo Club London, frequented by British royals, and has a stable of horses and players on the reserve in Bangkok.
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