Thais stunned by Vichai’s death
BANGKOK: Stunned Thais yesterday digested news of the death of billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, whose dazzling success as owner of Leicester City showered pride and prestige on the kingdom.
For most of his life, the publicity-shy duty-free magnate, Thailand’s fifth richest man who spun billions from his King Power monopoly, was not a household name in his native county.
That changed with Leicester City’s odds-defying English Premier League title in 2016, the unlikeliest of victories in the world’s most watched football league that has gone down in footballing lore.
While he continued to avoid interviews, Vichai was a regular at Leicester matches and his face — and the King Power brand — became synonymous across a football-mad country with the success of Thai business overseas.
Thais yesterday awoke to confirmation of his death, an abrupt end to a global success story in a sometimes inward-looking country.
“He was an inspiration to Thais because he’s well known and very successful internationally,” Chamat Uchukanokkul, 39, said.
“He showed that we can do anything if we set our minds to do it.”
The well-connected businessman was renowned for his agility in picking through Thailand’s complicated politics — backstage plotting, coups, short-lived civilian governments and legal complications.
Political veteran Anutin Charnvirakul described his long-time friend as a “big brother” and “an idol”.
“He was not a scion of a rich family but a real fighter... he became hugely successful in a short space of time. He was a role model for the new generation, generous and loved by his peers.
“He bought this little football club and helped it to win the championship. He cared.”
Leicester City was unknown to many in the Southeast Asian country before its breakout 2016 season.
But as it closed in on the title, the country rallied around a Thai success story, with hundreds attending fan screenings hosted by the company, complete with free beer and food.
At King Power ’s mall here, most staff were tight-lipped yesterday, a sign of the sharply-hierarchical company which owns the dutyfree concessions at airports and key tourist cities in one of the world’s most visited countries.
But one saleswoman, who declined to be named, said she cried as the news of Vichai’s death broke.
“I’ve only worked here a year, but I felt he was kind,” she said, explaining Vichai would often walk the sales floor greeting staff as he did his rounds.
“He was a man we must admire. Though his last breath is over, his reputation will be remembered forever,” Chutitorn Apichainan posted on the Leicester City official fan Facebook page for Thailand.