King Power helicopter down I

Most readers will already know that a helicopter that usually transports King Power boss and Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha has crashed and burned shortly after take-off from Leicester City’s latest game. As we write this, there is no news of Vichai’s fate or whether he was on the ill-fated flight.

A Sky News report tends to gloss Vichai’s life, so we thought a rundown of the posts we have had on Vichai might be in order. He is a man who became very rich very quickly based on a monopoly for duty free sales in Thailand, has rightists and royal political connections, including being associated with the funding of anti-democrats, and a royally-bestowed family name. PPT’s posts go back to 2009, not long after we began:

• Investigating the Suvarnabhumi occupation very, very slowly mentions Vichai’s business and connections with Newin Chidchob and the link with notoriously corrupt policeman Somyos Pumpanmuang.
• Making connections that count is also about the Newin connection.
• More on polo is about Vichai’s interest in things royal, equestrian and hi-so.
• Football and politics is about Vichai’s early forays into football investments.
• Down the Thaksin road adds to the football story.
• and Another King Power bomb are about bombs at King Power after the 2010 crackdown on red shirts.
• More on King Power is about the rise of King Power and its political connections.
• Who pays the parties? mentions political donations to the Bhum Jai Thai Party.
• Rewarding royalists considers the fruits of royal posterior polishing.
• Rich, rich, rich II is about Vichai in the Forbes super-rich lists.
• The funding trail is on the firms and individuals said to be funding anti-government protests in 2013-14.
• Footballing oligarchs I reprints an Asia Sentinel article on Vichai and his football investment.
• Footballing oligarchs II is a bit of a round-up on Vichai’s wealth and influence.
• King Power monopoly assured is our most recent post on the continuation of the King Power duty free monopoly.