Khun Vichai’s reign at Leicester marked a major departure from the norms of Thai ownership. The King Power hierarchy led the club in a unique and remarkably generous manner, standing in stark contrast to many others from their homeland.
Chonburi FC and Pattaya United are separated by 36 miles of sunny Thai coastline, and merely by head to head record in the final standings of the 2018 Thai League. However, the story of how the former – once indisputably the greatest club in the land – finished below their ex feeder-club provides the classic example of the pitfalls of Thai ownership.
When Pattaya United broke free of Chonburi’s owners and their failed attempt to monopolize football in the region, nobody could have quite imaged how the minnows, now under the thumb of insurance and property magnate Tanet Phanichewa, would be able to maintain their top flight status, let alone usurp their former “big brother” club.
“From what I see, they step back from the process and let the coaching staff get on with their work. They do stuff at the grassroots level to promote youth in the area,” long time Pattaya fan proudly claimed. “I think everyone is pleased and impressed with the owners we have.”
However, just a matter of months later, Pattaya’s growing fanbase have joined the ranks of the underappreciated and the ignored. News began to break last month that the side were planning a move to Samut Prakan – a region on Bangkok’s outskirts which has seen a host of failed football clubs in the past – with a complete rebranding to put the club further in line with the owners’ business interests.
The free tickets, free beer and free doughnuts may seem like nothing more than stuff for the tabloid headlines but, when placed in context, they truly illuminate the story of a man beyond compare when it came to Thai football owners.
In an age where football clubs have become businesses, Khun Vichai led his like a family. An extended unit that included every member of staff, every player and, crucially, every fan. There are few in world football who are more deserving recipients of the club’s remarkable 5000-1 triumph in 2016 than the Duty Free billionaire.
Where the archetypal Thai owner almost always yearns for the spotlight, often sitting on the bench alongside their coaches and players in league matches in the domestic division, Vichai made sure that everyone knew that the likes of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, N’Golo Kante and the rest of the squad he was able to astutely assemble.
First purchasing Leicester City back in 2010, the Thai businessman had to contend with the reputation left by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who reportedly alienated the fans during his brief spell at the helm of Manchester City.
In fact, suspicion of foreign ownership had been growing ever since the takeover of Chelsea by Roman Abramovich back in 2003. The experiences of clubs like Portsmouth, who had fallen into financial administration under a disastrous string of owners from abroad, only served to vindicate those against wealthy overseas backers.
However, even in this day and age, the admiration has has inspired, both by fans of Leicester and opposing clubs, is a testament to how special he was the the Foxes. In a culture where football is so often used as a tool for marketing or the leveraging of political influence, Vichai’s genuine love for the team which he visited every weekend was clear for all to see.
Khun Vichai’s kindness, generosity and humility earned him the rightful adulation of an entire city, and made him unique among the majority of his counterparts and an ideal ambassador for his nation. His tragic passing means that Leicester, Thailand and indeed the entire world has lost a truly exemplary chairman.