Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Khun
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha
|
|
|---|---|
Vichai at the Ham Polo Club, c. 2010
|
|
| Born |
Vichai Raksriaksorn
4 April 1958 Bangkok, Thailand
|
| Died | 27 October 2018 (aged 60) Leicester, England
|
| Cause of death | Helicopter crash |
| Other names | Khun Vichai |
| Occupation | Owner & chairman of King Power International Group Owner & chairman of Leicester City Chairman of OH Leuven |
| Spouse(s) | Aimon Srivaddhanaprabha |
| Children | 4, including Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha |
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha (born Vichai Raksriaksorn, 4 April 1958 – 27 October 2018) was a very successful Thai businessman. He was the person who started and owned a big company called King Power. This company runs shops at airports where you don't have to pay taxes on what you buy.
Vichai was also famous for owning the English football team Leicester City. He bought the team in 2010 and was their chairman until he sadly died in a helicopter crash in 2018. The crash happened right outside the team's stadium, the King Power Stadium.
His Business and Football Journey
Vichai started his company, King Power, which became very big. It runs many duty-free shops, which are stores often found at airports where goods are sold without certain taxes. In 2009, the King of Thailand gave King Power a special award, showing how important the company was. By 2018, Vichai was one of the richest people in Thailand.
Vichai first watched a football match in England in 1997. It was a game between Leicester City and Middlesbrough. This might have made him interested in the club.
In 2010, Vichai and his son, Aiyawatt, bought Leicester City. At the time, the team was in a league called the Football League Championship. Vichai became the chairman of the club in 2011, and his son became the vice chairman. Later that year, Leicester's stadium was renamed the King Power Stadium.
One of the most amazing things that happened was when Leicester City won the 2015–16 Premier League title. Before the season started, almost no one thought they could win. It was a huge surprise! After their big win, Vichai gave 19 players a fancy new car as a gift.
In 2017, he bought another football club, OH Leuven, which is in Belgium.
About His Life
Vichai Raksriaksorn was born into a Thai family with Chinese roots. He was married to Aimon Srivaddhanaprabha. They had four children: Voramas, Apichet, Aroonroong, and Aiyawatt. In 2012, the King of Thailand gave his family the new last name Srivaddhanaprabha. This special name means "light of progressive glory."
Vichai loved playing polo, which is a sport played on horseback. He owned his own polo club in Bangkok. He was also the president of the Ham Polo Club in London for a few years. His sons, Apichet and Aiyawatt, even played polo for Thailand in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games and won a silver medal.
Vichai believed that good things happened to Leicester City because of good karma. He supported Buddhist temples and monks to help create good karma. Monks from Thailand would often visit the team in England to bless the players. In 2015, his son Aiyawatt even became a Buddhist monk for a month.
In 2019, Vichai was given an award for his amazing contributions to the community.
His Death
On 27 October 2018, Vichai's helicopter crashed outside the King Power Stadium. This happened shortly after it took off from the football pitch. People who saw it said the helicopter was spinning before it crashed and caught fire.
The next day, it was confirmed that Vichai, along with the pilots and two other passengers, had died in the crash. Many people, including players and fans from Leicester City and other football clubs, left tributes outside the stadium. Vichai's funeral lasted for eight days, following Thai traditions.
See also
In Spanish: Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha para niños
