Thailand’s elite was mourning one of its own on Monday as Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, Leicester City’s owner and the Southeast Asian country’s seventh richest man, was confirmed to have died in a helicopter crash.
Mr Srivaddhanaprabha, 60, was a high-profile figure in Thailand’s sporting, business and political circles, after emerging from relative obscurity to win access to the exclusive club of well-connected Bangkok-based oligarchs who managed to amass their fortunes despite years of coups and political turmoil.
Born into a Thai-Chinese family, he struck gold by tapping into the duty free business on the cusp of Thailand’s tourist boom.
The ambitious Leicester owner’s success was then sealed…