>>3651381 (#4635)
>Lion Air JT610 crash related to trafficking/bribery probe in region
>Full circle, this is trafficking/bribery related-Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand. Need to cross reference passenger list with these positions
If true, then it seems that the billionaire Thai / Chinese Leicester City owner who died in the helo crash a few days ago might be part of the same DS takedown:
sauce: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/04/thai-billionaire-leicester-city-vichai-srivaddhanaprabha
….Thai billionaire’s retailer, King Power, has a near-monopoly in the country’s major airports….
The origins of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha are largely opaque – opening his first business, a modest duty-free shop, during 1989 in downtown Bangkok. Today, the Thai billionaire’s retailer, King Power, has a near-monopoly in the country’s major airports.
And the £39m he paid for Leicester City in 2010 looks, in retrospect, to have been a steal.
It is not clear if Vichai is a gambler but, even if he did not bet on his team, the businessman has won big.
Leicester could now be worth more than £436m – 11 times what he bought the club for according to the New York‑based research firm Private Company Financial Intelligence.
Not unlike the Foxes, Vichai’s rise was hard to predict but his growing wealth has mirrored Leicester’s success. Forbes puts the 58-year-old – who is worth an estimated £1.9bn – at fourth place in Thailand’s rich list in part due to the recent influx of Chinese tourists to the country.
He is seen to have balanced support from both sides of Thailand’s political establishment, who despise each other, and, importantly, the powerful monarchy. His name “Srivaddhanaprabha” was bestowed to him in 2012 by King Bhumibol, the world’s longest serving monarch, for his success and charity work. And the Thai king’s portrait has also been raised at the King Power Stadium.
Despite operating for nearly two decades, it was only in 2006 that King Power managed to secure the exclusive rights to duty-free stores in Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, now the 12th busiest in the world. The contract was blessed by the Thai telecoms tycoon turned prime minister and former Manchester City owner, Thaksin Shinawatra.
“Vichai has made his money by being close to politicians, that’s how you have to do it,” said a member of the Bangkok business community, who asked for anonymity. “Before that he was an average businessman.”
Although Thaksin was later ousted in a coup, Vichai survived and his business is still going strong under the current junta run by Thaksin’s foes in the military. King Power continues to open new stores around the country.
The virtual monopoly is so strong that when a Korean competitor recently tried to enter the market, it was allowed to start building a duty-free store in Bangkok but was later blocked from opening pick-up counters at the capital’s two major airports. Without the pick-up counters, customers cannot receive their tax-free purchases. “They almost finished the building but they can’t operate,” the source said…….
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sauce: https://www.lcfc.com/news/434490/royal-honour-for-city-owners
……This Mr Vichai and King Power have done, not only by bringing 'Thai Spirit' to the world sports by helping to guide Leicester City FC to the top positions in the United Kingdom’s npower Championship, but also by supporting Thai sports culture through ‘THAI FIGHT’. The Srivaddhanaprabhas have also made their mark and reputation by building up King of Duty Free over 24 years. They are unrivalled in terms of experience in the duty free and tax free business in Thailand. Today, King Power Duty Free Company Limited has the concession for duty free operations at many of Thailand’s international airports: Suvarnnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiangmai and Phuket. The group also operates two down-town branches, one in central Bangkok, the other in Pattaya. Over the years the group has taken part in initiatives to develop Thailand's capabilities in terms of employment and it is also an enthusiastic participant in many corporate and
social responsibility programmes dealing with education, charity work, children’s health issues, sports and Thai culture.