New Thai Government

[ACF]

Didn’t want this to be lost in the KP Out thread, but there’s been a shift in the Thai election that may have some positive impact to King Power.

 

It’s important to note that KP have done a deal with Airport of Thailand as of 3rd December 2025. This has upped the minimum guarantee being paid to AOT, but also extended the contracts which KP were in danger of losing.

Anutin Charnvirakul, the PM since September, will form government with a coalition following elections this month. He will be the first PM voted back to office in 20 years.
 

His conservative populist party, the Bhumjaithai party, will form government via a coalition. Their main coalition partner could be the Pheu Thai party, which is a reincarnation of Thaksin Shinawatra’s party. Thaksin is currently in prison, but could be released in a political deal.

 

These quotes are from the new PM, and Thaksin, post Vichai’s death.

 

Influential political veteran Anutin Charnvirakul described his long-time friend as a "Big Brother" and "an idol." "He was not a scion of a rich family but a real fighter... he became hugely successful in a short space of time," he told AFP. "He was definitely a role model for the new generation, generous and loved by his peers. "He bought this little football club and helped it to win the championship. He cared."

Exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who gave Vichai his duty-free monopoly, paid tribute to the entrepreneur on Monday, describing him as "a great businessman". "I am honoured and blessed to have known Vichai for all these years and am deeply saddened by the loss that his family has encountered," the billionaire wrote in a Facebook post. "His memory will live on forever in the lives of so many that he has touched", he added.

 

A KP ally is now PM of the country, potentially supported by the ex-PM who started the monopoly. Not to speculate any further, but with the deals done, the new KP CEO in place (who was President of AOT), and this PM driving tourism spending in the October 2025 budget, hopefully some smoother waters for KP ahead. Shame they’re selling the yacht.

[damolcfc]

Calling us a little club... pffft 😉

We was just misguided.

Thankfully KP have restored that 🫶🙏🤪

[damolcfc]

Positive news 😊

[Dan]

Not good news. That reads as them being less desperate to sell us - which is the only possible good outcome.

[LCFCJohn]

Irrelevant news really.

 

It won’t make Aiyawatt more competent.

It won’t mean he suddenly understands football or has a higher IQ.

It won’t change his personality and make him accountable to his mistakes.

 

In terms of @Dan your comment above, I don’t think it will affect that. He is tanking us within the rules governing football and will continue to do so as it will not change the above factors listed.

[ACF]

24 minutes ago, Dan said:

Not good news. That reads as them being less desperate to sell us - which is the only possible good outcome.

I agree with you, I’m just past the point of thinking Top will sell us. He’s too much of a man child to admit he’s not the right man for the job and got it wrong.

[ClaphamFox]

33 minutes ago, Dan said:

Not good news. That reads as them being less desperate to sell us - which is the only possible good outcome.

They have no intention of selling us.

[Buzzard]

Ah, vote of confidence from the disgraced Thaksin Shinawatra. Great news.

[gerblod]

Doesn't change anything. Top isn't suddenly going to become competent to guide our "little club" back to where it realistically can lodge itself. We won the title through clever recruitment by Steve Walsh, the determined management of Nigel Pearson and the wise guidance of Claudio. 

What followed Vichai's death was the failure of Top, Rodgers and Rudkin to do what was best for the club. 

 

[AjcW]

Approval from our *cough* ultimate owners *cough*

[RedSoxUK]

Feel like pure shit, just want the old Thai government back.

[Mike Oxlong]

Can we send them Rudkin to run the country ?  

[RonnieTodger]

Don’t you just love football

[STUHILL]

I want Top to be forced to sell, so why would this be good news? 

[Corky]

Still have Covid to contend with, don't forget that.

[Officer Doofy]

So he liked Vichai but I wonder what he thinks about his derpy little son. 

[Merchant_Banker]

3 hours ago, ACF said:

Didn’t want this to be lost in the KP Out thread, but there’s been a shift in the Thai election that may have some positive impact to King Power.

 

It’s important to note that KP have done a deal with Airport of Thailand as of 3rd December 2025. This has upped the minimum guarantee being paid to AOT, but also extended the contracts which KP were in danger of losing.

Anutin Charnvirakul, the PM since September, will form government with a coalition following elections this month. He will be the first PM voted back to office in 20 years.
 

His conservative populist party, the Bhumjaithai party, will form government via a coalition. Their main coalition partner could be the Pheu Thai party, which is a reincarnation of Thaksin Shinawatra’s party. Thaksin is currently in prison, but could be released in a political deal.

 

These quotes are from the new PM, and Thaksin, post Vichai’s death.

 

Influential political veteran Anutin Charnvirakul described his long-time friend as a "Big Brother" and "an idol." "He was not a scion of a rich family but a real fighter... he became hugely successful in a short space of time," he told AFP. "He was definitely a role model for the new generation, generous and loved by his peers. "He bought this little football club and helped it to win the championship. He cared."

Exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who gave Vichai his duty-free monopoly, paid tribute to the entrepreneur on Monday, describing him as "a great businessman". "I am honoured and blessed to have known Vichai for all these years and am deeply saddened by the loss that his family has encountered," the billionaire wrote in a Facebook post. "His memory will live on forever in the lives of so many that he has touched", he added.

 

A KP ally is now PM of the country, potentially supported by the ex-PM who started the monopoly. Not to speculate any further, but with the deals done, the new KP CEO in place (who was President of AOT), and this PM driving tourism spending in the October 2025 budget, hopefully some smoother waters for KP ahead. Shame they’re selling the yacht.

The comments about Vichai highlight what this club lost in the helicopter crash. He may not have known much about football, but he was a proper businessman. I can't imagine anyone making these comments about our current owner.

Edited 10 February by Merchant_Banker
spelling

[fox_up_north]

Prior to a couple of years ago I knew next to nothing about Thailand. It's certainly not a bastion of democracy and legitimacy that I would have liked, but the flip side is you've got Chelsea, Forest and Newcastle owners all swanning about.

 

I would much prefer for us to be run by just a company who operates by itself, but I don't think at this point any large company isn't doing dodgy deals. If and when we're sold, I would want to at least be owned by someone closer to Wrexham than Newcastle on the scale.

[ealingfox]

Proper copium this. And how could anything that keeps Top and Rudkin at the wheel longer be seen as a positive now?

 

They're running us into the ground good and proper.

[Pita]

2 hours ago, Mike Oxlong said:

Can we send them Rudkin to run the country ?  

🙏🙏

[Fox92]

1 hour ago, Merchant_Banker said:

The comments about Vichai highlight what this club lost in the helicopter crash. He may not have known much about football, but he was a proper businessman. I can't imagine anyone making these comments about our current owner.

I wouldn't take notice of what corrupt billionaires say.

[The Doctor]

4 hours ago, ClaphamFox said:

They have no intention of selling us.

I mean I think Dan's thinking is that if King Power is financially ****ed they'd have to sell off any non-core assets (of which we are one, we're not crucial to the duty free business). They're not going to sell unless forced to, this makes that forcing less likely.

[ClaphamFox]

3 minutes ago, The Doctor said:

I mean I think Dan's thinking is that if King Power is financially ****ed they'd have to sell off any non-core assets (of which we are one, we're not crucial to the duty free business). They're not going to sell unless forced to, this makes that forcing less likely.

Sure I get the logic—I just think that sequence of events was always unlikely. I don't think Top will want to sell unless/until we're back in the PL, partly for commercial reasons and partly because I suspect he doesn't want to dishonour his dad's memory by leaving us while we're in the shit. So even if the KP group were under severe stress, I think there's a chance he'd want to cling onto the club for longer than is financially rational.

 

As unpalatable as it is, I think the most realistic route back to having a club we can all believe in again is if the club somehow manages to appoint good people for the vacant manager, sporting director, CEO and commercial director positions. I understand this is a very big 'if', but sadly I think it's the best hope we have. Getting relegated will make it less likely that KP sell up, not more.

[volpeazzurro]

6 hours ago, ACF said:

Didn’t want this to be lost in the KP Out thread, but there’s been a shift in the Thai election that may have some positive impact to King Power.

 

It’s important to note that KP have done a deal with Airport of Thailand as of 3rd December 2025. This has upped the minimum guarantee being paid to AOT, but also extended the contracts which KP were in danger of losing.

Anutin Charnvirakul, the PM since September, will form government with a coalition following elections this month. He will be the first PM voted back to office in 20 years.
 

His conservative populist party, the Bhumjaithai party, will form government via a coalition. Their main coalition partner could be the Pheu Thai party, which is a reincarnation of Thaksin Shinawatra’s party. Thaksin is currently in prison, but could be released in a political deal.

 

These quotes are from the new PM, and Thaksin, post Vichai’s death.

 

Influential political veteran Anutin Charnvirakul described his long-time friend as a "Big Brother" and "an idol." "He was not a scion of a rich family but a real fighter... he became hugely successful in a short space of time," he told AFP. "He was definitely a role model for the new generation, generous and loved by his peers. "He bought this little football club and helped it to win the championship. He cared."

Exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who gave Vichai his duty-free monopoly, paid tribute to the entrepreneur on Monday, describing him as "a great businessman". "I am honoured and blessed to have known Vichai for all these years and am deeply saddened by the loss that his family has encountered," the billionaire wrote in a Facebook post. "His memory will live on forever in the lives of so many that he has touched", he added.

 

A KP ally is now PM of the country, potentially supported by the ex-PM who started the monopoly. Not to speculate any further, but with the deals done, the new KP CEO in place (who was President of AOT), and this PM driving tourism spending in the October 2025 budget, hopefully some smoother waters for KP ahead. Shame they’re selling the yacht.

But wasn’t he also quoted as saying:

’However, as much as I admire Vichai, he’s got a right little incompetent dickhead for a son, let’s just hope he isn’t ever put in charge of anything mildly important!’

[Qwerty]

9 hours ago, Dan said:

Not good news. That reads as them being less desperate to sell us - which is the only possible good outcome.

Where did you see confirmation that KP want to sell the club?