Aiyawatt joined forces with his brother Apichet Srivaddhanaprabha and teammates Nattapong Pratumlee and Thanasin Chuawangkham to secure the gold medal, beating Brunei 7.5-0 in the handicap 2-4 goals final on Dec. 10.
“We trained hard for the tournament and today we executed our game plan perfectly,” team captain Aiyawatt said, as quoted by the Bangkok Post.
“We did not underestimate our opponents and gave our best. We knew we couldn’t make a mistake because this is the final. Luckily we managed to achieve our goal and won the gold medal for Thailand.”
Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (left) holding a gold medal. Photo from Thailand Polo Association’s Facebook |
Off the field, Aiyawatt serves as executive chairman of King Power Group, Thailand’s leading operator of airport duty-free stores. His brother Apichet also holds senior management roles at the company, which was founded by their late father, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
Originally Vichai Raksriaksorn, the tycoon built King Power Group from a single downtown Bangkok duty-free outlet in 1989 into a business so successful that, in 2012, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej bestowed on him the surname Srivaddhanaprabha, meaning “light of progressive glory,” according to Tatler Asia.
Aiyawatt succeeded his father after the latter died in 2018 due to a helicopter crash. He had been involved in the family business from a young age and groomed over the years to eventually take over the helm.
By 2023, King Power operated 11 duty-free stores across airports and major tourist destinations nationwide, cementing its status as a billion-dollar force in Thailand’s travel retail industry. It also operates retail outlets and hospitality services across the country.
But more recently, the company has faced challenges in its operating environment. In September, it announced a restructuring and closure of several outlets amid a decline in Chinese group tours.
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Billionaire Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha. Photo from Leicester City’s Facebook |
Forbes in July ranked the Srivaddhanaprabha family as Thailand’s seventh richest, with a $3.5 billion fortune shared among Aiyawatt, his mother and three siblings.
The family’s assets also include King Power Mahanakhon, Bangkok’s landmark mixed-use 78-story skyscraper featuring a hotel and the country’s highest observation deck. It was reportedly bought for 14 billion baht (US$396 million) shortly before Vichai’s death.
Another major holding is Leicester City Football Club, which the family acquired in 2010 under Vichai’s leadership. Aiyawatt succeeded his father as chairman of the English club in 2019.
Early last year, Aiyawatt married Nuntisa Tanyongvetch, heiress to a leading Thai premium school uniform brand, in a lavish ceremony that drew international royalty, including Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand and Princess Azemah Bolkiah and Prince Mateen of Brunei, along with Prince Mateen’s wife, Yang Mulia Anish Rosnah.
Regarding polo, the billionaire heir said following his team’s recent win: “Polo is a new sport in the SEA Games and I hope Thai fans have an opportunity to get to know this sport. In a way it is similar to football because there’s goal scoring and it is fast.”
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Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (first on left) and other Thailand polo players pose on the podium after their win at the 33rd SEA Games. Photo from Thailand Polo Association’s Facebook |
But his connection to the sport runs deeper. It was Vichai who recognized polo’s potential and revived the sport in Thailand, according to Thai newspaper The Nation.
Vichai was the founding president of the Thailand Polo Association and, with his backing, the association was formally recognized by the Sports Authority of Thailand and polo was added to the 24th SEA Games in 2007.
“We wanted to do this for our father as well,” Aiyawatt said after the Dec. 10 game. “He was the one who started this sport in Thailand. We really wanted this gold medal – and today we did it.”
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