The billionaire owners of Leicester City Football Club have struck a deal to promote tourism in Thailand as it battles to bounce back from the global pandemic.
The club’s Thai owners and their King Power duty free empire have agreed to back a Thailand Smiles With You campaign, launched by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
It will see the logo feature on Leicester players’ Adidas shirts in the Premier League next season – starting with the last game of the current season, Manchester United’s visit to the King Power Stadium on Sunday.
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The club will also give a significant part of its sponsorship budget to the campaign.
Thailand, like the rest of the world, is struggling to cope with the economic impacts of the coronavirus, which saw international travel grind to a halt.
Only now is the sector – worth about 20 per cent of the country’s national GDP – slowly reopening.
The new link up was revealed by Leicester City chairman and King Power chief executive Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha at a global launch in Bangkok yesterday.
Since being acquired by Bangkok-based King Power in 2010, the club – which will be playing for a place in the Champion’s League this weekend – has enjoyed strong support from the people of Thailand.
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Millions lined the streets of Bangkok when players joined an open-top bus parade after winning the league four years ago.
Club chairman Khun Aiyawatt said helping his country’s tourism sector was a way of giving something back for those years of support.
He said: “The impact of Covid-19 is being felt all over the world and the relationship between Leicester City and King Power gives us the opportunity to support the shared communities that are closest to us.
“In Leicester, the club has been able to reach out directly to make support available to a number of causes affected by the pandemic and will retain the backing of King Power to continue supporting Leicester’s future recovery.
“This campaign is our opportunity to make a difference in Thailand, where tourism contributes significantly to the nation’s economy and, as a result, the livelihoods of millions of Thai people.
“The relationship between King Power and Leicester City has been such a powerful vehicle for success for our entire organisation in the last 10 years.
“I’m extremely proud to make the power of that relationship available to the Tourism Authority of Thailand in the 2020/21 season.”
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While league shirts will feature the words “Thailand Smiles With You”, King Power – Leicester City’s official shirt partner since 2010 – will retain front-of-shirt presence on players’ kit for cup and European competitions.
The fans’ home shirt, which will go on sale from Monday, will continue to carry the King Power logo, but anyone who is quick will be eligible to buy a limited edition Thailand Smiles With You home shirt, for delivery this autumn.
Khun Aiyawatt said: “The world has changed in recent months, sharpening everyone’s focus to take care of our communities and to do the right thing.
“That doesn’t happen without some agility in our business and we have had to make some changes to our plans for 2020/21 as a result.
“But I feel confident it is a campaign Leicester City supporters will get behind, strengthening the sense of solidarity that already exists between the city and the people of Thailand.”
He said Thailand Smiles With You will also see Leicester City doing more to promote Thai tourism around the world.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has also supported Leicester City – its ‘Amazing Thailand’ brand has been prominent on King Power Stadium inventory and also featured as part of a back-of-shirt sponsorship during the 2013/14 Championship winning season.