BANGKOK — An elaborate funeral was underway on Saturday in Thailand for the billionaire owner of the soccer club Leicester City, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died when his helicopter crashed in a parking lot outside the stadium on Oct. 27 after an English Premier League match.
The royally sponsored funeral was being held at a Bangkok temple, and attendees included top government officials, business people and other public figures.
The grounds of the temple, Wat Thepsirin, were guarded by scores of security officers. White sheets were lowered to block outsiders and the news media from viewing the proceedings.
The chanting of monks, amplified by loud speakers, could be heard resonating around the temple’s grounds.
The crash left fans in mourning, with many making a pilgrimage to the club’s stadium to leave flowers and other mementos for the owner.
Mr. Vichai, 60, was among five people killed in the crash of the helicopter outside King Power Stadium following Leicester City’s game against West Ham United. He had made his fortune running the Thai duty-free company King Power.
The police released the names of the other four people who they believe also died in the helicopter crash: two members of Vichai’s staff, Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare; the pilot, Eric Swaffer; and another passenger, Izabela Roza Lechowicz.
The police force said formal identification had not yet taken place, and that no one else was believed to have been injured.
Air accident investigators in Leicester said this past week that flight data and voice recordings had been successfully downloaded from the helicopter’s “black box.”
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said it had been able to obtain information from the black box even though it was subjected to “intense heat” in the fire.
Inspectors have started to analyze the data to determine what caused the aircraft to spiral out of control shortly after takeoff.
The wreckage was removed from the crash site late Thursday.
Leicester players have expressed their sense of deep loss, with striker Jamie Vardy writing on Instagram of Mr. Vichai: “To me you are legend, an incredible man who had the biggest heart, the soul of Leicester City Football Club. Thank you for everything you did for me, my family and our club. I will truly miss you … may you rest in peace …#theboss.”
Leicester and England defender Harry Maguire wrote on Twitter how Mr. Vichai had supported him at the club and at international levels during the World Cup, describing the Thai billionaire as “a truly great, kind, loving man who will be missed so much by everyone.”
The first funeral ceremony for Mr. Vichai began on Saturday, with others scheduled through Friday.
