Wichai thongtang biography channel

Wichai Thongtang first entered the public spotlight in 2001 as prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's lawyer in the asset-concealment case in the Constitution Court.

He has been a household name ever since, never long out of the headlines.

But Mr Wichai is also an investment veteran, pursuing success outside the legal arena.

He first invested in the healthcare industry in 1994 with a 10% stake in Ratchaburi's Muangrat Hospital, five years later buying a 50% stake in Bangkok's Sikarin Hospital on Theparak Road at a time when the facility was facing a liquidity crisis.

Mr Wichai sold his stake in Sikarin Hospital to existing shareholders in 2002 after the institution was on the road to recovery.

Boosted by the success of these two hospitals, he expanded his healthcare portfolio more aggressively, taking controlling stakes in several hospitals includi