AUGUST 30
Thai mogul makes new Reds offer

By Peter ORourke - Sky Sports

Thailand media tycoon Paiboon Damrongchaitham claims he has made an offer to invest in Liverpool.

Damrongchaitham, who is chairman of Thailand's largest music firm GMM Grammy, first made his interest in Liverpool known in June when he backed Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's bid to buy a stake in the Anfield club.

Shinawatra's interest in an investment deal fell through over his involvement in the club leaving the road clear for Damrongchaitham to pursue his interest in buying a 30 percent stake in Liverpool.

Damrongchaitham has set up a holding company to try and buy a stake in Liverpool and he is hoping to find out soon if his offer will be accepted.

"We have sent our proposal about rights and benefits to Liverpool. We expect to get some answer from them next month on whether there will be another discussion or not," said Paiboon.

"The price will be the same the Thai government proposed but the number of shares may be less or more. After the purchase, I will list shares of Liverpool Thai Holding on the Thai stock market."

Liverpool businessman Steve Morgan has held a long-term interest in increasing his stake in the club, but his attempts to gain more influence have been rejected by Reds chairman David Moores.

Liverpool have been searching for investment into the club all summer and they could well be prepared to accept Damrongchaitham's offer so as to create funds for Reds boss Rafa Benitez and their proposed move away from Anfield.

AUGUST 24
Morgan's new bid rejected

By Andrew Edwards - Liverpool Echo

Liverpool Football Club have rejected another bid from Steve Morgan to take over control of the club.

It is understood the proposed £70m deal stalled after it had been agreed in principle that owner David Moores would step down. This would have paved the way for Morgan to become the majority shareholder and new chairman at Anfield.

The ECHO can reveal it is unlikely that Morgan will go away.

The stumbling block arose when routine business checks on behalf of the former housebuilder from Garston are said to have discovered the costs of building the club's planned new stadium have risen dramatically.

Documents produced as part of a formal due diligence process - thorough expert checks which are always made before any major deal is actually signed - claim the costs of building the stadium on the car park at Stanley Park have rocketed.

The price of the new stadium was put at £80m at the club's annual meeting in January, but they now say it is £90m,

The documents, however, are said to insist it is more than £100m.

It is understood Morgan's latest offer would have meant him buying a major stake of Moores shareholding, plus other shares owned by ITV. The television company holds just under 10% at Anfield but now wants out of football clubs like the Reds.

In total £35m of Morgan's cash would have been paid to shareholders including Moores and Granada, with the other £35m being made available to new manager Raphael Benitez for new players and also to boost the club's general finances.

The ECHO has learned that serious and detailed talks involving advisers to both Moores and Morgan as well as the club's investment experts Hawkpoint were revived around five weeks ago.

It is understood the building magnate and his advisers revised their offer to Moores, chairman at Anfield for the past 14 years, because of the belief that costs for the stadium were spiralling.

They had concerns that if much of Morgan's money went to pay for the rising stadium bill, there would be little left for Benitez to invest in further team building.

The revised offer was rejected, but the story is far from over.

Today Morgan would only say: "These matters are confidential and it would be inappropriate to say anything.

"However, I will confirm that following recent speculation, new talks between myself and club's advisers have been taking place in recent weeks."

Meanwhile the club has made it clear that the planned new 60,000-seater stadium reamains intact and on track for opening in the 2007/8 season.

In Saturday's match programme chief executive Rick Parry penned an article telling supporters and the community of the Anfield area that their support had been crucial in recently winning planning permission for the stadium.

AUGUST 12
Thailand's Liverpool bid goes
quiet on eve of season kickoff

AFP

BANGKOK : A Thai consortium insisted its bid for a stake in Premiership giants Liverpool was still on despite silence surrounding a once highly public campaign days before the new season starts.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra set the football world alight in May when he announced a move to secure a 30 percent stake in one of the world's highest profile teams with what promised to be Asian investors' first major foray into the English Premiership.

But the chatter around Thailand's 100-115 million dollar plan has hushed since the days when Thai officials offered daily progress reports before the government quietly stepped away from the bid.

Liverpool's chief executive Rick Parry admitted news of the Thai investment had gone "very quiet" amid concerns in Asia that the consortium could not cobble together enough cash.

But a spokeswoman for music mogul Paiboon Damranongchaitham, who heads entertainment giant GMM Grammy and the Thai consortium negotiating with Liverpool, said the process was still continuing.

"We haven't cancelled anything yet," the spokeswoman told AFP. "The latest progress is we have submitted our business model to Liverpool and they accepted it for consideration."

The man brought in by Thaksin to deal with Liverpool at the earliest stages of the talks said that negotiations could "die a natural death" if an agreement was not reached by the end of the year.

"I think the interest is still very much alive in Thailand, there are still plenty of loud whispers about it," said Thawatchai Sajakul, an MP and former Thai national football coach.

"But if it's after December and nothing has come out then you can kiss it goodbye," Thawatchai said.

Thaksin had variously announced plans to use taxpayer money, float shares on the stock exchange, and launch a massive 250-million-dollar public lottery to raise the money to fuel the Thai fantasy of pulling strings at the top of one of the world's most celebrated sports dynasties.

With those plans unravelled, the premier could still sink some of his own substantial cash into the deal with Paiboon if it were to go ahead, Thawatchai said.

Paiboon's office's claims that negotiations were still going on were treated with scepticism by seasoned observers. "The season starts in a couple of days and nothing's actually happened. It is a bit embarrassing considering all the fanfare there was when it came up," said Bangkok Post sports editor Roger Crutchley.

Liverpool have had a busy summer, acquiring a new coach and the go-ahead for a 60,000-seat stadium.

A Thai injection would have freed up some club funds to put towards costly transfer fees but with a new team taking shape there appeared no immediate need for a cash injection.

Regardless of the outcome of the Liverpool bid, at least one Thai entity is assured of making its mark on an English club this season.

Thai Beverages, Thailand's largest brewer, signed a 1.5 million pound (2.8 million dollar) sponsorship deal last month with Liverpool's city rivals Everton that will see the logo of its best-selling Chang Beer emblazoned on team jerseys.

AUGUST 11
Morgan poised to swoop

By David Prentice - Liverpool Echo

Steve Morgan (pictured) may be poised to mount a new bid for control of Liverpool after his offers to invest in the club earlier this summer were rebuffed.

The building magnate and lifelong fan (right) was reportedly close to completing a £75m takeover with chairman David Moores today.

But if Morgan has had a bid accepted it could be rubber-stamped at next week's scheduled board meeting.

Any full takeover of Moores's shares, however, would have to be ratified at an extraordinary general meeting.

A takeover would mean Moores standing down as chairman and Morgan creating his own board.

The building tycoon tried to invest £73m into the club earlier this summer, at the same time as the Thai government was planning to invest. But his offer was thrown out for "undervaluing the club".

AUGUST 3
Thais revive Liverpool bid

BBC Sport Online

A Thai media tycoon has insisted his consortium is still interested in purchasing a 30% stake in Liverpool.

The Anfield club's chief executive Rick Parry said talks with the group had gone "pretty quiet".

But Paiboon Damrongchaitham, chairman of GMM Grammy entertainment, said that was a "misunderstanding" and discussions were ongoing.

Damrongchaitham has been speaking to potential investors in order to raise the estimated £66m required.

An earlier Thai offer - from Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra - collapsed after a public outcry in Thailand.

Thaksin had wanted his administration to invest £63m for a 30% stake in the Anfield club

JULY 30
All quiet on Thai investment

By Tony Barrett - Liverpool Echo

Liverpool Football Club's hopes of securing Thai investment appeared to be receding today (30 July).

Chief executive Rick Parry admitted for the first time that talks between Reds chiefs and potential investors from Thailand have gone "pretty quiet".

Liverpool had been hopeful of selling a 30% stake in the club for around £66m in order to release much needed funds for transfers.

But the Thai consortium trying to buy into the club has so far failed to come up with the cash and has not spoken to Liverpool officials for some time.

In an interview on the official Liverpool website, Mr Parry was asked if the chances of concluding the Thai deal were finished.

He said: "It's pretty quiet on that front. We haven't had any direct discussions for a couple of weeks, it's not necessarily dead but it's quiet."

Mr Parry refused to speculate on whether there were any alternative deals in the pipeline, but it seems certain the club will now be looking for an alternative investment source.

Liverpool's admission over talks on a proposed deal comes as speculation grows in Asia that the Thai consortium, led by music magnate

Paiboon Damrongchaitham, (pictured), has failed to come up with the necessary cash.

The Grammy chairman has already backtracked from his original plan to use company money to fund the £66m offer, after investors reacted badly.

Business analysts said the investment would unnecessarily tighten the company's cash flow and shares in the company immediately fell 4.2%.

A week later Paiboon, who made number 10 in the most recent Thai Rich List, issued a statement saying he would use his own cash.

But he added that his investment would have to be supported by "thousands" of smaller investors in Thailand.

A previous proposal from Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra fell through after fierce opposition to his plans to raise the money from a public lottery.

JULY 22
Thais still negotiating

Reuters

Thai investors are in talks to buy a 30 percent stake in Liverpool even after a decision by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to withdraw a bid following criticism of a plan to use public money or a lottery to finance it.

"They are still negotiating, but there is no conclusion yet," said a spokeswoman for one of the potential investors, Thai media mogul Paiboon Damrongchaitham.

"We will issue a statement if the deal is done or if we have any progress."

Reports in the British media have suggested Thai investors could also be interested in buying a stake in Everton.

But Paiboon is focused on Liverpool and "has nothing to do with Everton", his spokesman said.

Thai Beverages is not interested in owning clubs.

"We are not keen to buy stake in either Liverpool or Everton, because football is not our core business," the company's adviser said.

"We want to be involved in sponsorship deals because it will help support our beer marketing activities".

If Thai Beverages takes over the Liverpool sponsorship, it would oust current sponsor Denmark's Carlsberg.

The two brewers are also embroiled in a business dispute. The Danish firm terminated a partnership between them last year, saying Thai Beverages had not fulfilled its obligations under their joint venture agreement.

The Thai firm, led by Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, one of the country's richest men, has filed damage claims for up to $2 billion for Carlsberg's termination of the agreement, under which the brewer was allowed to sell Carlsberg beer.

JUNE 29
Thais look to Singapore, China to beef up Liverpool bid

Reuters

Thai media mogul Paiboon Damrongchaitham said on Tuesday he was talking to Chinese and Singaporean investors about helping him buy a stake in English premier league club Liverpool.

"The potential partner is a Singaporean business friend who wants to invest. If he decides to join me, he will do it with his own money, like I will," said Paiboon, who is leading a group of private investors bidding for a 30 percent share.

"For negotiation with partners in China, it will also be personal investment," Paiboon, chairman of Thailand's biggest music company GMM Grammy PCL GRAM.BK> and among the country's richest men, said in a statement.

He did not give details of the potential investors although he ruled out Singapore Press Holdings Ltd, a name which has surfaced in the Thai media.

After talks with Liverpool last week, Paiboon said the club would decide within two weeks whether to accept his offer, which he valued earlier this month at around five billion baht ($122 million).

The group took over negotiations from Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra after his investment plans were dropped because of opposition to the use of public money.

The level of Thai involvement on the Liverpool board -- a sticking point during the Thaksin negotiations -- does not appear to have been resolved in the Paiboon bid.

Liverpool want an injection of funds to pay for new players in order to keep pace with big-spending rivals such as Chelsea and Manchester United. They also want to move to a bigger stadium.

JUNE 23
Parry given two-week ultimatum

Sporting Life

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has been given two weeks by the Thai media tycoon to make a decision over the offer for a 30% stake in the club.

The chairman of GMM Grammy Plc, Paiboon Damrongchaitham, met Parry and a representative of chairman David Moores to outline the Thai's business consortium's proposal for investing in the club.

A spokeswoman for Damrongchaitham told the Liverpool Echo: "At the meeting between Mr Damrongchaitham and the boss of King Power Duty Free Ltd, as well as Mr Parry and a representative of David Moores, the Grammy chairman put forward his business model.

"They also discussed the rights to merchandise Liverpool FC shirts, scarves and other products in Asia.

"Mr Damrongchaitham wants to gain the rights to sell merchandise in Asia. Mr Parry explained to him Reebok own the copyright on the Liverpool FC logo but they do not have the copyright in the Asian market.

"He explained to the club he would like to repeat the tournament in Thailand which Liverpool participated in two years ago.

"Mr Damrongchaitham has given Mr Parry two weeks to decide if he wants to accept his business proposal. They may talk over the phone or they may arrange another meeting."

He also repeated no Thai public money would be used and if Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra were to get involved he would only be able to use his own cash.

This would see the Reds get a vital cash injection and allow the Thai Government to save face after Shinawatra had to stand aside after his intention to use public funds in the £67million bid.

JUNE 22
Thai mogul eying Reds investment

Sky Sports

Thailand media mogul Paiboon Damrongchaitham has revealed that he would be prepared to invest his own money in Premiership giants Liverpool.

Damrongchaitham, who is chairman of Thailand's largest music firm GMM Grammy, was prepared earlier this month to help back Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his bid to buy a stake in the Anfield club.

However, Shinawatra's interest in an investment deal for The Reds looks to have come to an end after negotiations were terminated last week, and Damrongchaitham is thought to now be trying put a consortium together to launch a bid for a 30 percent stake of the club.

In a statement released on Tuesday, GMM Grammy stated that the money used to launch a bid for shares in Liverpool would not involve company funds.

"The company hereby would like to clarify that a decision has been reached that the said investment opportunity will be Mr Paiboon Damrongchaitham's personal investment and GMM Grammy PCL will not be involved in any possible ways," the company statement read.

The news of GMM Grammy's possible investment dropped the value of company shares by 5.5 percent this week after broker reports questioned where the company would find the cash to invest in Liverpool.

It remains to be seen if the new Thailand group will pursue with their interest in investing in The Reds, who are keen for a cash injection to help new manager Rafael Benitez strengthen his Anfield squad for next season.

As company chairman, Damrongchaitham owns around 53.2 percent of GMM Grammy.

JUNE 19
Thai music tycoon bid to revive Reds deal

By David Prior - Daily Post

The man behind Thailand's biggest music company will fly into Liverpool this weekend to revive his country's hopes of buying a 30% stake in the Anfield club.

Paiboon Damrongchaitham, chairman of GMM Grammy, is putting together a consortium that replaces that of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who stood aside after criticism of his intention to use state funds in the £67million bid.

Grammy have already been in contact with Liverpool and Paiboon will discuss the proposed offer in a meeting with chief executive Rick Parry over the next few days.

A spokesman for Grammy said: "There will be a lot of negotiations involved and we are unsure when the deal will be signed. We have to wait for him to come back."

Regarding the government's involvement, the spokesman continued: "It's not over yet and the talks still continue, only that the private sector will now carry on the process. The govern-ment just passed the baton to the private sector."

The interest from the private sector would suit all parties. It would give Liverpool much-needed cash, allow a major Thai company to invest in one of the biggest names in football and the Thai government would save face.

Paiboon has already said his consortium could include "like-minded" partners such as the Samart Corporation and Siam Sport.

He said: "We need about five billion baht - £67m - for the scheme, and if I can find 10 partners contributing 300 million baht each it shouldn't be that difficult."

JUNE 16
New name in Anfield battles

Jane Woodhead Looks At Thai Tycoon Paiboon Damrongchaitham'S Bid For Lfc - And The Company He Chairs

When you talk about business in Thailand it is likely the name Paiboon Damrongchaitham will be mentioned.

The 48-year-old "Mr Music" as he is fondly called, is one of the most successful big investors in the country.

As chairman of GMM Grammy - Thailand's top selling music firm- Paiboon now has his sights set on Liverpool FC.

He wants to invest £67min the club which would result in him acquiring 30% of the shares - and he will be in Liverpool to discuss the deal next week.

Paiboon says he believes his investment will be the best deal for the Thai population.

A close friend of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, he says he has spoken to Thaksin and he is happy for him to go ahead with the bid.

Paiboon explains: "There has been controversy among the Thai population about exactly where the Prime Minister would acquire this money for the share in LFC.

"It has been agreed that either myself or my company could invest the money."

Paiboon adds that Thailand does not have a professional football league as such.

"What is supposed to be our professional football league is not really very professional at all.

"By acquiring shares in LFC this will enable us to learn a great deal more about how to operate a professional football club successfully."

Paiboon's GMM Grammy business owns a 70% share of Thailand's music business and its success is renowned. The company now dominates Thailand's $150ma year market in recorded music, including domestically produced CDs, tapes and videos as well as licensed foreign labels.

In just over 12 years the company totally transformed the country's entertainment industry boosting the earnings of all of the perform-ers and musicians.

Its table of stars includes Thongchai "Bird" McIntyre, Thai-land's top selling male vocalist and Palmy, its top selling female vocalist.

Paiboon adds: "Before I came into this business Thai artists were poor, 90% of the business was controlled by pirates. Now everyone can earn a decent living."

Grammy's megastores are modelled on those of Virgin, HMV and Tower Records. The company's profits reach several hundred million dollars every year.

Paiboon is a man who is described as having the kind of reputation enjoyed by Richard Branson from Britain's Virgin Group, who also made his first million in pop music.

An ambitious man, he is always keen to set up new companies and has a chain of them in areas including cosmetics, clothing,Japanese food, famous Thai noodles and a chain of restaurants.

Grammy's sports distributor meanwhile has an exclusive agency contract with US label Wilson.

He says: "I used to dreamof becoming the owner of a consumer products business when I was young. Now is a good time to realise my dream. We have had a lot of experience in terms of products and marketing for quite some time. Now we would like to utilise our assets in the entertainment business to create even more value."

Paiboon, a former communications graduate, initially worked in advertising and marketing before launching a music production firm in 1983.

His main ambitions now are to increase his business connections and increase earnings rather than just simply keeping the cash in the bank.

In addition to this, he also owns satellite TV firmInternational Broadcasting Corp, which is affiliated to the billionaire PM's communication empire.

He also owns a share in the market of a company which publishes magazines.

As if that wasn't enough, Paiboon also owns several round-theclock radio stations as well as a number of television and radio production firms.

And he has great aspirations to create a successful chain of video rental outlets as well as making films.

Paiboon says this is all part of diversifying.

Thai analyst Paul Ngo, says that when companies grow this quickly management can sometimes lose control and make mistakes.

Let's hope this won't prove to be the case with Paiboon's latest project.

Threat to freedom

Thai's Supinya Klangnarong, who campaigns for freedom of expression in her home country, is today being sued by the family of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The 31-year-old is fighting a libel case after she was accused of criticism. She is alleged to have said that the Thai government would make benefits from a government policy on telecommunication.

She has already been to court three times and if convicted she faces two years in jail and a $220,000 fine.

She expects more news on the case next week.

She says: "I really do not know what to expect or whether or not I will eventually escape the charges."

Meanwhile, she says there has been a great deal of critisism in Thailand over the bid for LFC.

She adds that the PM's bid has caused controversy because of concerns about where the money would be coming from.

She adds: "The Thai people have been very confused about what is happening at LFC and many are generally opposed to the idea of shares in LFC being bought.

"If private money is being used, that is not so bad but the people of Thailand will certainly not agree to such a huge amount of money being spent outside of Thailand."

Thor Zakariassen ©