Getting to know Vinij who brought football giants to Bangkok

Before the match, Fresh Air CEO Vinij Lertratanachai, 60, was the public face for the event, often seen in the media with both good and bad news. So who is Vinij?

Vinij was a famous DJ and actor in films and many TV shows before becoming the CEO of Fresh Air Festival.

Fresh Air Festival was established on March 9, 2009, to hold business and product exhibitions. Vinij owns 150,000 shares in the company, which account for 50 per cent of the 30-million-baht authorised capital. The company has reported losses in all years since 2016.

Fresh Air Festival’s performance in the last five years is as follows:

2016
Total revenue: 126.59 million baht
Net loss: 41.155 million baht

2017
Total revenue: 65.496 million baht
Net loss: 14.729 million baht

2018
Total revenue: 99.904 million baht
Net loss: 8.339 million baht

2019
Total revenue: 80.256 million baht
Net loss: 6.23 million baht

2020
Total revenue: 90.214 million baht
Net loss: 23.602 million baht

The company has organised several famous events from music festivals, countdown events, concerts, light shows, stage performances, military parades, and sports events.

Fresh Air Festival has organised many big events before but it is undeniable that the match between Manchester United and Liverpool might be the biggest and most challenging event for the company.

It was the first time that Manchester United and Liverpool played each other in Asia, while there was also the Jackson Wang pre-match concert to attract K-pop fans.

Organising the match was tough because there were several problems regarding the 400-million-baht financial support from the Sports Authority of Thailand or tickets being more expensive in Thailand than those sold in Anfield, England.

There was also a controversy over social media influencer Pimrypie selling tickets at a discounted price with perks not offered to other buyers, and computer hardware store Advice selling tickets at half-price at the venue before the match.