Ekkayuth Anchanbutr
Encyclopedia
Ekkayuth Anchanbutr is a Thai
former pyramid scheme
operator and political activist
.
Ekkayuth was the head of the controversial Charter Investment pyramid scheme
, which collapsed in 1983. He fled to England in 1984 to avoid charges. Ekkayuth then invested the proceeds of pyramid scheme in a chain of oriental supermarkets and is estimated to have accumulated a personal wealth of billions.
In 2004, after the 20 year statute of limitations
was exhausted, he returned to Thailand and launched a campaign against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
. His Thailand Insider website was strongly critical of the Premier, and was temporarily blocked by Thai authorities on June 21, 2005 and again on December 15.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
former pyramid scheme
Pyramid scheme
A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public...
operator and political activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
.
Ekkayuth was the head of the controversial Charter Investment pyramid scheme
Pyramid scheme
A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public...
, which collapsed in 1983. He fled to England in 1984 to avoid charges. Ekkayuth then invested the proceeds of pyramid scheme in a chain of oriental supermarkets and is estimated to have accumulated a personal wealth of billions.
In 2004, after the 20 year statute of limitations
Statute of limitations
A statute of limitations is an enactment in a common law legal system that sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event may be initiated...
was exhausted, he returned to Thailand and launched a campaign against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
. His Thailand Insider website was strongly critical of the Premier, and was temporarily blocked by Thai authorities on June 21, 2005 and again on December 15.