Manchester City have closed their Thailand operations following former owner and ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's sale of the club, ending City's ambitious plan to become "Asia's Premier League team". Jimmy Heosontaty, City's former representative in Thailand, said a plan for an academy had been abandoned and the club's merchandise shop, launched to great fanfare last year, had closed due to a lack of interest.

"We saw no point in carrying on after the [Shinawatra] family sold their share," said Heosontaty today. "City still have fans here, but there's not a lot of interest any more."

>>guardian.co.uk

The club recently announced the addition of a 'Brand and Marketing manager', with the intention of really driving forward the clubs profile around the world.

I don't think Thailand would have been the most lucrative market as it was, but without the link to or involvement with Thaksin, even more so.