They must be grinding their teeth knowing that Vichai Bencharongkul - former CEO of Total Access Communication (DTAC), the mobile-phone unit of Ucom - has been enjoying such a tranquil life since he left DTAC in the hands of Telenor late last year.

Vichai now owns only one business: Benchachinda Co Ltd. With 1,000 employees, he calls it a small business. The staff are like members of his family, as nearly all of them moved from DTAC after the shareholding reshuffle.

Knowing that the new shareholder would target a leaner operation, Vichai felt it was his responsibility to take care of DTAC employees.

Reaping billions of baht from the share sale and feeling good about helping his former subordinates, Vichai lives a happy life today.

He enjoys shopping at Bangkok's fresh markets. When he was co-CEO of DTAC, he featured in a lot of advertisements jointly with Norwegian Sigve Brekke to promote the company. So all the market vendors remembered him and, as a titan of business, he could never ask for a bargain.

Now, nearly a year after Telenor took over Ucom, Vichai realises that most vendors have simply forgotten who he was. Which is good, because he can act like an ordinary shopper who bargains naturally.

"I'm so happy. I never thought that I could be this happy," he told our reporter, adding that it's wonderful that people have forgotten him so easily.

This must really annoy the people at Temasek and Shin. Nearly a year after their transaction was completed, nobody forgets them and everybody is trying so hard to nail them to the wall.

achara_d@nationgroup.com