Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by smallcrab

China sentences infamous Myanmar scam mafia member

smallcrab — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 21:07:05 +0800

A Chinese court has sentenced five top members of an infamous Myanmar mafia to death as Beijing continues its crackdown on scam operations in South East Asia.

In all 21 Bai family members and associates were convicted of fraud, homicide, injury and other crimes, said a state media report published on the court website.

The family is among a handful of mafias that rose to power in the 2000s and transformed the impoverished backwater town of Laukkaing into a lucrative hub of casinos and red-light districts.

In recent years they pivoted to scams in which thousands of trafficked workers, many of them Chinese, are trapped, abused and forced to defraud others in criminal operations worth billions.

Mafia boss Bai Suocheng and his son Bai Yingcang were among the five men sentenced to death by the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court. Yang Liqiang, Hu Xiaojiang and Chen Guangyi were the other three.

Two members of the Bai family mafia were handed suspended death sentences. Five were sentenced to life imprisonment, while nine others were handed jail sentences ranging from three to 20 years.

The Bais, who controlled their own militia, established 41 compounds to house their cyberscam activities and casinos, authorities said.

These criminal activities involved more than 29 billion Chinese yuan ($4.1bn; £3.1bn). They also led to the deaths of six Chinese citizens, the suicide of one and multiple injuries, state media reported.

The harsh penalties handed down by the court are part of China's campaign to eradicate the vast scam networks in South East Asia - and send a stern warning to other criminal syndicates.

In September a Chinese court sentenced 11 members of the Ming family - another prominent Laukkaing clan - to death.

These families rose to power in the 2000s with the help of Min Aung Hlaing - who now leads Myanmar's military government. He had wanted to prop up allies in Laukkaing after ousting its former warlord.

Among the clans, the Bais were "absolutely number one", Bai Yingcang previously told state media.

"At that time, our Bai family was the most powerful in both the political and military circles," he said in a documentary about the Bai family, aired on Chinese state media in July.

In the same documentary, a worker at one of their scam centres recalled the abuse he had endured there: besides being beaten, he had his fingernails yanked out with pliers and two of his fingers severed with a kitchen knife.

"Why is the Chinese government making so much effort to go after the four families?" a Chinese investigator said in the July documentary.

"It's to warn other people, no matter who you are, where you are, as long as you commit such heinous crimes against the Chinese people, you will pay the price."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy9pyljl009o

Hot like hell today (40 C)

smallcrab — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 21:35:07 +0800

Today at Klang Valley.
Seldom i see temp. reached 40 C
Most is 38 C
Drillz attached[attachmentid=11516241]

PS Plus annual subscription increase 25%

smallcrab — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 10:09:27 +0800

Just rcvd email today.

My PS Plus Deluxe 12 month subscription will increase price.

From RM460 to RM575 for my next renewal.
25% increase.

Inb4 thank you Trump tariff.

KFC Indonesia shutters numerous outlets

smallcrab — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 21:28:55 +0800

JAKARTA (Vietnam News/ANN): KFC Indonesia, owned by Gelael and Salim Group under PT Fast Food Indonesia Tbk (FAST), reported a net loss of 557.08 billion IDR (over US$36 million) as of the third quarter of this year, resulting in the company’s closure of 47 outlets (as of September) and sack of 2,274 employees.

In its financial report, FAST disclosed that in the first nine months of this year, the company reduced its operational store count to 715 from the 2023 figure of 762.

Its workforce has also significantly decreased, now standing at over 13,700 employees compared to nearly 16,000 previously.

The most substantial factor in FAST’s revenue decline was a sharp drop in food and beverage sales, totaling 3.57 trillion IDR as of the third quarter, an annual decrease of 22.4%.

FAST’s leaders attributed these downturns to the prolonged negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Recovery has yet to help the company reach its expected sale targets, while market conditions have further deteriorated, exacerbated by the ongoing Middle East crisis. - Vietnam News/ANN

https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanp...-losses-in-2024

my fren car masuk air

smallcrab — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 21:30:48 +0800

hi ktards

my friend's car masuk air this afternoon heavy rain @ Kota Kemuning.
Alrdy suck out water at bangla car wash, but the base carpet still wet wet (see last pic).

Possible to remove the base carpet and dry? Or change new?
Can recommend where can do it @ Klang Valley area.

Texas Chicken is shutting down in Thailand

smallcrab — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 22:52:36 +0800

Texas Chicken is shutting down all its outlets in Thailand after serving customers here for nine years.

The fast food company announced on its Facebook page on Monday that it would close all outlets from the end of September. It gave no reason for its decision to exit Thailand.

"It's time to say goodbye to Texas Chicken after nine years of tasty memories," it said.

Texas Chicken is an American fast food restaurant chain, called Church's Texas Chicken in the United States. Its first branch was in San Antonio in Texas and set up the headquarters in Atlanta. PTT Oil and Retail Business Plc (OR) brought it into Thailand nine years ago, opening the first outlets at its PTT petrol stations and then branching out to other places, including some community malls.

It was part of OR's business strategy to achieve a balance between oil and non-oil businesses.

Church's Texas Chicken has spread its wings to 26 countries.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/genera...ood-in-thailand. View our policies at http://goo.gl/9HgTd and http://goo.gl/ou6Ip. © Bangkok Post PCL. All rights reserved.

Rate my BK lunch

smallcrab — Tue, 21 May 2024 13:43:55 +0800

BK Whopper + iced Americano
bliss

Pubic Bank cooling off fund transfer

smallcrab — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 08:24:01 +0800

I withdrew FD from my Pubic Bank, after maturity now becum just 2.6% interest.
so transfer to my CIMB acct wanna place FD there 3.7%, account also under my name

even this also wanna put cooling off and on hold my transfer.
RM20k only

ape lanjiao inconvenient user, minoriti orang bodo kena scam why why inconvenient majority yang not as bodo

PK HKC MCH CCB DLLM

From my dashcam ! Rim & tyres popped out !

smallcrab — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 19:29:11 +0800

[YOUTUBE]lwoe2mOWE1c[/YOUTUBE]

Captured on my dashcam just now.
Was looking at this unusual camper van.
Then from my rear view mirror, saw its rim + tyres popped out just like that

Come see BEAR Paw cooked as food (Not China!)

smallcrab — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 21:17:26 +0800

[YOUTUBE]5z1fcgX8QLU[/YOUTUBE]

Marilah makan buaya kukus

smallcrab — Sat, 28 Oct 2023 17:23:41 +0800

[YOUTUBE]0KRYHoLY3hw[/YOUTUBE]

Saw ex-menteri Doraemon #DUN Batu Tiga

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 07:30:00 +0800

Many here need prilligy med.

smallcrab — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 20:06:24 +0800

It can treat pancoot awal.

/k medical expert

Master Chris Leong datang lagi

smallcrab — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 21:37:09 +0800

tall HK moi
[YOUTUBE]Sc4LultWeDQ[/YOUTUBE]

ktard help needed - Sohai driver BPB 5840

smallcrab — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 22:47:07 +0800

Inches away from crashing into this sohai car. Fucker did a crossing in front of my path.
It's a fucking motorcycle lane and the driver can't differentiate it.
Sohai only realised it moments later.

Any /ktard can help to find out who is this driver ? It's a guy or wimmenz ?
Car plate BPB 5840

[YOUTUBE]poM0oEl3si4[/YOUTUBE]

Sweden electricity prices soared 266%

smallcrab — Sat, 15 Jan 2022 23:14:34 +0800

Sweden announced on Wednesday it had earmarked some 6 billion kronor (€590 million) for a temporary scheme to help the most affected households across the Scandinavian country to cope with high electricity bills this winter.

Households consuming more than 2,000 kilowatt hours per month can get compensation worth about 2,000 kronor (€195.5) per month for the three months December-February. Some 1.8 million households are affected, the government said.

“This is an exceptional measure in an exceptional situation, it is unusual to go in with support when prices fluctuate in markets,” said Finance Minister Mikkel Damberg.

Sweden's one-party, minority Social Democratic government is expected to get majority backing for the plan in the 349-seat Riksdag.

Homeowners in Sweden have already started adopting strategies to lower their consumption — turning down the heating, closing off rooms, using alternative heat sources like wood log burners and wearing thick woolly socks.

“It’s a crazy situation to be in,” said Hannah Hall who lives in an old wooden house in Kristinehamn, a small town in central Sweden. “I was aware it would be an expensive winter, but it feels unprecedented.”

Hall was billed 10,400 kronor (€1,016) for her December electricity consumption, about tripled the previous year, to heat her 130 square meter home.

Her family also use log burners as backup heating to keep the living room cozy, but “wood is running out in our shed, and all the farmers have run out of wood" to sell as people seek to diversify their heating source.

The fact that Hall has been working from home because of the pandemic has added to their heating requirements. Thick woolly socks meant as a fun gift by her employer as her company shifted to work-from-home have come in handy and her husband has stopped using their small outhouse as a home office to avoid turning on the extra heater.

“We’re in a lucky financial situation … but other people, it must be really tough and a big worry,” she said, adding they use 23,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year.

There have been reports of people taking bank loans to be able to pay their electricity bill.

“I understand that people are worried about their finances,” Sweden’s Energy Minister Khashayar Farmanbar said.

Sweden’s electricity prices have risen as cold temperatures increased demand and gas prices in Europe continue to rise.

According to data from the Swedish energy market regulator, the electricity costs for an average apartment in the southern half of the country where a large majority of Swedes live increased by 266% year-on-year in December, while the cost for an average house with electric heating jumped an average of 361% over the same period.

“Of course, energy companies could do better at informing their customers” said Jens Lundgren, the regulator's deputy chief economist, but he believes consumers could do more to mitigate costs by “investing time in understanding the energy market and the potential cost savings that come from using smart energy saving-products available,” such as heat-pumps, smart EV-chargers or timers that only power appliances when electricity prices are lower.

In December, neighbouring Norway said support will be available to households that use up to 5,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each month. The move will cost the nation about 5 billion kroner (€500 million).

“We have focused on helping as many people as possible," Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum said in December. "We hope that these measures will provide a little more breathing space.”

https://www.euronews.com/2022/01/12/sweden-...s-soar-over-266

inb4 Mesia TNB bills affordable

PM, cabinet to offer their 3 Mth salaries to Covid

smallcrab — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 07:07:35 +0800

Not in Mesia.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will donate three months of his salary to help those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, prompting other cabinet ministers to follow suit.

The prime minister announced his donation during a meeting at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) via a video conference on Friday.

Currently, Prime Minister Prayut receives a monthly salary of 75,590 baht and a monthly position allowance of 50,000 baht which comes to 125,590 baht in total. Over three months he will be donating 376,770 baht.

At least 15 deputy prime ministers, ministers and deputy ministers in the cabinet have expressed their intention to follow suit.

Democrat leader and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said on Friday the party's ministers were willing to donate their salary to help those affected by the virus although it was just a small gesture.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Thamanat Prompow, secretary-general of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), said the ministers from the party would give up three months' salary as well.

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob of the Bhumjaithai Party also announced that his party would join the cause.

House Speaker Chuan Leekpai said on Friday it is up to the MPs to decide if they want to give up their salary as he noted that several MPs have spent a lot more than their salary on helping people during the pandemic.

He said several have given their own money to buy food, drinking water and face masks for distribution.

"The assistance these MPs give to the people is a lot more than money, but those who want to donate should feel free to do so. It is a good thing," he said.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/genera...covid-sufferers

Indonesia faces oxygen crisis amid worsening Covid

smallcrab — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 21:55:23 +0800

Indonesia's government has ordered producers to prioritise medical oxygen amid a Covid surge and a shortage of oxygen in a number of cities.

Hospitals say they have almost exhausted supplies, with one reporting that 63 patients died as a result of oxygen shortages.

Indonesia is recording more than 25,000 new cases every day.

Increased travel and the highly contagious Delta variant have exacerbated the crisis.

Indonesia has had the worst Covid outbreak in South East Asia, with about 2.3 million positive cases and more than 60,000 deaths so far.

However, experts warn that the overall numbers are potentially much higher because of severely inadequate testing outside the capital Jakarta.

A lockdown was announced on the country's main island Java, as well as in the tourist island of Bali last week.

A war-like emergency'
On Monday, two hospitals in the city of Bandung announced that they had run out of oxygen, and had to reject new patients seeking emergency treatment.

Over the weekend, emergency services and intensive care units of public hospitals in the cities of Bandung, Surakarta, and Pamekasan said they were struggling with an influx of people seeking admission with some having to turn away patients.

Others have set up tents outside.

"It's a war-like emergency," a woman seeking treatment for her elderly mother told the BBC's Indonesian service. Her mother had first been rejected at a hospital that had run out of beds, and was only able to get admitted to a makeshift tent at another one.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57717144

Malaysian businessman found dead in car

smallcrab — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 00:29:23 +0800

SAMUT PRAKAN: A 43-year-old Malaysian businessman was found dead inside his car parked near a fish pond in Bang Phli district on Friday evening. A warm charcoal stove was in the vehicle.

The white Toyota Camry, with its engine running, was parked at an alley behind Chao Phor Sua shrine at Wat Pha Pichai temple in tambon Bang Phla, said Pol Capt Pongnarin Nontanok, deputy investigation chief at Bang Phli police station, who was alerted around 5pm on Friday.

Rescue workers rushing to the scene tried to open the locked doors of the sedan. When a door was opened, they found the driver, identified later as Wong Chen Hoe, a 43-year-old Malaysian national, in the driver’s seat. A charcoal stove was found next to the driver’s seat. A half-full charcoal bag was found in the back seat.

He had two knife wounds on his right wrist, covered by a face mask. There were no bruises or traces of a physical assault on his body, said a hospital doctor called to the scene. The doctor believed the man had died at least 7-8 hours before his body was discovered.

His relatives filed a missing person complaint at Bang Phli police station on Friday morning. Police immediately contacted them.

His wife told police that her husband left the house on late Thursday morning, driving a company car. Since then, she had been unable to contact him.

On Friday morning, she sent him a Line chat message which was marked as read, but received no reply. She also phoned him but he did not pick up.

She said she was worried that he might be in danger or resort to taking his own life since he had been stressed lately. His business had been operating at loss during the spread of Covid-19.

She went to the police station to help find her husband.

Mr Boonma Phunooch, 62, owner of the fish pond where the car was parked nearby, said he saw the car parked there with its engine running since Thursday afternoon. He initially thought the driver might stop it to take a rest.

He just learned about the incident on Friday evening when local residents alerted him that the same car was still parked there with the engine running.

Mr Boonma said he knocked the door several times to wake up the driver but there was no response. He then alerted police.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/genera...und-dead-in-car

Former e-sport player dies of Covid-19, no help.

smallcrab — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 07:18:36 +0800

Former e-sport player dies of Covid-19 after failing to get timely help

Thailand now facing a record 2,839 new Covid cases.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/genera...get-timely-help

A former e-sport player died of Covid-19 after spending five days in self-quarantine and trying unsuccessfully to seek help from hospitals after his symptoms worsened.

Kunlasub Wattnaphon said in a live stream on Facebook on April 17 that he had symptoms of Covid-19 and had been self-quarantined at home for five days.

He called several medical hotline numbers to seek help only to be told to contact other agencies. As a result, he could not find any hospitals to diagnose him and could not ask for an ambulance to take him to hospital, he said.

During the live stream, he said his symptoms were severe and could not drive to hospital and he did not want to take a taxi to avoid the risk of spreading the disease.

He had a cough, a dry throat, loss of appetite, and had to drink three litres of water a day. He also had breathing difficulties.

On April 21, he posted on Facebook that he was admitted to hospital and was diagnosed with Covid-19. The virus had attacked his lungs and he was put on a respirator. Doctors said his symptoms were severe partly because of his obesity.

He asked his friend to provide updaes of his condition on his Facebook page. His lung function was only about 20% and he had to remain in ICU indefinitely. About 10.22pm on Friday, he had a heart attack. Doctors tried to bring him around. At 11.26pm, his friend posted on his Facebook that he had died.

Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha on Saturday offered his condolences to the family and apologised for the slow process in admitting Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms as in this case. "Generally, if a patient receives medication in a timely fashion, this will help reduce severe symptoms. In the current situation, doctors have their hands full and hospitals are overloaded,'' he said.