Bangkok – May 5, 2025 – Mr. D.I.Y. Holding (Thailand) Public Company Limited (MRDIYT), a leading retailer of home decoration equipment and lifestyle products, has successfully held its annual shareholder meeting (AGM) for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024.

The meeting was held on April 30, 2025, at True Digital Park in Bangkok, representing the company's first shareholder meeting following its listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) on November 5, 2024. The company trades under the ticker symbol "MRDIYT," and its initial public offering (IPO) was recognized as the highest-valued offering in Thailand in 2024.

The meeting was chaired by Adrian Ong, Chairman of the Board, and attended by board members and senior executives, including Andy Chin Guan Kui, Chief Executive Officer.

Shareholders approved all agenda items, including the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, and the allocation of annual net profit. Shareholders also approved an annual dividend payment of 0.261 baht per share, totaling approximately 1,507 million baht, or 57.27% of net profit. The company had previously paid an interim dividend of 0.201 baht per share (1,145.97 million baht), with a remaining dividend of 0.06 baht per share (361.03 million baht) to be paid as a final dividend.

During 2024, Mr. D.I.Y. Holding (Thailand) continued expanding, reaching a total of 1,127 branches nationwide, supported by ongoing infrastructure investments and operational capabilities. This growth reflects the company's commitment to making everyday essential products affordable and easily accessible to communities across Thailand, while maintaining disciplined operations.

As part of the regional Mr. D.I.Y. group, the company benefits from a strong brand and recognized business model, enabling continuous expansion while efficiently meeting domestic market demand.

Mr. D.I.Y. Holding (Thailand) remains focused on strengthening business fundamentals and building stable, sustainable long-term growth.

"Last year was another significant milestone for us with our listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand," said Andy Chin Guan Kui, Chief Executive Officer. "In 2024, the company expanded branches across all 77 provinces nationwide, reflecting the strength of our scalable business model and enhanced ability to serve customers comprehensively throughout Thailand. As we continue growing, our vision remains clear: to deliver quality products at affordable prices and convenient access for customers, while building a stable, disciplined, and sustainably growing business. We are confident in the potential of the Mr. D.I.Y. brand and ready to leverage this strength to expand growth in Thailand."

The successful completion of this first shareholder meeting reflects the company's commitment to conducting business with integrity and transparency.

Renowned director Phoch Anant is not stressed about his film 'Heng Chia Jazz' failing to make money, casually suggesting that if this one doesn't work out, he'll just make another one—so everyone should calm down.

Having made numerous films throughout his career, the talented director is often the subject of discussion from various angles. Most recently, Phoch Anant faced criticism over 'Heng Chia Jazz' not performing financially, with some even asking him on social media how he felt about the film's poor box office returns.

He responded with a laid-back video in typical Phoch Anant style: "I want to thank our loyal fans who keep watching our movies. Are you disappointed? I'm not. There are plenty of other Thai films that made no money or earned less than ours. Our film had a smaller budget, but our production quality is second to none. This one didn't work out, maybe the next one will. Some companies make multiple films but only succeed with one. Our investors told me that as long as the film doesn't lose money and makes a little profit, that's good enough. Don't worry about it. Stop overthinking—I'm someone who enjoys keeping people on their toes anyway, otherwise life has no flavor, right? I'm happy to have made films in different styles. Thanks to our fans. Sometimes you hit, sometimes you miss, but at least we're still a top-five or top-ten earning production company. Missing the top rankings for a year isn't a big deal. The year's not even over yet, haha."

World number one Aryna Sabalenka has revealed that top-ranked female tennis players may boycott the Grand Slam tournament French Open if prize money is not increased appropriately. Although Roland Garros organizers announced a 9.5% increase in total prize money to €61.7 million (approximately $72.19 million) this year, this increase is insufficient to resolve the dispute. Leading players have stated that prize money represents less than 15% of the tournament's total revenue, far below the 22% standard set by ATP and WTA tournaments.

Speaking on behalf of female tennis players, Sabalenka stated: "I think at some point we will boycott the tournament. I feel that's the only way to fight for our rights. Let's see how far we can go. Some things that are happening feel completely unfair to athletes. This competition is driven by us. Without athletes, these tournaments and entertainment wouldn't exist. So we should receive a larger share of the revenue."

World number four Coco Gauff agreed 100%, supporting a boycott for the future of the sport, particularly to help players ranked 50 to 200 who lack major sponsorship deals and many of whom struggle financially. Gauff also suggested that tennis players establish a "union" similar to the women's basketball league (WNBA), which successfully reached an agreement after lengthy negotiations.

The Thai House Builders Association (THBA), through Honorary Board Member Sithiporn Suvanasut, has released a statement analyzing the house-building industry amid geopolitical crisis. The ongoing conflict in the Persian Gulf region, now lasting over two months with no signs of resolution, is having direct negative impacts on the global and Thai economies, particularly through surging energy costs and transportation fees. The association views this as a critical warning signal for Thailand's construction industry, predicting that construction material prices will face another round of increases in Q3 2025 due to global raw material shortages and manufacturers reaching production cost limits.

"This will create immense pressure on the house-building sector that cannot be avoided," the statement warns.

The association expresses serious concern about contractors pursuing aggressive "price war" strategies by cutting prices to boost sales volume without adjusting selling prices to match actual costs. Contractors who refused to raise prices in previous rounds now face a "double-whammy" cost increase—first from already-raised costs and second from material price hikes coming in Q3. "If any company lacks sufficient financial reserves or business credit strength, they will face severe losses and risk having to close down entirely," the statement cautions.

For consumers, the association recommends extreme caution when signing construction contracts, particularly when contractors request advance payment installments exceeding contract terms while claiming the need to "lock in prices" with material manufacturers—a practice that is difficult in reality and often signals liquidity problems.

The association advises consumers to select builders based on three key standards:

1. Standardized house designs with complete and clear construction blueprints 2. Construction costs based on the company's standards, with reference prices calculated from actual costs per design, not per square meter of usable space 3. Material and equipment quality standards with detailed specifications including brand, grade, and model numbers

"These three factors are crucial indicators of whether the house and price offer reasonable quality," the statement explains. "Consumers should not be swayed by claims that construction can fit any budget with quality details settled later, as this is no different from hiring unaccredited contractors with no standards to compare against, risking hidden quality reductions."

Regarding market trends in Q2-Q3 2025, the association predicts overall market contraction due to declining purchasing power from rising living costs. However, new entrants—including small real estate developers, subdivision project contractors, architects, and engineers—are flooding into the house-building business at unprecedented rates in both Bangkok and provincial areas. "With so many new players entering while demand shrinks, this will inevitably lead to fierce competition," the statement notes.

A 30-year-old Singaporean man accused of involvement in a Cambodia-based organised scam syndicate targeting victims in Singapore has been arrested in Phnom Penh and returned to Singapore, authorities said.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said Ngiam Siow Jui was arrested by the Cambodian National Police (CNP) in Phnom Penh following close cooperation and intelligence sharing between the two agencies.

Ngiam was among 34 suspects earlier sought by Singaporean authorities in connection with investigations into an organised criminal group allegedly operating from Cambodia.

He was repatriated to Singapore on 4 May and arrested upon arrival. Authorities said he will be charged in court on 6 May with facilitating the commission of a serious offence in furtherance of the illegal purpose of a locally linked organised criminal group under Singapore's Organised Crime Act 2015.

If convicted, he faces up to five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to S$100,000, or both.

According to the SPF, the syndicate is believed to be linked to at least 535 reported scam cases involving losses of around S$53 million.

The group allegedly operated from a scam compound in Phnom Penh that was disrupted during a joint operation by Singaporean and Cambodian police on 9 September 2025.

Singaporean authorities said they had previously seized assets linked to the syndicate and issued prohibition of disposal orders as part of ongoing investigations.

The SPF also announced that additional INTERPOL Red Notices were issued on 25 March against two other Singaporean men believed to be members of the syndicate.

The two suspects — Jonathan Boneta, 27, and Lee Ding Hao, 33 — are believed to be outside Singapore and remain at large.

The SPF said it would continue working closely with foreign law enforcement agencies to track down suspects involved in scams targeting victims in Singapore.

An Uzbek man was arrested and ultimately deported from Russia after posting an online review of a women's leather skirt. In the Russian Federation, LGBTQ+ individuals are classified as an extremist group and banned, so any involvement or promotion of any kind can have serious legal consequences. A young migrant worker from Uzbekistan discovered this the hard way after reviewing a women's leather skirt on the Wildberries online platform.

In September 2025, a young man named Islamjon posted a review of a women's leather skirt and included a photo of himself wearing it. In the review, he wrote, "The skirt is great! It not only hides the flaws in my body shape, but also hides the fact that I'm a man." Islamjon's photo in the skirt didn't actually hide his gender and appeared to be posted jokingly, but Russian authorities didn't see the humor in it. Even after he deleted the review and photo, the young man was arrested and charged with "distributing propaganda about non-traditional sexual orientations by disseminating information aimed at promoting non-traditional sexual attitudes and making such relationships appear attractive."

It was recently reported that he pleaded guilty in court but requested only a fine for his mistake, without deportation, under Russian law. However, the court found no mitigating circumstances, and last month he was sentenced to five days of administrative detention. Following that, he was forcibly deported from the Russian Federation.

Source: odditycentral