Oey Thai Lo


'''Letnan Cina Oey Thai Lo was a Chinese-Indonesian tycoon and tobacco grower in the early 19th century.

Early life

He was born in Hokkien province in 1788 and died in Batavia in 1838. He is the father of Betawi playboy Oey Tamba Sia, grandfather of bureaucrat and landlord Kapitan Cina Oey Giok Koen, and ancestor of the Tigaraksa and Sinteas groups.
Oey Thai Lo moved to Pekalongan, the Dutch East Indies around 1810. According to his descendant Oey Kwie Djien, Oey Thai Lo was a child of a poor barber.

Career

The family story states that Oey Thai Lo found many Dutch debt securities at a house of a farmer. He exchanged the securities for money, which game him the initial capital for the Oey Thai Lo tobacco business.
According to Thio Tjin Boen, Tjerita Oeij Se, Oey Thai Lo moved from Pekalongan to Batavia because of the embarrassment of his daughter's inter-ethnic marriage to an indigenous man, namely the son of the Pekalongan Regent. In Batavia, Oey was known for philanthropy and eventually became friends with Mayor Cina Tan Eng Goan, head of the Chinese community's government in Batavia. Oey provided financial support to the Mayor, who had financial difficulties. Because of his services to Goan and the people of Batavia, Oey Thai Lo was given the position of Chinese Lieutenant in the Kongsi Besar area.

Legacy

Oey married a local Peranakan woman, who gave birth to a daughter and three sons: Oey Holland, Oey Tamba and Oey Macau.
Letnan Oey Thai Lo died around 1838 in Batavia, and gave the supposed wealth of 2 million guilders to his children. One of his children, Barney, was the mastermind of several murders and tried to slander his opponent Lim Soe Keng Sia, Goan's son-in-law. After he was convicted, the young Oey was sentenced to hang by the Dutch East Indies government.
The life story of Letnan Oey Thai Lo and his son Oey Tamba Sia became the basis of many Chinese-Malay literary works, and became part of Betawi folklore.
Through his youngest son, Oey Macau Sia, Letnan Oey Thai Lo is the grandfather of Oey Giok Koen, who served as Kapitan Cina in Tangerang and bought Tigaraksa private land. The Kapitan's family is the owner of Tigaraksa and Sintesa groups.