Thailand cuts power, fuel and internet supply to parts of Myanmar
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
A general view of Shwe Kokko city, a casino, entertainment, and tourism complex near the Thai border, from Thailand's side of the border in Mae Sot district.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
BANGKOK – Thailand has cut electricity, internet and fuel supplies
“They may face challenges of lower power supply, but we are at the point now where no one can blame Thailand for being part of, or playing a part in supporting illegal acts,” Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters.
“They may turn to other sources of power supply or generate their own electricity.”
Scam compounds in South-east Asia, including those along the Thai-Myanmar border, are suspected to have entrapped hundreds of thousands of people in illegal online operations, generating billions annually, according to a 2023 UN report.
Myanmar’s state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, in a rare article on scam centres in January, said basic essentials, including power and internet, are not provided by Myanmar but by other countries, in a veiled reference to Thailand.
International pressure to dismantle these centres has grown after Chinese actor Wang Xing was abducted after arriving in Thailand in January. He was later freed by Thai police who found him in Myanmar.
For Thailand, the proliferation of these centres has impacted its vital tourism sector
Thailand’s Provincial Electricity Authority said it had cut a total of 20.37MW of supply to five areas along the border starting from 9am on Feb 5, which would lead to a loss of 600 million baht (S$24.1 million) in revenue per year.
It said the affected locations in Myanmar include Tachileik, Myawaddy and Phaya Thonsu, which all lie along the border with Thailand.
A resident of Phaya Thonsu, opposite Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province, said many locals have faced power cuts since the morning of Feb 5, while Chinese businesses, including scam centres, continue to operate on generators.
“Since the last two days, we have seen big generators arriving into the town. Today, those generators are running and their businesses including scam centres are still operating,” he told Reuters, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
“The businesses owned by locals have stopped and the town’s people are in trouble.” REUTERS
