STORY: Thailand cut power supply, fuel and internet to some border areas with Myanmar on Wednesday.
It’s an attempt to choke scam syndicates operating out of there that have become a growing security concern.
Scam compounds in Southeast Asia are suspected to have entrapped hundreds of thousands of people in illegal online and telecom operations, generating billions of dollars annually, according to a 2023 U.N. report.
Thai Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the Provincial Electricity Authority headquarters in Bangkok on Wednesday to oversee the effort to fight the crime rings.
“They may turn to other sources of power supply or generate their own electricity. In the Thai Security Council orders, it also includes the halt in supplying oil and internet to them, which means that from now on any damage that occurs will have no connection to any resources in Thailand.”
::January 7, 2025
Thailand has been concerned about the scam operations’ impact on its vital tourism sector and has sought to allay safety concerns of visitors from China – which is a key source market.
The issue was thrown into the spotlight after Chinese actor Wang Xing was abducted after arriving in Thailand last month.
He was later freed by Thai police, who found him in Myanmar.
The areas in Myanmar where electricity was suspended were named by the U.N. Security Council’s chief on Monday as sites of transnational crime ring operations.
Many of the syndicates are of Chinese origin, the U.N. has said.
A resident in one border town told Reuters that while many locals faced power cuts since Wednesday morning, Chinese-run businesses, including scam centers, have continued to run on generators.
