Thailand has cut electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to five border locations in Myanmar, a senior Thai minister said on Wednesday.
This comes as the Southeast Asian government steps up efforts to prevent fraud centres, which have become a growing security concern.
Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters that “They may face difficulties due to a lack of power, but no one can blame Thailand for engaging in or supporting illegal acts.”
“They may turn to other sources of power supply or generate their own electricity.”
According to a UN assessment from 2023, scam complexes across South-east Asia, especially those along the Thai-Myanmar border, are suspected of entrapping hundreds of thousands of individuals in unlawful internet operations that generate billions of dollars each year.
In a rare piece about fraud centres published in January, Myanmar’s state-run newspaper stated that fundamental necessities like as electricity and internet are given by other countries, a veiled allusion to Thailand.
International pressure to close these facilities has increased after Chinese star Wang Xing was kidnapped in Thailand in January.
He was eventually liberated by Thai police who discovered him in Myanmar.
Thailand’s critical tourism business has been harmed by the expansion of these centres, and the country has sought to alleviate safety concerns among visitors from China, a key source market.
Thailand’s Provincial Electricity Authority said it had cut a total of 20.37 megawatts 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 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.
