After Thai authorities cut off electricity supply to five towns on the Myanmar border, Myanmar turned to Laos for electricity, and the affected areas had their power supply restored by seventy to eighty percent that night, raising questions about whether Thailand's actions could effectively combat transnational crimes such as telecom fraud gangs.
The border town of Tachileik in eastern Shan State, Myanmar, was one of the locations where power was cut off. Thai media quoted Myanmar media "Tachileik News" reporting that after the Thai government announced the power cut last Tuesday (February 4), the Tachileik City Power Management Committee had already devised a contingency plan to cope with the situation by sourcing electricity from Laos.
The power supply in Tachileik City was almost unaffected. According to reports, about two hours after Thailand cut off power on Wednesday (February 5) at around 9 AM, Tachileik City's power supply was restored by seventy to eighty percent. The governor of Chiang Rai Province, which borders Tachileik City, said that the city authorities increased electricity imports from Laos, and the gap left by the Thai power cut should be completely filled within a few days.
Gangs have resources to buy generators, limited impact on criminal activities
The "Bangkok Post" quoted sources and local residents reporting that the impact on border criminal activities might be limited, as these gangs have resources to purchase generators.
It is the general public who are really affected. Sources revealed that about 7,500 households, 65 temples, 45 schools, 15 military camps, and five hospitals in Tachileik City were affected by the power outage. However, since the news of the power cut had been circulating locally for several days, some residents had already prepared backup generators or solar systems.
Another area that was cut off from power is the border town of Payathonzu, Myanmar, adjacent to Thailand. Local sources said that the casinos and entertainment venues there were not significantly affected. These places were equipped with backup generators, and the three major telecommunications companies continued to provide mobile signals, ensuring uninterrupted communication.
Regarding this, the Thai Deputy Prime Minister responsible for security affairs, Pongtan, said on Thursday (February 6) when asked, that it is too early to assess whether the power cut measures were successful, as the power was only cut off for one day. However, he mentioned that the electricity usage at one of the scam call centers in Myawaddy decreased by sixty percent on the day of the power outage.
Thailand needs to discuss with Laos to combat telecom fraud
As for the border areas of Myanmar obtaining alternative electricity from Laos, Pongtan said he might discuss with the Laotian authorities to cooperate in combating scam call centers.
He also said that the power cut measures inevitably affect the border economy of Thailand, but to combat crimes such as telecom fraud, it is unavoidable.
In addition to electricity, Thailand also stopped supplying fuel to the related areas. Pongtan said he had instructed security forces to strengthen border patrols to prevent people from buying small amounts of fuel in Thailand or smuggling fuel into Myanmar.
The "Nation" reported that a journalist in Myawaddy said there was a rush to buy fuel locally; gas stations saw long queues, and more than 20 gas stations had to temporarily close due to running out of fuel. Affected businesses called for an emergency meeting to discuss strategies to save cross-border trade.
