According to Thai media reports, after the power outage in Thailand, the "Myawaddy" area remained brightly lit, with casinos and the Rui Guo area still illuminated. The sound of generators was clearly audible, and it was found that several ten-wheel trucks were ordered daily to stockpile hundreds of thousands of liters of diesel. After the National Security Council (referred to as "Security Council") decided to cut off electricity, fuel, and internet at 9 AM today,
Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Putan, after attending the National Security Council meeting, was interviewed. The meeting resolved to cut off the supply of electricity, internet, and fuel to the following five locations: Sambo Tower Village in Mong Bang Badong Su Town, Hongkuang Village in Shan State Iron Port Town, Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Shan State Iron Port Town, Thai-Myanmar Second Friendship Bridge in Karen State Myawaddy Town, and Hui Muang Village in Karen State Myawaddy Town. The electricity in these five places is managed by a franchisee from the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
On the evening of February 4, according to a reporter from Mae Sot County, Tak Province in Thailand, after the Thai government announced the cut-off of electricity to Myawaddy Province, the Thai government is considering cutting off electricity to three locations in Myanmar, namely near the Thai-Myanmar First Friendship Bridge, villages along the Mekong River, and Hui Muang Village in Mae Sot County, Tasa Ilu Town, as well as near the Thai-Myanmar Second Friendship Bridge in Wang Takhian Tai Village.
In Group 6 of Hui Muang Village along the Mekong River in Tasa Ilu Town, Mae Sot County, which is one of the locations supplying electricity to Myawaddy City, it was found that ordinary villagers in Myawaddy City began using backup power, mostly generators, which could be clearly heard and provided sufficient light, although the brightness was still lower than in previous days.
According to Myanmar laborers, generators have been used in Myawaddy for some time, as there were reports that the Thai side would cut off electricity. Meanwhile, shops near one of the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridges on the Myawaddy side were still operating normally, brightly lit, but the brightness was gradually decreasing.
In the Rui Guo area, located opposite Wang Pha Village, large generators were still providing power, and Rui Guo remained brightly lit every day, as there was sufficient funding to order diesel from Thailand daily, with several ten-wheel trucks delivering it, reportedly stockpiling hundreds of thousands of liters of diesel.
Local residents indicated that cutting off electricity might affect border trade with Thailand, as some areas are communities and some are economic development zones. Therefore, they hope that the Thai government will carefully consider the impact on local economic zones and the lives of community residents.
On the other hand, Colonel Natakun Luantip, commander of the special task force of the Narathiwat Military Region, responsible for supervising the five border counties of Thailand-Myanmar, stated that according to the Security Council's decision to cut off electricity at 9 AM on February 5, the other side might be observing Thailand's attitude, as this issue had been circulating for some time. According to his assessment, not only the neighboring country but also operators from Thailand, such as the transportation and fuel industries, would be affected. Cutting off electricity alone might not have a significant impact, but if fuel transportation is also cut off, he believes it could only be sustained for about two weeks before becoming very problematic.
Additionally, there were reports that workers from the Mae Sot County Electricity Authority in Tak Province were preparing to cut off electricity under the Thai-Myanmar Second Friendship Bridge, a location still supplying electricity to Myawaddy Province in Myanmar. The workers were ready to cut off the electricity and enter the area, starting from 8 AM, and would immediately cut off the electricity upon receiving a central signal.
