On February 5th, the Thai government announced a "three-cut" operation, including cutting off electricity, internet, and fuel in five areas along the Thai-Myanmar border, including Myawaddy and Mae Sot. This operation is still ongoing. Will the "three-cut" operation affect the telecom fraud parks? What is the relationship between Thailand and the telecom fraud parks? What other measures will be taken next?
Power Cut, Internet Cut, Fuel Cut
At 9 a.m. on February 5th, at the headquarters of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) in Chatuchak district, Bangkok, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin, dressed in a blue suit, was presiding over the ceremony to cut off electricity supply to Myanmar. By pressing the shutdown button, the circuit board displayed on the screen would change from red to green, and the power wattage would immediately drop to 0 amperes.
This power cut involved five regions in Myanmar including Mon State, Shan State, and Karen State, all located within Myanmar's territory along the Thai-Myanmar border and related to telecom fraud groups, especially the areas of Myawaddy and Mae Sot.
Not only power cuts, but at the National Security Council meeting on the evening of February 4th, after more than two hours of discussion, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Prayut announced that due to the severe impact of telecom fraud on national security and public interest, the Thai government decided to cut off electricity, internet, and fuel supply to the aforementioned five areas starting at 9 a.m. on February 5th (referred to as the "three-cut" operation).
In a park in Myawaddy, more than 500 kilometers from Bangkok, Wu Cong had been waiting for this "three-cut" operation. When our magazine contacted him, he was seeking help on a platform. Wu Cong, 28, said, "I arrived just a few days later than Wang Xing, following the same route." Deceived by a job offer, he traveled from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok to the border town of Mae Sot, and then was forcibly escorted across the Moei River with five or six others. On his first day in the park, Wu Cong saw a person who had been beaten purple for trying to escape. To prevent his own escape, Wu Cong's hands and feet were also chained, and he decided to obediently follow orders before looking for an opportunity.
Because he could type quickly on a computer, Wu Cong was assigned to the "HR" group, also known as "scam recruitment," luring more people to come under the guise of job recruitment on platforms like Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Kuaishou. After half a month of training, Wu Cong tried to bluff his way through while paying attention to internet information. Since the beginning of the year, he had seen discussions about power cuts in Thailand, and Wu Cong secretly hoped, "If the crackdown is strong, maybe I can go back earlier."
However, on February 5th, the first day Thailand announced the power cut, there was no movement in the park all day. It wasn't until 4 p.m. on February 6th that the power in Wu Cong's office was finally cut. The weather in Myawaddy is dry and hot, and a breeze from the office window kept him from sweating. Wu Cong was somewhat happy, using the excuse of buying betel nut to leave the office building and walked around the park, only to find that the dormitory buildings and supermarket were not affected, "My heart sank again."
In the following days, changes gradually occurred. Wu Cong had noticed that there was a large tent in the park, about the size of two or three rooms, where generators were placed. The tent was guarded and patrolled by locals, and occasionally he could hear the sound of generators. But a few days after the "three-cut" operation began, "even from 20 meters away, you could hear the 'buzzing' sound." Especially at night, the sound of generators ran all night long.
Starting from the 7th, the power supply in the park became unstable, sometimes cutting off in the dormitories and office buildings. What surprised Wu Cong the most was that the park's hotel and brothel (prostitution venues) were without power all day. In the more than a month he had been in the park, this had never happened before, "Hotels usually don't lose power, because that's where the bosses or top sellers live." Walking around the park, Wu Cong could also smell gasoline.
The park's internet was not affected, but Wu Cong contacted someone in the Huan Asia park, and on February 10th, the internet in that park was cut for two days. However, the boss distributed data cards to everyone, and "work" still continued. For Wu Cong, although the power was occasionally cut, no one dared to discuss it, nor was anyone notified, and life was as usual.
Unprecedented but Limited Action
Assistant Research Fellow Bao Zhipeng from the China Institute of International Studies, who has been studying Myanmar issues for 10 years, told our magazine that due to poor economic conditions and backward infrastructure, border areas mostly rely on neighboring countries for electricity and internet. The Thai government had approved electricity supply to Myanmar twice in 1992 and 1994, with the local electricity authority responsible for the supply and charging fees. A 1996 cabinet resolution stated that the Provincial Electricity Authority had the authority to sell electricity to neighboring countries, but could terminate cooperation when national security was threatened.
Bao Zhipeng said that this was not the first time Thailand had cut off Myanmar's electricity supply. In June 2023, Thailand had cut off the electricity supply to the Myawaddy Water Valley New Town and KK Park in Rego New Town, citing the expiration of the electricity supply contract as the reason, "but the effect was limited." Additionally, due to natural disasters and other reasons, the electricity supply in places like Myawaddy was inherently unstable. Therefore, "most parks have generators and solar power equipment."
As for the internet, "many parks have installed Starlink (a high-speed global internet access service provided by SpaceX through a group of low Earth orbit satellites)." A staff member in the Myawaddy park told our magazine that in July and August 2024, when the internet was unstable due to flooding in Myanmar, his park had already installed Starlink equipment, "and the internet speed was quite fast."
However, generators need fuel to generate electricity, and Bao Zhipeng believes that cutting off fuel is indeed a useful measure, but the problem is "many parks have already stockpiled fuel."
Overall, Bao Zhipeng believes that this "three-cut" operation indeed has unprecedented intensity, but its actual impact on telecom fraud parks is limited, "serving more as a deterrent, making telecom fraud groups pay attention from a public opinion perspective." On the other hand, Bao Zhipeng told our magazine that the local residents were more severely affected. "Usually, telecom fraud parks are some distance from urban areas, and previous power cuts were targeted at parks, but this time the entire urban area was also cut off."
Apah, a Myanmar-born Chinese, has been running a restaurant in the Myawaddy urban area for over ten years. She told our magazine that on the evening of the 4th, they learned about the power cut from social media and fell into panic, "but didn't know what to do." Seeing people around her going to gas stations to refuel, she followed suit and queued up all night, "only managing to buy a few barrels of oil." The next day, she and her family split up to different gas stations and queued up all day to buy another three or four barrels of oil.
To save electricity, she tried not to turn on the lights at night. Since a refrigerator is essential for running a restaurant, she put all the vegetables in the freezer compartment, turning it on during the day and off at night to prevent the vegetables from spoiling. When our magazine contacted her on the evening of the 12th, Apah estimated that the fuel she had could only last about three more days. On the phone, Apah sighed, saying that all the gas stations in the city were out of fuel and had closed. Although fuel could still be bought from private individuals, the price of fuel was rising daily, "recently it's over 200 Thai baht per liter, whereas it used to be only around 30 Thai baht." Her restaurant is about 30 kilometers from the nearest scam park, and the farthest is about 100 kilometers. She said that she usually had no interactions with people from these parks, and this time she was affected, "not knowing how long the power will be cut off."
According to Myanmar's "Golden Phoenix Newspaper," Myawaddy's largest and most patient-filled medical institution, Myawaddy Hospital, could not operate normally. The hospital stated that due to the power outage, medical equipment could not function normally, especially threatening the lives of patients with respiratory diseases due to a shortage of oxygen. Currently, the hospital is urgently purchasing oxygen from Thailand to cope with the current medical crisis.
In the Mae Sot area, the "Bangkok Post" quoted sources as saying that the power outage had affected about 7,500 households, 65 temples, 45 schools, 15 military camps, and 5 hospitals. On the night of the power cut, Laos decided to take over the power supply to Mae Sot, restoring about 70-80% of the power. However, Laos then stated that it had implemented power rationing measures for the Mae Sot area in Myanmar.
How long can the "three-cut" operation last? Yu Haiqiu, director of the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences' Thailand Research Institute, analyzed that Myanmar's supply of electricity, oil, and internet also provides financial revenue for Thailand. For example, this power cut reaches 20.37 megawatts per day, with a loss amounting to 50 million Thai baht per month and 600 million Thai baht per year, accounting for about 0.1% of Thailand's electricity sales revenue. Therefore, "the 'three-cut' operation involves multiple interests," she speculated, and the duration will not be very long.
Thailand as a Neighbor of Myanmar
Yu Haiqiu told reporters that the "three-cut" operation is one of a series of actions taken by Thailand to combat telecom fraud in the context of the "Wang Xing incident." On January 3rd, Chinese actor Wang Xing was lured to the Apollo Park in Myawaddy via Thailand. After Wang Xing's girlfriend "Jia Jia" launched a call for help online, it attracted great attention, and the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and Thai police subsequently intervened in the investigation and search. Four days later, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha stated that Wang Xing, who had gone missing along the Thai-Myanmar border, had been found.
Although the search and rescue operation was relatively swift, it still raised concerns among many Chinese about traveling to Thailand. According to the Thai Tourism Association, the number of Chinese tourists is expected to decrease by 10% to 20% during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday. Correspondingly, Thailand's economic development, especially its reliance on tourism, depends heavily on Chinese tourists. According to data released by the Thailand National Tourism Administration, Thailand welcomed a total of 35.55 million foreign tourists in 2024, including 6.74 million Chinese tourists, accounting for 18.95% of the total number of foreign tourists.
Yu Haiqiu pointed out that Thailand has been under pressure from the international community due to issues such as telecom fraud and human trafficking along the Thai-Myanmar border, with the Wang Xing incident being the final push. On January 10th, families of human trafficking victims and international institutions from nine countries, including Bangladesh, Brazil, the Philippines, and Kazakhstan, petitioned the Thai National Human Rights Commission, requesting Thai officials to help family members who had become "human trafficking victims in scam parks."
"Thailand shares a 2,416-kilometer border with Myanmar, a 1,810-kilometer border with Laos, and an 803-kilometer border with Cambodia. These places have complex geographical conditions and are difficult to monitor. Additionally, Thailand's sea routes are relatively smooth, making it a transit hub connecting Southeast Asian countries with the Middle East and Europe. Therefore, it has always been a high-risk area for human trafficking, illegal trade, and transnational crime," Yu Haiqiu said.
Regarding the gradually developing telecom fraud along the Thai-Myanmar border, Thailand's role is also subtle. Yu Haiqiu explained that in addition to Thailand providing supplies and public services to Myanmar on a daily basis, a lot of the money from Myanmar's fraud activities flows into Thailand and is laundered there. Additionally, some law enforcement officers in Thailand's border areas, including military and police personnel, have a habit of accepting bribes from criminal gangs, relaxing border inspections, and even directly assisting criminal activities. In Yu Haiqiu's view, "although the Thai military and police systems have been conducting anti-corruption campaigns, corrupt practices cannot be eliminated in the short term, only becoming more systematic and covert."
According to the "Bangkok Post," currently, two major police officers in Tak Province, adjacent to Myanmar, Ekara and Samri, are under investigation for involvement in telecom fraud. Ekara, who was the acting head of the regional branch of the Inspector General's Office, is being investigated by the chief of the Thai Police for his connections with businesses inside the Myawaddy complex. Another major police officer, Samri, as the police commander in charge of border affairs with Myanmar in Tak Province, is under investigation for his involvement with foreigners who were deceived into entering Thailand and smuggled into Myanmar.
This series of actions taken by Thailand, in addition to restoring its international image, is also due to the increasing threat that telecom fraud poses to Thailand itself. On the morning of January 15th, Thai Prime Minister Prayut shared his recent experience with telecom fraud at a seminar. The fraudster used AI technology to impersonate a foreign leader, and Prayut said he almost believed it was true due to the highly similar voice and atmosphere created. According to media reports, the former deputy mayor of Chandi City in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province was involved in telecom fraud and is on the run, and his 24-year-old daughter was arrested by Thai police for joining a telecom fraud gang. The infiltration of telecom fraud in Thailand is "complex," according to a report by the Thailand Center for Combating Technology Crime, from March 2022 to June 2024, over 575,500 Thai citizens became victims of telecom fraud, with losses exceeding 65.7 billion Thai baht (approximately 1.87 billion US dollars), averaging 80 million Thai baht per day.
Under various pressures, Thailand has shown its determination to combat telecom fraud. In addition to the "three-cut" operation, Thailand is also conducting a border blockade operation, involving 51 border counties nationwide. After the "Wang Xing incident," Thai Prime Minister Prayut had already convened the military, police, administrative, and security departments of 14 provinces bordering neighboring countries to implement the policy directive of "double border isolation walls," strengthening patrols in border and border county areas. Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Prayut stated that if cross-border drug smuggling, telecom fraud, and human trafficking cannot be curbed within six months to ensure the safety of border areas, senior officials from 14 border provinces will be transferred.
On January 28th, the Thai Cabinet approved an amendment to the emergency decree proposed by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to strengthen the fight against cybercrime and fraud. The amendment increases penalties for illegal activities on P2P platforms, leaks of personal information, requires telecom operators to suspend SIM cards related to fraud, requires banks to submit suspicious account information to the Thai Anti-Money Laundering Office for faster investigation and refunds to victims, and imposes a maximum fine of 5 million Thai baht (approximately 1.07 million RMB) or 5 years imprisonment for disclosing consumer personal information to others without consumer permission, with the current penalty being a maximum of 1 million Thai baht or up to 1 year imprisonment.
On February 11th, Thai Minister of Justice Tawee Sodsong announced that the Thai Special Investigation Department would issue arrest warrants for three leaders of the Karen Border Guard, led by Su Kyi, on charges of human trafficking. Although the Thai side emphasized that this arrest was not directly related to the recent actions against telecom fraud along the Thai-Myanmar border, according to Bao Zhipeng's observations, Su Kyi was directly involved in telecom fraud in Myawaddy, such as providing armed protection and taking cuts. Therefore, although it may be difficult to successfully arrest them, the issuance of the arrest warrants will also have a deterrent effect on combating telecom fraud.
Indeed, according to the latest news on the 12th, Su Kyi and the heads
