Thailand Cuts Power, Internet to Myanmar Border Areas to Combat Scam Centers

Thailand has cut electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to five border areas in Myanmar as part of efforts to dismantle scam centers operating in the region, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced on Wednesday.

The move comes amid growing international pressure to shut down illegal online operations, which a 2023 U.N. report estimates have entrapped hundreds of thousands and generated billions in illicit earnings. Myanmar’s state-run Global New Light of Myanmar recently acknowledged that these centers rely on power and internet from foreign sources, indirectly referencing Thailand.

The crackdown intensified after the high-profile abduction of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was kidnapped after arriving in Thailand and later rescued from Myanmar by Thai police.

Thailand’s Provincial Electricity Authority confirmed that as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, it had cut 20.37 megawatts of power supply to the affected locations, including Tachileik, Myawaddy, and Phaya Thonsu. The move is expected to result in an annual revenue loss of 600 million baht ($17.84 million) but aims to curb criminal activities that have also threatened Thailand’s tourism sector, particularly visitors from China.