The Thai government has announced that it has cut off electricity, internet and fuel supply to five areas in Myanmar along their common border as of 9am on 5 February in a bid to crack down on fraudulent activity in the country, including gambling.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Phumtham Wechayachai made the announcement on Tuesday, describing telephone and internet scam centers along the Myanmar border, particularly in Myawaddy, as having a serious impact on Thai tourism.
He said the areas where power supply has now been cut off include the infamous Shwe Kokko, KK Park and Myawaddy. Myawaddy has been widely reported in the media as a hotbed of scam centers.
Phumtham added that the National Security Council of Thailand had received an order for the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to immediately cut off the power supply to the Myanmar border.
EGAT, established in 1960, is Thailand’s largest electricity company and a state-owned enterprise. In 1996, the then Thai Cabinet resolved to allow the Authority to sell electricity to neighboring villages. The electricity is supplied to five areas of Myanmar bordering Thailand.
The halt on supply comes after the Thai government convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, which was also attended by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who said that “the fraudulent parks have had a huge impact on many Thais and on the image of the country.
“If a decision is made and passed on Tuesday, the decision to disconnect the power supply could be implemented as early as the same day.”
In early January, Chinese actor Wang Xing was lured to a scam center on the Myanmar border after traveling through Thailand. The incident made headlines and caused great concern in mainland China. Although Wang was later rescued, many mainland travel agencies continue to cancel tours to Thailand.
In the wake of the incident, Paetongtarn said, “We need to prevent the use of Thailand as a transit point for criminal activities and will strengthen and improve the relevant laws and regulations in order to crack down on such criminal activities.”
The Prime Minister was also due to visit China on Wednesday where she is expected to reassure authorities that Thailand will actively address the problem of scam centers in Myanmar’s border towns.
The crackdown comes at a time when Paetongtarn is leading the government’s efforts to introduce legal casino gambling to the nation, with the entertainment complex bill currently working its way through parliament.
