Thailand will stop providing electricity in order to stop border scam centers

Thailand will turn off the energy in a few border regions to stop scam centers from operating.

Thailand’s government said Tuesday that it would cut off electricity to several regions along the border with Myanmar in an effort to stop scam centers.

The action was taken in response to mounting pressure on the illicit compounds that have been involved in the trafficking of numerous individuals from various countries.
 
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai of Thailand stated, “We have to act to turn off the electricity right away.” Authorities will direct the Provincial Electricity Authority to carry out the power outages, he continued. 

The United Nations claims that criminal gangs have forced hundreds of thousands of individuals to work in illicit internet operations and fraud centers throughout Southeast Asia. According to a UN study from 2023, these rapidly expanding businesses bring in billions of dollars a year. 

The recent kidnapping of Chinese actress Wang Xing has brought the problem back into the spotlight. After landing in Thailand last month, he was arrested; Thai authorities then found him in Myanmar and released him. 

Thailand is trying to reassure Chinese tourists, a crucial market for the travel and tourism business, since it is worried about the effect on this important sector. The National Security Council will meet on Tuesday to examine ways to combat fraud compounds, such as cutting off the electricity supply, according to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. 

“Many Thai people and the country’s image have been greatly impacted by what happened,” she remarked. “Today, if we talk and it’s clear, then we can do it today,” she said in response to a question about when the power outages would occur. 

Evidence of multinational criminal syndicates operating in Myanmar’s Tachileik, Myawaddy, and Payathonzu—areas that would be targeted by the power outages—was presented by the head of the National Security Council on Monday. 

In an apparent allusion to Thailand, Myanmar’s state-run Global New Light of Myanmar recently revealed that basic infrastructure, such as internet and power, in scam centers is supplied by foreign sources rather than the Myanmar government. Additionally, “foreign organizations” were investing in this infrastructure, according to the study. 

According to the publication, Myanmar’s military administration has deported over 55,000 foreigners, primarily Chinese, who were compelled to work in fraud centers since October 2023.