On Wednesday, Thailand cut off electricity at five points along the border with Myanmar (formerly Burma) to combat cyber fraud centers in Burmese territory, which in recent years have created regional security problems with thousands of victims.
Following an order announced by the Thai government on Tuesday, Thailand's electricity generation authority has enforced the order in areas where it has identified hotbeds of telephone and online fraud and where there are also suspected victims of human trafficking being lured with false job offers.
The measure, which includes cutting off internet and fuel, will have a restrictive effect on the supply of drinking water in these areas, although Thai public broadcaster PBS says that several of these centers have electricity generators, so it is not yet known to what extent this decision will affect criminal groups.
Bangkok reiterated that this is a security measure against transnational crime and is just the beginning of a policy to eradicate the scourge, now with the help of China.
This is also one of the items on the agenda of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, on an official visit to Beijing, which begins today.
Computer fraud hubs, including those in the Myanmar town of Shwe Kokko and the KK Park complex near the Thai border, have come under increased scrutiny after the kidnapping of Chinese actor Wang Xing, which raised security concerns in a country that welcomed some 36 million foreign tourists in 2024.
The actor traveled to Bangkok in early January, lured by a false job offer, and was taken by a criminal group to the Burmese side, where he was rescued after several days missing.
In the wake of the episode, the Thai government has toughened its rhetoric and actions in an attempt to alleviate concerns and protect tourism, one of the country's main sources of income.
The power outage also comes in the wake of an unusual request from Myanmar's military junta - in power after a coup in February 2021 - through an editorial published in official media, in which it asks neighboring countries for help in the fight against these groups.
According to figures presented in the article, the Burmese regime deported more than 53,000 Chinese nationals involved in online fraud hubs between October 2023 and the end of January 2024.
