Thailand to Cut Power to Myanmar Scam Hubs
Thailand will cut electricity and internet services to five locations in Myanmar due to security concerns over scams, addressing significant financial losses and aligning with upcoming diplomatic discussions with China.
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Thailand plans to cut electricity, oil supplies, and internet services to five locations in Myanmar, effective Wednesday at 9 a.m., due to security concerns over suspected Chinese-operated call center scams. These sites, located in Payathonzu, Tachileik, and Myawaddy townships, have been linked to fraudulent operations that have reportedly cost Thailand over 80 million baht daily, totaling 86 billion baht. The decision was made during an urgent meeting led by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who emphasized that national security concerns take precedence over economic interests. Authorities noted unusually high electricity consumption at these sites, indicating their role in large-scale scams. The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has the authority to cut power under existing laws. While there are concerns about potential retaliation from Myanmar, particularly regarding natural gas supplies, Phumtham reiterated the significant harm caused by these scams. The crackdown occurs ahead of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's visit to China, where transnational crime, including online scams, is expected to be discussed. The Thai government has previously taken similar actions against other scam hubs in Myanmar, signaling a more proactive approach to combatting cross-border electricity supplies to these operations.
- Thailand will cut power and internet to five Myanmar locations linked to scams.
- The decision aims to address significant financial losses caused by fraudulent operations.
- Authorities have identified high electricity usage at the targeted sites.
- Concerns exist about potential retaliation from Myanmar regarding natural gas supplies.
- The crackdown aligns with upcoming diplomatic discussions between Thailand and China.
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10 commentsCrypto use cases:
1. Financing North Korea's nuclear missile program
2. Harrowing scams
Gut Ding will Kurzweil haben.
They obviously would have taken a hit and Thailand has already shut down cell towers on the Cambodia border near Poi Pet where they moved some operations.
They should have been reading HN and how solar is cheaper than anything else, silly criminals doing real world stuff.
This all happened because they kidnapped a Chinese actor, maybe fake casting call ads are not the wisest idea - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Wang_Xing
This is a good thing.
Scammers just require a laptop and an internet connection.
1 little honda generator and 1 star link connection could keep 100 scammers scamming 24x7 with very little fuel use.
Little generators are already commonplace in Myanmar. Can't comment on starlink connections, but I assume people will find a way...
Cutting off the grid electricity might prevent electricity theft for bitcoin mining, but it's going to do nothing against scammers.
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