The Thai government has taken a highly significant and far-reaching measure by cutting off the electricity supply to five key locations along the Thai-Myanmar border, which have been identified as being involved in transnational criminal activities, particularly with call center gangs.
This action was presided over by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, using an automated remote control system at the electrical system operations center. During this process, a total of 20 megawatts of electricity was cut off at these five locations, which is expected to result in an annual revenue loss of about 600 million Thai baht.
Specifically, the five locations where the power was cut are: Ban Phra Chedi Sam Ong in Jatujak district of Bangkok, the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Tachileik town of Shan State, Ban Muang Daeng town, the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge No. 2 in Myawaddy town, and Ban Huai Muang town.
Minister Anutin personally pressed the switch to cut off the power at the last location, Myawaddy town, at 9:34 AM. Despite the significant economic loss, the government believes that this measure had to be implemented in the interest of national security and public order.
However, despite Thailand's implementation of this power cut, Myanmar was already prepared to cope, especially in terms of electricity supply. Residents in some areas of Myanmar began stockpiling oil, preparing to use generators to deal with the power outage. These places were already dependent on Thailand's electricity supply, and with the implementation of the power cut, people rushed to gas stations to buy fuel to ensure their lives were not affected.
Additionally, the province of Kayah in Myanmar also coped with the impact of the power outage by obtaining electricity from neighboring Laos. It is understood that the electricity provided by Laos to this region is transmitted through the Mekong River, ensuring that the region's electricity supply can be maintained.
Kayah province also has its own small power stations, and although there are some challenges in electricity supply, overall, the region is capable of overcoming the inconvenience caused by the power cut from Thailand.
Nevertheless, the power outage actually reflects the Thai government's determination to strengthen border control, combat transnational crime, and curb fraud gangs. Minister Anutin stated that the close cooperation between the government and security agencies is to ensure national security and effectively deal with transnational criminal activities. The government has also further cooperated with neighboring countries to ensure that when taking such extreme measures, it can maintain communication with the Myanmar government and minimize the impact on unrelated civilians.
Although the power cut has affected the livelihood of some areas, the government has notified the relevant areas to prepare for emergencies to ensure that the most basic life needs are not significantly affected.
Especially in schools, hospitals, and other critical facilities, the Thai government has initiated emergency backup power measures and coordinated with the Myanmar government to alleviate the troubles caused by the power outage.
At the same time, the government has clearly stated that the decision to cut off power was made to prevent transnational criminal gangs from further using these border areas as a base for crime.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that this measure meets security needs and will not cause long-term negative effects on the diplomatic relations between Thailand and Myanmar. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated that the Myanmar government understands and supports this measure, and both sides have reached a consensus on how to resolve the impact of the power outage.
Although Thailand has taken a tough measure in cutting off electricity, this action does not mean a complete cessation of energy cooperation with neighboring countries. In fact, Myanmar is already prepared to obtain electricity from other sources, and energy supplies from Laos and China will help Myanmar alleviate the electricity shortage. Thailand also stated that it might resume electricity supply in the future based on contracts and negotiations between the two sides.
Although this action by Thailand has resulted in economic losses, it has made significant security guarantees. In the future, cooperation between Thailand and Myanmar will continue, and both sides will strengthen communication and coordination in combating transnational crime, and in the supply of electricity and oil.
