TAK: Ordinary households in Myawaddy have been hit hard by the decision to cut off the supply of electricity across the border from Thailand, but big Chinese investors are unaffected, their huge complexes brightly lit as usual at night.
Thailand's Provincial Electricity Authority cut off supply to the Myawaddy power concessionaire on June 6 at the request of the Myanmar government after the contract expired. People and cargo continue to cross the border in Mae Sot district of Tak as usual.
Thongchai Maneesorn, owner of border Pier 23 in Ban Wang Kaeo of tambon Mae Pa in Mae Sot, said disconnecting the town had little impact on Chinese investors in Myawaddy and their huge entertainment complexes. They had their own generators.
However, the impact was obvious on ordinary Myanmar households. Local mobile phone networks were disconnected, and they had to use ice to preserve fresh food because their fridges were not working.
Well-to-do families bought their own generators and were little affected. Households with less money pooled their resources to buy generators they could share.
Demand from Myawaddy for generators and ice from Mae Sot has been high. Generators were sometimes unavailable in Mae Sot and buyers had to wait for days for supplies from other provinces of Thailand.
Chinese businessmen were reported to have invested more than $1.5 billion in casinos, entertainment complexes and housing estates in the border town of Shwe Kokko.
Regarding mobile phone service, subscribers of local mobile phone networks were completely disconnected because their networks depended on electricity from the Thai side.
Mobile phones remain usable for the Myawaddy residents who use services from Thai providers and stay in border areas covered by Thai networks.
"There are no significant impacts on the new town zone of Chinese people because they can afford generators for their buildings. Since the power stoppage from Thailand, they depend on their generators," Mr Thongchai said.
"From the Thai side, their buildings are seen illuminated every night as usual," he said.