Myanmar towns powered down but not out
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Myanmar towns powered down but not out

Tachileik seeks electricity from Laos, other targeted areas had some time to prepare

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A view of Shwe Kokko town in Myawaddy on Wednesday night shows that about 40% of the lights that can normally be seen were off, notably in high-rise buildings. (Photo: Assawin Pinitwong)
A view of Shwe Kokko town in Myawaddy on Wednesday night shows that about 40% of the lights that can normally be seen were off, notably in high-rise buildings. (Photo: Assawin Pinitwong)

Thailand’s stoppage of cross-border power and fuel supplies is affecting border communities in Myanmar, some of which are sourcing electricity from Laos where possible.

However, the intended impact on the criminal businesses along the border may be limited as they have the resources to acquire their own generators, according to sources and local residents’ reports on Wednesday.

The Thai government on Wednesday morning cut off the power supply to Myawaddy, Payathongzu and Tachileik at the urging of Chinese authorities who said call-centre scam operations were becoming an increasing threat to the safety of Chinese citizens.

Supervising the power cutoff at the headquarters of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the cutoff affected the supply of 20 megawatts of electricity.

The PEA earns about 600 million baht a year from the cross-border power supply to Myanmar, a tiny sum compared with its total of 600 billion baht annually, he said.

Mr Anutin said that if Myanmar officially promises to block scam centres’ access to Thai power supply, electricity sales from Thailand can resume. He declined to comment when asked if the cutoff would effectively tackle the scam gangs.

Charin Thongsuk, the governor of Chiang Rai province which borders Tachileik, said authorities there were increasing electricity imports from Laos to make up for the Thai cutoff. The process should take a few days to complete, he said.

The electricity cutoff has affected about 7,500 households, 65 temples, 45 schools, 15 military camps and five hospitals in Tachileik, say local sources.

Myanmar residents in the area had already prepared as the possibility of a cutoff had been in the news for days. (Story continues below)

Electricity officials disconnect power supply cables to Myawaddy, in Mae Sot district of Tak, on Wednesday morning. (Photo: Assawin Pinitwong)

Electricity officials disconnect power supply cables to Myawaddy, in Mae Sot district of Tak, on Wednesday morning. (Photo: Assawin Pinitwong)

In Tak province which borders Myawaddy, cross-border business continued as usual even as Thai authorities stopped oil export to Myawaddy, said  Col Natthakorn Rueabtip, commander of the Ratchamanu task force.

Meanwhile, people in Myawaddy were building up their oil stocks, he said.

In Kanchanaburi province adjacent to Payathongzu, security authorities blocked the export of oil and generators to the Myanmar side of the border.

A group of 10 Thai women returned to Sangkhlaburi on Wednesday and told officials that the power cutoff had caused the closure of an entertainment venue where they worked in Payathongzu, so they had to return.

Sources said people in Payathongzu were rushing to buy diesel at service stations, but the price had soared from 35 baht to 60 baht per litre.

As the power cutoff had been expected, people in Payathongzu had also stocked up on solar panels. However, there has been an impact on government offices, hospitals and schools.

Impact was limited on the Chinese-owned casinos and entertainment places because they had their own generators, sources said.

Mobile phone services from Thailand continued as usual in Payathongzu, they added.

Buyers queue up for fuel at a petrol station in Myawaddy on Wednesday. (Photo: Assawin Pinitwong)

Buyers queue up for fuel at a petrol station in Myawaddy on Wednesday. (Photo: Assawin Pinitwong)

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