Long queues of cars, extending up to 5km, are waiting in Myanmar’s Myawaddy border township to cross the First Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge into Thailand’s Mae Sot to refuel.
This sight has become common place, as fuel is becoming increasingly scarce since Thailand cut electricity, fuel and internet supplies to locations in Myanmar, including Myawaddy, on February 5, to put pressure on Myanmar and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) to crack down on Chinese-run scam call centres in the Myawaddy, Tachileik and Payathonzu border townships.
The crackdown has driven some Chinese scammers to other towns or into Cambodia. More than 6,000 people of various nationalities have been rescued from call centres by the DKBA and Karen Border Guard Force.
Most of them are still being held by the Karen forces, as they wait for permission from the Thai government to cross into Thailand.
An informed border source said that all small petrol stations in Myawaddy have closed, leaving only the larger ones still operating, but for only an hour a day.
The pump price of benzine or premium gasoline is 70 baht/litre, and 71 baht/litre for diesel.
The source said that the black market price in Myawaddy is as high as 130 baht/litre for all oil products.
