Thailand has decided to cut electricity, oil supplies and internet services to five locations in three Myanmar border townships at 9am on Wednesday.
The locations are believed to house Chinese-run call centres, which have been preying, with impunity, on victims in China, Thailand and elsewhere for years.
Thailand’s deputy prime minister for security affairs, Phumtham Wechayachai, said that financial damage to Thailand alone from these scams is estimated at more than 80 million baht a day and 86 billion baht in total to date.
The decision was made at an urgent meeting today, chaired by Phumtham and attended by Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, National Security Council Secretary-General Chatchai Bangchuad, Interior Permanent Secretary Orasit Samphantharat and deputy governor of the Provincial Electricity Authority, Prasit Chanprasit.
The decision came a day before Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is scheduled to visit China, to join the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.
The locations in Myanmar to which electricity will be cut are Payathonzu township, opposite the Three Pagoda Pass district in Kanchanaburi province, Ban Muang Daeng and the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Tachileik township, opposite Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai, the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge and Ban Huai Muang in Myawaddy township, opposite Mae Sot district in Thailand’s Tak province.
Phumtham said that Thai authorities have already notified their Myanmar counterparts that they consider that the five locations pose an ongoing security threat to Thailand, adding that whether the Myanmar government takes action against the call centres is an internal affair.
Asked whether he is worried that Myanmar may retaliate by cutting natural gas supplies to Thailand, Phumtham gave a non-committal response and just reemphasised the damage caused by the scammers to people in multiple countries.
The call centre scamming operations are concentrated in two notorious cities, Shwe Kokko and KK Park, both located in Myawaddy.
A Thai security officer said there are about 100,000 people, of many nationalities, and a hospital in the township that will be affected by the power cut.
The sudden change, from foot dragging over the issue of electricity supplies to Myanmar border townships which help sustain the operations of call centres, came after Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra ordered Phumtham to take action, in consultation with the National Security Council.
Earlier Phumtham said that the PEA can take the action without having to seek approval from the cabinet or reporting to the National Energy Policy Board.
He warned that, if the PEA governor does not take action today as ordered, he may be transferred, as he reminded the PEA not to be obsessed with making money from the cross-border sale of electricity, but also to take into account the damage caused to people who are duped by Myanmar-based call centres, which rely on the supply of electricity from Thailand for their illegal activities.
Phumtham went on to say that he feels uncomfortable with the buck passing by agencies which are supposed to take the necessary action to disrupt the call centres.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated earlier that, though, that he is waiting for a written order from Phumtham before the PEA, which is under the supervision of the Interior Ministry, takes the action as ordered.
He insisted that the PEA cannot just terminate the electricity supply without an official order from the deputy prime minister in charge of security affairs.
He also said that the specific areas in Myanmar, to which the PEA will cut the electricity supply, must be clearly identified, adding that the PEA has, previously cut the power supply to three locations in Myanmar.
