Myawaddy and Payathonzu border townships are not completely blacked out last night, as lights can still be seen in some buildings from the Thai border on the first night without power, fuel or internet supplied from Thailand.
The sound of generators in Myawaddy is clearly audible to people living near the border in Thailand’s Mae Sot district.
A resident of Myawaddy told Thai PBS reporters in Mae Sot that many houses in the town had installed solar panels and generators. He expressed concern, however, that hospitals and government offices are being most affected, because they normally draw a lot of electricity.
Thai businessmen are concerned that the Border Guard Force, which is controlling Myawaddy, may retaliate by restricting the import of goods from Thailand, which would affect cross-border trade, estimated at about 100 billion baht annually.
The Border Command Centre in Tak province has been assessing the situation since the power supply was cut this morning and believe that the people in Myawaddy are, for the time being, still able carry on with their normal lives, albeit less convenient.
The centre also predicts that some people may evacuate from Myanmar into Mae Sot, to live with relatives, if the power cuts are prolonged and alternative sources of power prove insufficient.
Meanwhile, Thai officials and troops have increased patrols of border crossings in the Three Pagodas Pass in Kanchanaburi, opposite Payathonzu township, to prevent the smuggling of generators, solar panels and petrol into Myanmar.
Some residents of Payathonzu said that they began preparing for the power cuts over a week ago.
In a number of houses and buildings, dim lights, powered by solar panels, could be seen from the Three Pagodas Pass.
