Thai military on alert after power cut to Myanmar border areas

Influx of refugees expected amid reports hospitals, schools and businesses have been hit by cutoff targeting scam towns

Thailand’s military has been put on alert after the country cut electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to five Myanmar border areas at 9am on Wednesday. This decision followed intelligence reports that the cross-border electricity supply was feeding hubs of transnational crime, including call-centre scams, illegal online gambling operations, and human trafficking networks.

Electricity was cut between Kanchanaburi’s Three Pagoda Pass and Payathonzu, Mon State; and Chiang Rai’s Muang Daeng and Tachileik, Shan State.

The supply was also cut at three locations in Tak province: the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge to Tachileik, Shan State; Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge 2 to Myawaddy, Kayin State; and Ban Huai Muang to Myawaddy, Kayin State.Myanmar's military regime currently has jurisdiction over only 40% of the country, while the remaining 60% is controlled by ethnic minority groups.

Thai Army chief General Pana Klaewplodthuk has instructed three border forces – the Surasi Task Force, Pha Muang Task Force, and Naresuan Task Force – to prepare urgent response plans for expected turmoil on the border over the next two weeks. This includes a possible influx of refugees fleeing over the natural border from areas affected by the power cutoff. Thailand is also bracing for a surge in patients from Myanmar border hospitals and refugee centres, with critically ill patients already being sent to Thai hospitals. Concern is growing that the addition of non-critical patients fleeing from affected areas will overwhelm capacity at Thai border hospitals.

The closure of Thailand-Myanmar checkpoints due to power outages has also impacted border trade.
Myanmar business operators, through their Thai counterparts, have called on the Thai government to relax the power cutoff.

Human rights agencies and aid NGOs are urging the Thai government to find ways to assist affected Myanmar civilians, with hospitals and schools reporting severe disruption from the lack of electricity.

The withdrawal of power from Myanmar border areas is expected to impact bilateral relations at all levels, including between the Myanmar junta and Thai government, military-to-military ties, and local relations between Thai troops, their Myanmar counterparts, and ethnic groups.The biggest potential hotspot is the border in Tak province, which Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will visit today to assess the situation.

Lt Gen Kittipong Jamsuwan, commander of the 3rd Army Area, stated his troops would support the electricity, internet, and fuel cutoff in collaboration with other government agencies.

Tak and Chiang Rai provinces have already prepared areas to accommodate refugees, using existing camps.

The refugee influx is expected to be less severe than in times of heavy fighting near the border, as areas affected by the cutoff have had time to prepare with measures such as stockpiling fuel. 

"A full border closure remains possible because of the lack of electricity. However, Thailand has not closed the border, only tightened inspections of materials that could support call-centre gangs, such as electricity, IT equipment, internet signals, and fuel for generating power," said Kittipong.

It remains uncertain whether cutting public utilities will permanently disrupt cross-border crime networks, including call-centre scams, online gambling, and human trafficking at the Thailand-Myanmar border.

However, border areas in Thailand will inevitably be impacted, and agencies are implementing measures to cope with the potential fallout expected in the next two weeks.

(2025/02/06-00:00)