Thailand orders power to be cut to Myanmar scam centers before PM's China trip

Paetongtarn Shinawatra to discuss transborder crime with Xi Jinping

Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Xi Jinping will meet in China on Feb. 5. Beijing is said to be "really upset" that scam centers are still operating in Myanmar, just on the other side of the Thai border, tapping into Thailand's electricity grid and phone services. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters)

FRANCESCA REGALADO

February 4, 2025 18:53 JST

BANGKOK -- The Thai government on Tuesday ordered the Provincial Electricity Authority to cut supply to Shwe Kokko, a Myanmar town where Thai and Chinese authorities say thousands of people, including their nationals, have been trafficked and forced to run online scams targeting victims around the world.

The move comes on the eve of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's four-day trip to Beijing, where she is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. Liu Zhongyi, China's vice minister for public security, visited Thailand last week to meet with Thai police officials and asked Thailand to cut off electricity and telecom services to scam compounds in Shwe Kokko and KK Park, both located along the Thai-Myanmar border.