Thailand to cut power to Myanmar border areas to curb scam centres

BANGKOK: Thailand will suspend electricity supply to some border areas with Myanmar in an effort to curb scam centres, its government said on Tuesday, amid growing pressure on the illegal compounds that have ensnared vast numbers of people of multiple nationalities. According to the United Nations, hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked by criminal gangs and forced to work in scam centres and illegal online operations across Southeast Asia, including along the Thai-Myanmar border. A 2023 UN report estimated the fast-growing operations generate billions of dollars annually.