Shwe Kokko people snap up generators after Thailand cuts power to border crime hub
Myanmar residents of Shwe Kokko, a notorious casino town, are crossing the border to purchase power generators after Thailand cut off electricity supplies last week.
People from Shwe Kokko are snapping up generators in nearby Mae Sot and other Thai towns, former Tak Chamber of Commerce chairman Suchart Treeratwattana said on Tuesday.
However, the cut in supplies has not affected Chinese-run casinos and other businesses in Shwe Kokko, since they prepared large electricity generators in advance.
Thailand's Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) suspended electricity supplies to Shwe Kokko at the request of Myanmar’s military regime at midnight on June 6.
The border town in Karen state has gained notoriety as a criminal hub for gambling, online scams and trafficking financed by Chinese tycoons and controlled by the Karen Border Guard Force.
Myanmar’s decision to end the supply contract with PEA came after China’s ambassador urged the regime to step up efforts to combat cross-border crime, online fraud and gambling.
