Thai authorities recently dismantled a large illegal Bitcoin mining farm in Chonburi province, seizing nearly 1,000 mining machines and uncovering an electricity theft scheme that caused massive financial losses and strained the local power grid.
Recently, Thai authorities closed a criminal Bitcoin mining farm in Chonburi province, which witnessed mass cases of electricity theft and incurred enormous financial loss.
A mining farm in the Phanat Nikhom district was raided with the support of the Provincial Electricity Authority by the Crime Suppression Division.
Authorities seize 996 Bitcoin mining rigs
There are 996 rigs operating for the Bitcoin mining, bringing with it a tremendous loss running into hundreds of millions of baht and immense pressure on the power grid.
The thieves tampered with the power meters to steal the electricity. The meters were altered in a way that they used power during the night. Since it operates mostly during the night, nobody suspects it because they are still not noticed.
This notwithstanding, nobody knows who masterminds this operation, though it is so huge. The value of electricity stolen is estimated in millions, and it symbolizes how cost- and power-intensive Bitcoin mining is and just how far certain operators will reach to reduce it.
More of the same have been occurring throughout the past few years. This time around, an unlicensed mining farm in Ratchaburi province was closed in August 2024 due to repeated blackouts and the citizens having to pay a higher rate of energy.
Two Surat Thani residents were prosecuted at the start of 2025 for allegedly siphoning off over $280,000 worth of electricity for mining purposes for their personal use. All these point to the trend of illegal practices with very high energy consumption and costs brought about by Bitcoin mining.
Impact of illegal Bitcoin mining
This is not a problem peculiar to Thailand alone. Illegal mining operations have been discovered all over the world. Recently, for instance, in July 2024, Russian authorities seized 500 mining rigs in Irkutsk, uncovering $2.3 million in electricity thefts. Illegal miners are reportedly siphoning off about $754 million worth of electricity from 2018 up to 2023, big losses for Malaysia.
Increase surveillance and effort of the Thai authority to not allow power theft. Cases of Chonburi under observation of CSD. Would get hold of and get the perpetrators by account by seeking secure warrants issued by courts to trace the very same culprits. This is the process through which there will be intensified scrutiny of the PEA system to spot more cases later.
The case of Chonburi distinctly underscored the need for the enforcement of laws about crimes of cryptocurrencies in Thailand. In October 2024, a crypto transborder fraud ring was brought to an end in Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
There needs to be cooperation that involves law enforcement agencies to establish governing over them to defeat similar illicit happenings in this cryptocurrency space.
The demolition of the Chonburi Bitcoin mining farm is one of those types of illegal mining operations that have greatly challenged the persons in authority.
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