Thailand’s Crypto Crackdown: Unpacking the Seizure of 63 Illegal Mining Rigs and a $327,000 Electricity Theft Scheme

Introduction: A Hidden Power Drain Exposed in Pathum Thani

On March 28, 2025, Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) descended on three abandoned houses in Pathum Thani province, uncovering a covert cryptocurrency mining operation that had been siphoning electricity from the region’s grid. As detailed in a March 29 report by The Nation, authorities seized 63 illegal mining rigs — valued at roughly 2 million baht ($60,000 USD) — marking a significant strike against a growing underground industry. These rigs had pilfered over 11 million baht ($327,000 USD) worth of electricity from the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA), exposing the real-world costs of unchecked crypto mining.

For Pathum Thani residents, located just 46 kilometers north of Bangkok, this raid was a long-awaited answer to months of electrical woes — flickering lights, overloaded circuits, and rising utility bills. What started as a grassroots complaint about suspicious activity evolved into a high-stakes investigation, offering a window into the technical ingenuity and audacity of modern crypto criminals. For readers interested in the nexus of technology, energy, and law enforcement, this case is a compelling study in resource exploitation and regulatory response.

The Catalyst: Local Vigilance Triggers a Raid

The operation began with the sharp eyes of Pathum Thani locals. For weeks, residents had observed shadowy figures tampering with utility poles and transformers, rigging unauthorized connections that bypassed standard metering. These intrusions didn’t just raise eyebrows — they disrupted daily life. Power surges fried appliances, while transformers hummed under strain, pushing some to 115% capacity (MEA operational data, 2025). Suspecting that abandoned properties were being repurposed as crypto mining hubs — a practice notorious for its energy demands — the community alerted the CIB, prompting swift action.

The raid validated their concerns. Inside the derelict houses, officers found a sophisticated setup: 63 mining rigs humming away, supported by a network of tampered infrastructure. The scale of the theft was staggering: 2.63 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity stolen, calculated at the MEA’s commercial rate of 4.18 baht per kWh (Q1 2025 tariff). This volume could power 80,000 Thai households for a day, based on an average daily consumption of 32.76 kWh per household (MEA 2024 Residential Report). For locals, this wasn’t just a crime — it was a betrayal of shared resources.