Thailand’s Crypto Crackdown: 63 Illegal Mining Rigs Seized in a $327,000 Electricity Theft Operation
Introduction: A Quiet Heist 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 sophisticated illegal cryptocurrency mining operation. As detailed in a March 29 report by The Nation, authorities seized 63 mining rigs valued at 2 million baht ($60,000 USD), which had been covertly siphoning electricity worth over 11 million baht ($327,000 USD) from the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA). For locals and tech enthusiasts alike, this raid peeled back the curtain on a hidden world where cutting-edge hardware meets criminal ingenuity, raising pressing questions about energy security and regulatory oversight.
Imagine living in Pathum Thani, a province just 46 kilometers from Bangkok’s bustle, where flickering lights and unexplained power surges become daily nuisances. Residents had long suspected something was amiss, and their vigilance paid off. This wasn’t just a local issue — it’s a glimpse into the global challenge of policing a decentralized, power-hungry industry.
The Spark: Residents Sound the Alarm
The CIB’s intervention was no random sweep — it was a direct response to Pathum Thani residents who’d grown weary of mysterious figures tampering with utility poles and transformers. Over months, these locals pieced together a pattern: power disruptions that spiked at odd hours, overloaded circuits tripping breakers, and utility bills that didn’t add up. Their hypothesis? Abandoned buildings were being repurposed as crypto mining dens, exploiting the grid to fuel an energy-intensive racket.
Their suspicions were spot-on. The raid revealed 63 rigs humming away in derelict structures, wired directly into the MEA’s infrastructure. At Thailand’s commercial electricity rate of 4.18 baht per kWh (MEA 2025 tariff data), the stolen 2.63 million kWh translated to a $327,000 loss — enough to power 80,000 Thai households for a day, based on an average daily usage of 32.76 kWh per household (MEA 2024). For residents, this was validation; for authorities, it was a call to action.
The Power Hunger: Decoding Crypto Mining’s Appetite
Crypto mining isn’t for the faint of heart — or the light of wallet. Each of the 63 rigs, likely ASIC units like the Bitmain Antminer S19 (110 TH/s, 3,250 watts), devoured electricity at a relentless pace. Running 24/7, the setup could have consumed 4,914 kWh daily (63 × 3,250 × 24 ÷ 1,000), costing $610 per day if billed legitimately. Over an estimated six-month span — suggested by local reports of irregularities since September 2024 — the total aligns with the 2.63 million kWh stolen, a figure that could have powered a small town.
