Thai authorities have raided an illegal Bitcoin mine in Ratchaburi, a town in central Thailand to the west of Bangkok. This development shaped on the heels of frequent reports of power outages from the surrounding areas over the past few weeks.
According to Jamnong Chanwong, Chief District Security Officer, the power outages started around mid-July. That was likely around the same time the mine became fully operational.
The Bitcoin mining equipment was reportedly installed by a company that had rented the house for about four months.
Furthermore, Thai authorities brought to light that the mining operator paid barely paid fees when compared to the significant amount of power consumed.
Nevertheless, authorities did not arrest anyone at the mine. Investigations are ongoing. The authorities suspect that the operators fled upon realizing that their activities were under scrutiny by authorities.
Earlier this month, Malaysian authorities crushed close to a thousand crypto mining rigs as a part of the country-wide regulatory crackdown on electricity heists.
As reported by blocmates, a heavy-duty steamroller was used to destroy them. Around 1.98 million RM [$450,000] worth of equipment was discarded via this operation after receiving instructions from the court.
Prior to that, Malaysia authorities also arrested seven individuals for conducting Bitcoin mining operations by allegedly stealing electricity.
On one hand as Malaysia, Thailand, and China continue to remain harsh to miners, while on the other, several countries have been warming up to fill the gaps.
Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, officially signed a law earlier this month that legalized crypto mining in Russia.
Only registered Russian legal entities and individual entrepreneurs have the right to mine in Russia. That being said, individuals who adhere to the consumption limits set by the Russian government will be allowed to mine digital currency without registration.
Meanwhile, US presidential contender Donald Trump has time and again asserted that President Joe Biden’s hatred of Bitcoin “only helps China, Russia, and the Radical Communist Left.” He recently said that he wants “all the remaining BTC” to be mined in the US.
