Panicked residents visited petrol stations amid fears of fuel shortages as Thai government chiefs cut power to border towns along the border with Myanmar.

Footage shows motorists in the town of Tachileik in Shan State, where utilities have been severed in order to starve suspected Chinese boiler room call centre gangs. Many of the groups target people in Thailand.

The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) disconnected the electricity supply at five points along the northern border, believed to be lined with scam hubs operated by Chinese gangs.

The power cut in the former British Crown territory was issued following a National Security Council meeting attended by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

The premier said: 'There is no hesitation on this matter, and I have addressed it in the cabinet meeting. If it is confirmed that the electricity supply is aiding call centre scams, we will cut it immediately, both electricity and fuel supplies. Our priority is to protect our people first.'

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Chief Phumtham Wechayachai added: 'The PEA has the authority to cut electricity if it determines a national security risk. I will instruct the National Security Council to notify the PEA. This is a serious issue that requires immediate action.'

Authorities believe the crime syndicates had been operating in three different areas in Myanmar neighbouring Thailand's Tak, Kanchanaburi, and Chiang Rai provinces.

Officials have not clarified how many residents will be affected by the power cut.

Thai police are battling call centre scam gangs running rampant in the Southeast Asian country.

This week, cops sealed an illegal crossing between Thailand and Cambodia, where the gangs allegedly trafficked workers across the border.

The Cambodia-based crime syndicate run by Chinese fraudsters would reportedly recruit jobseekers to open mule accounts in Thai banks, into which they would funnel ill-gotten funds from online scams.

They would then take the mule account holders to the crime ring's office in Cambodia, where they are needed for biometric scans to approve large bank transfers.

Police Lieutenant General Yingyot Thepchamnong, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 2, said the porous border crossing in Sa Kaeo province has been closed off and is now heavily guarded amid 'Operation Aranyaprathet 68 SEAL BORDER', which aims to dismantle the international scam gang.

Britain ruled Burma from 1824 to 1948 but avoided taking Siam, now Thailand, instead preferring to use the land as a neutral buffer with France in the east, which held Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.