Police raided a commercial building in central Yasothon after detecting abnormal continuous electricity consumption, astonishingly uncovering 18 bitcoin mining machines with an electricity bill of only 8 baht per month. The Yasothon Provincial Police investigation chief said this is the first case of its kind in the province.
On 19 June 2026, Pol. Col. Niran Kaewin, Deputy Commander of Yasothon Provincial Police, along with Pol. Col. Phum Thongpho, Investigation Chief of Yasothon Provincial Police, Lt. Col. Kitipong Phansri, Deputy Inspector of Muang Yasothon Police Station, officers from the Yasothon Provincial Police Investigation Division, and officials from the Yasothon Provincial Electricity Authority inspected a commercial building in Moo 8, Ban Sala Daeng, Liang Mueang Road, Tad Thong Subdistrict, Muang Yasothon District, after receiving a tip-off about illegal electricity use for digital currency mining causing millions of baht in losses to the state.
Upon arrival, no occupants were found. On the second floor, they discovered 18 bitcoin mining machines, with soundproofing applied to the walls to muffle the cooling fans’ noise, neatly concealed wiring, and CCTV cameras installed around the building to monitor officials.
Investigations revealed the offenders had systematically planned their operation by renting a building near a large power transformer. They hired electrical experts to modify the wiring, tapping directly into the overhead power lines in front of the building, hiding the setup behind a suspended ceiling to avoid detection, then running wires inside the building directly to the bitcoin mining machines.
Additionally, an electricity bill found in the room showed a payment amount of only 8 baht.
Initially, police collected evidence at the scene and seized all the bitcoin mining machines as exhibits. These were handed over to the investigators at Muang Yasothon Police Station. Authorities are now tracking down the owner of the machines to press theft charges.
Pol. Col. Phum Thongpho, Investigation Chief of Yasothon Provincial Police, stated that police were contacted by Yasothon electricity officials after detecting abnormally high power usage. They obtained a search warrant to inspect the building. On the second floor, they found 18 bitcoin mining machines. This is the first case in Yasothon Province involving illegal free electricity usage for bitcoin mining by directly tapping into the overhead power lines in front of the building. The tenant concealed the wiring behind a suspended ceiling and an extended roof at the front to hide from officials, running wires inside to connect directly to the mining machines. The tenant has been identified and is currently being pursued for prosecution.
Mr. Preecha Chanthat, Electrical Engineer Zone 2, Ubon Ratchathani, revealed that the Yasothon Provincial Electricity Authority detected unusually high power output from a large transformer in the area. Their survey found most electricity flowed into the building in question, which used more power than other locations. They coordinated with police to inspect the building, discovering 18 bitcoin mining machines and illegal electricity tapping by direct wiring that bypassed the electricity meter—a theft offense. Bitcoin mining consumes large amounts of electricity, with estimated damages of at least 200,000 baht per month, totaling over one million baht in losses.