Thai Government Crackdown on Illegal International E-Waste

MGR Online•Economy•50m ago

Reader Briefing

The Thai government has launched a multi-ministry operation to crack down on illegal electronic waste imports and industrial waste dumping across 3,049 factories.

•Deputy Prime Minister Supajee Sutthampun chaired the 1/2026 meeting of the Electronic Waste Problem Solving Committee to tackle E-Waste and illegal industrial waste.
•Minister of Industry Varawut Silpa-archa led a task force to inspect 3,049 factories nationwide between November 2-9, 2026.
•Out of 752 factories inspected so far, 375 were found to be in violation of factory laws.
•The government is coordinating five ministries to close systemic loopholes ranging from false declarations to the use of nominee companies.

Overview

•Deputy Prime Minister Supajee Sutthampun chaired the 1/2026 meeting of the Electronic Waste Problem Solving Committee at Government House to combat illegal E-Waste imports and nominee companies.
•Five ministries—Commerce, Finance, Natural Resources and Environment, Interior, and Industry—are collaborating to close legal loopholes from import to disposal.
•Minister of Industry Varawut Silpa-archa reported that 752 out of a target of 3,049 factories were inspected between November 2-9, 2026, with 375 found violating the law.
•The Ministry of Industry has ordered the immediate closure and license revocation of an aluminum smelting factory in Chachoengsao for defying administrative orders.
•Permanent Secretary Passakorn Chairat has proposed the Industrial Waste Management Act B.E. .... to the Cabinet via the Secretariat of the Cabinet to increase penalties and establish an environmental fund.
•Permanent Secretary Raweewan Phuridej of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment established a working group to control scrap metal imports and is preparing the Traffy MNRE platform for public complaints.
•Director General Pornyot Klankrong noted that in pilot provinces Chachoengsao, Samut Prakan, and Rayong, 33 problematic factories were found with 24 administrative orders issued.
•The Department of Industrial Works is coordinating with the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division and the Department of Special Investigation to prosecute offenders.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Read on MGR Online (Thai Version)View in Google Translate

Source: MGR Online (Original)

View Original Article

Key Entities

Person

Supajee Sutthampun(ศุภจี สุธรรมพันธุ์)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce who chaired the Electronic Waste Problem Solving Committee meeting.

Varawut Silpa-archa(วราวุธ ศิลปอาชา)ℹ️

Minister of Industry who led the task force to inspect factories for illegal waste management.

Passakorn Chairat(ภาสกร ชัยรัตน์)

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry pushing for the Industrial Waste Management Act.

Raweewan Phuridej(รวีวรรณ ภูริเดช)

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment who established scrap metal import controls.

Ponyot Klankrong(พรยศ กลั่นกรอง)

Director General of the Department of Industrial Works and Secretary of the Electronic Waste Problem Solving Committee.

Organization

Electronic Waste Problem Solving Committee(คณะกรรมการแก้ไขปัญหาขยะอิเล็กทรอนิกส์)

A committee established by the Prime Minister's order to solve electronic waste issues.

Ministry of Commerce(กระทรวงพาณิชย์)ℹ️

One of the five main ministries collaborating to solve the E-Waste problem.

Ministry of Finance(กระทรวงการคลัง)ℹ️

One of the five main ministries collaborating to solve the E-Waste problem.

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment(กระทรวงทรัพยากรธรรมชาติและสิ่งแวดล้อม)ℹ️

Ministry responsible for scrap metal import controls and the Traffy MNRE platform.

Ministry of Interior(กระทรวงมหาดไทย)ℹ️

Ministry collaborating to prosecute those dumping industrial waste on private land.

Ministry of Industry(กระทรวงอุตสาหกรรม)ℹ️

Ministry leading the factory inspections and proposing the Industrial Waste Management Act.

Department of Industrial Works(กรมโรงงานอุตสาหกรรม)

The agency tracking illegal dumping and inspecting factories for law compliance.

Secretariat of the Cabinet(สำนักเลขาธิการคณะรัฐมนตรี)

The office receiving the proposed Industrial Waste Management Act.

Federation of Thai Industries(สภาอุตสาหกรรมแห่งประเทศไทย)ℹ️

Private sector body consulting on scrap metal import criteria.

Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division(กองบังคับการปราบปรามการกระทำความผิดเกี่ยวกับทรัพยากรธรรมชาติและสิ่งแวดล้อม)

Agency coordinating with the Department of Industrial Works to gather evidence and prosecute offenders.

Department of Special Investigation(กรมสอบสวนคดีพิเศษ)ℹ️

Agency considering taking certain illegal waste cases as special cases.

Place

Chachoengsao(ฉะเชิงเทรา)ℹ️

A pilot province where problematic factories and an aluminum smelting plant were found.

Samut Prakan(สมุทรปราการ)ℹ️

A pilot province for factory inspections regarding illegal waste.

Rayong(ระยอง)ℹ️

A pilot province and focus area for pollution and illegal waste dumping complaints.

Chonburi(ชลบุรี)ℹ️

A focus area for pollution and illegal waste dumping complaints.

Prachinburi(ปราจีนบุรี)ℹ️

A focus area for pollution and illegal waste dumping complaints.

Bangkok(กรุงเทพฯ)ℹ️

An area where 9 problematic factories were detected.

Law

Industrial Waste Management Act B.E. ....(พระราชบัญญัติจัดการกากอุตสาหกรรม พ.ศ. ....)

A proposed law to increase penalties for waste offenders and establish an environmental fund.

Policy

Traffy MNRE

A platform being prepared for citizens to report pollution and environmental issues.