BANGKOK, Thailand – The Industry Ministry, led by Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, has ordered a nationwide crackdown on illegal battery-disposal factories and hazardous-waste management facilities that fail to meet required standards, instructing all agencies to report inspection results within one month.
Thanakorn said provincial industrial offices have been directed to conduct urgent inspections and take strict legal action against operations found to be unlicensed or operating below safety requirements. Authorities have identified a rising number of facilities linked to improper battery disposal and substandard hazardous waste handling.
The ministry said such activities pose serious risks to public health and the environment while undermining confidence in the country’s industrial system. Enforcement will be stepped up through proactive inspections to prevent illegal factories from operating undetected.
The operation also includes tighter oversight of substandard products in the market, including imports, along with measures to address hazardous waste at its source through broader industrial controls.
The crackdown is part of the ministry’s “Break Through – Confront – Pull – Push” policy framework, which targets illegal factory networks, pollution control, and improved confidence in Thailand’s manufacturing sector among domestic and international stakeholders. (NNT)
