RAYONG, Thailand – Authorities have raided an illegal tire modification facility concealed in a rubber plantation in Rayong province, seizing more than 74,000 altered tires with an estimated value of over 223 million baht. The operation followed a public complaint about the import and resale of worn-out tires that had been modified and subsequently returned to the market, posing a serious risk to consumers.
Industry Minister Akanat Promphan dispatched Thitipas Chotidetchaichanan, Head of the Minister’s Working Group and leader of the Ministry of Industry’s enforcement unit known as “Team Sudsoi,” to lead the investigation. The warehouse is situated in Makham Khu subdistrict, Nikhom Phatthana district.
Officials discovered that most of the tires had been deliberately altered. Grinding and shaving had been done to both sidewalls to erase brand names and manufacturing dates, concealing the products’ origins and age. A total of approximately 74,504 tires were confiscated, each valued at around 3,000 baht, bringing the estimated value of the seizure to 223,512,000 baht.
Inside a portable office container at the site, the team found four transfer documents listing LLIT (Thailand) Co., Ltd. as the sender, along with a notebook containing inventory records and handheld grinding tools. Fourteen workers, mostly from Myanmar and some from China, were detained. The workers stated that the premises were leased by a Thai national to a Chinese operator, who has since left the country. Most of the tires were reported to have been sent from LLIT’s facility in Si Racha district, Chonburi province.
The Provincial Industry Office has since filed a complaint against LLIT (Thailand) Co., Ltd. and other connected parties for failing to dispose of defective tires in accordance with the law. (NNT)
