People are urged to use power banks certified by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI). Minister of Industry Pimphattra Wichaikul has made an announcement following an incident where a substandard power bank exploded on an airplane. Notably, she was also a passenger on the said flight.
As the minister responsible for consumer product safety, she ordered TISI to strictly inspect and control every brand and size of power banks sold in the market and online, given that power banks are among the 144 controlled products under the supervision of TISI.
In response, TISI officials have been tasked with investigating the source, product details, and certification of the exploded power bank. Should the product be found without TISI certification, legal actions will be pursued against the responsible operators.
Power banks are controlled products under TISI regulations, requiring manufacturing and importation to be licensed, and sellers are mandated to offer only certified products. Currently, there are 97 licenses issued, with 8 to domestic manufacturers and 89 to importers. The list of licensed operators can be found on the TISI website “tisi.go.th.”
Standard-certified power banks undergo rigorous lab testing for about 20 items, such as withstanding temperatures up to 70 degrees Celsius. These power banks are designed to be safe from being exposed to the sun or in high-temperature environments without swelling, warping, or deforming.
They are resistant to impacts, will not easily break, can withstand low atmospheric pressure, and in the event of a fire, the flames will extinguish by themselves without spreading, ensuring no leakage or explosion occurs on airplanes, or fire and combustion if left uncharged for an extended period.
