Suchart Declares War on Toxic Waste Plants in Thailand
Thai Natural Resources Minister Suchart Chomklin orders a crackdown on nearly 3,000 tons of e-waste and polluted rainbow-colored water in Prachinburi province.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Natural Resources Minister Suchart Chomklin ordered pollution control officials to inspect nearly 3,000 tons of e-waste.
- Authorities found oil-contaminated rainbow wastewater in Prachinburi and initiated legal action against the factory owner.
- The Thai Prime Minister convened top economic and interior ministers to integrate cross-agency efforts against toxic waste.
- Strict legal tools including anti-money laundering asset seizure and DSI special case investigations are being deployed.
On October 2, Thailand's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Suchart Chomklin, gave an interview regarding the Industry Ministry's inspection of rainbow-colored wastewater in Prachinburi province, confirming that the black water mixed with oil is undoubtedly polluted wastewater originating from nearby pollutant sources.
Suchart stated that he has instructed the Director-General of the Pollution Control Department to collect new water samples for laboratory testing and pursue formal legal action. Field officials inspected surface water across four specific sampling points, testing critical parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, total phosphorus, fecal coliform, oil and grease, heavy metals, and related pollutants to evaluate water quality and investigate potential causes of fish deaths. Preliminary field measurements showed dissolved oxygen (DO) levels between 3.23–7.45 mg/L and pH levels between 6.87–6.96, though field results could not yet conclusively determine the cause of the fish mortality.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Regarding nearly 3,000 tons of electronic waste discovered by ministry officials, Suchart emphasized that such environmental destruction is completely unacceptable, as the imported shipments consist primarily of toxic waste rather than usable materials. Prime Minister has prioritized this issue by summoning key cabinet members—including Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapan, Industry Minister Varawut Silpa-archa, and Deputy Interior Minister Phonphir Suwanchalwi—to establish a unified, cross-departmental operational framework.
The chronic issue of industrial waste and electronic waste management in Thailand has persisted for decades, often hampered by complex import loopholes and illicit business networks. By incorporating specialized enforcement agencies like the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), the current government is shifting from standard administrative penalties, such as temporary suspension orders, toward financial tracking and asset seizure, which serve as highly effective tools to permanently dismantle illegal waste operations.
Addressing these systemic loopholes requires coordinated regulatory updates, as lax oversight in transportation and import stages has long allowed hazardous materials to slip through undetected.
Addressing reports that a factory owner contacted him to clear the allegations, Suchart affirmed that despite knowing regional figures from his two decades as a Member of Parliament in eastern Thailand, drone surveillance clearly showed that the company's embankment ruptured, directly leaking pollutants from their facility. He ordered immediate prosecution at the Si Maha Phot police station, stressing that public health and citizens consuming potentially carcinogenic fish cannot be held hostage.
"I must say that I am definitely declaring war on these individuals. I will not let it go, because if anyone does wrong, especially as a minister and a public servant holding authority and laws in our hands, if we cannot handle this, I do not know what the point of being a minister is."
Suchart Chomklin
Suchart further noted long-term measures, stating that factories repeating such violations will face permanent license revocation, comparable to strict nightlife regulations. Furthermore, he instructed the ministry's deputy permanent secretary to meet with AMLO's secretary-general to explore asset seizure laws tied to national park land encroachment and to push the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to accept the case as a special investigation to crack down on transport and import origins.
Source: Matichon Politics
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