Thailand’s Industry Minister Varawut Silpa-archa announced stricter oversight for domestic steel mills. Officials will now conduct genuine, random on-site sample testing to check product quality. Factories that manufacture substandard steel or exceed legal pollution limits must halt operations immediately. The ministry will permanently revoke licenses for repeat violators.

The new inspection rules prioritize public safety and actual product usage over specific manufacturing methods. Regulators judge steel batches based on performance properties for structural functions, like flooring or columns, rather than whether factories use induction furnace or electric arc furnace technologies.

The Department of Industrial Works will handle pollution suspensions, and the Thai Industrial Standards Institute will review policies with stakeholders to avoid future operational issues.