Illegally stored power lines have been found at an unlicensed recycling facility in Samut Sakhon province, following a fire at a nearby plastics factory.
The fire broke out at a plastics factory on Wednesday in Ban Phaeo district, prompting an investigation that uncovered materials marked for recycling by a Chinese-owned business, including power lines sourced from a facility located 500 metres away.
On Friday, police and Ministry of Industry officials inspected the facility and found that the same type of cables was being stockpiled at an industrial site bearing the company name Teng Ta.
Inspectors discovered the site locked and inactive and learned from a local resident that operations had ceased after the fire, with attempts made to remove the stockpiled materials. The Chinese national who owns the site has reportedly not returned since the incident.
Authorities suspected that about 3,600 tonnes of power lines, intended for recycling, had been imported from abroad.
The facility was operating without the necessary authorisation and was found to be stockpiling hazardous materials. Legal action is being pursued against its operator.
Thailand has a growing problem with illegal hazardous waste plants, most of them located in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) region, dealing with plastic as well as industrial and electronic waste.
Many Chinese investors have set up recycling plants in Thailand, not all of them licensed, since China banned imports of plastic waste in 2018.
The result has been a major influx of waste into Thailand, which has moved to ban imports of plastic waste, effective from Jan 1 this year.
