Attawit, joined by representatives from the Thai Steel Traders Association, urged the Ministry of Industry to answer the public regarding its approval for Sinkeyuan Steel to resume producing substandard steel rods. He sharply criticized suspicious irregularities, including bypassing procedures, and said he awaits the minister’s response on who will take responsibility.
At 11:30 a.m. on 9 June 2026 GMT+7. Mr. Attawit Suwanpakdee, a party-list member of parliament for the United Thai Nation Party, along with representatives from the Thai Steel Traders Association, held a press conference at the Parliament Building expressing concern that the Ministry of Industry has permitted Sinkeyuan Steel Company Limited, a manufacturer of steel rods, to resume production. This company, abbreviated as SKY, produced the steel rods used in the construction of the Office of the Auditor General building that collapsed during the 2025 earthquake. Following an initial inspection of the steel, the company has now been allowed to reopen its factory, raising significant public concerns about product quality.
Attawit pointed out that the approval for SKY to reopen is suspicious in several respects. For example, the factory previously experienced a fire, and there are concerns about product standards because it produces IF (Induction Furnace) steel, which melts scrap metal without using a Ladle Furnace (Ladle Refining Furnace: LRF) that quality steel factories employ. He recalled inspecting this company when he was part of the "final mile" team led by former Industry Minister Mr. Eknat Prompan. They found no Ladle Furnace, meaning certain elements could not be removed from the steel. Without this refining, the steel would be substandard. This raises the question: how can they produce steel rods without a Ladle Furnace and still be allowed to reopen? Was there any safety or product quality inspection?
"I suspect irregularities because the Ministry of Industry’s new standards require inspecting every melting furnace. However, SKY was not subjected to such thorough inspection before resuming production. When the 'final mile' team seized steel rods to check quality, there was a large batch of about 40,000 rods. During the ministerial transition from Mr. Eknat to former Industry Minister Mr. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, approval was granted by random sampling rather than inspecting every furnace. Later, the ministry issued guidelines mandating inspection of every furnace.
However, this rule does not apply to SKY. The 40,000 steel rods have already entered the market, and today the factory has fully reopened to produce and sell steel rods in Thailand. Importantly, no samples were sent to the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand (ISIT) for testing this time because the company requested testing by another institute, and the Ministry of Industry agreed. Why were samples not tested at ISIT as before? Permission should involve testing at the same institute, not elsewhere. This is another suspicious point."
Attawit further demanded: 1. SKY may be allowed to operate its steel rod production, but it must not sell products until the factory is equipped with a Ladle Furnace to ensure steel quality. He emphasized that the Ministry of Industry must uphold product standards uniformly across all steel factories in Thailand; otherwise, the public faces risks.
2. IF steel rods must no longer be permitted for use in high-rise building construction in Thailand. They should also be banned from public infrastructure projects such as bridges procured by the Thai government. "We learn from painful experience," he said. Product standards are a critical issue the Ministry of Industry must clarify.
He expressed disappointment and concern, saying he was once an advisor to the former Industry Minister and part of the final mile team that established these standards. He called for a review of the order allowing the factory to reopen, questioning what has happened within the Ministry of Industry to permit this factory to open without a Ladle Furnace and who will be accountable. He will await signals from the Industry Minister to answer these societal questions.