Determined not to let Thailand become anyone's hazardous waste dumping ground, the government is expanding its investigation of transnational electronic waste—from “opening containers” to “tracking networks.” An initial audit covers 825 containers, emphasizing inspections based on evidence without blanket assumptions of wrongdoing.
On 18 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Lalida Pertvivattana, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that the government is advancing efforts to prevent Thailand from serving as a transit or destination for electronic waste and hazardous materials from abroad. The approach has been elevated from inspecting individual cargo containers to tracing the entire chain—from foreign exporters, shipping documents, importers, and final waste recipients to financial pathways—to ensure prosecution reaches all truly involved parties based on evidence.
This progress follows the inspection chaired by Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, of suspicious cargo containers at Laem Chabang Port on 14 Sep 2026 GMT+7. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) collaborated with Customs, Pollution Control Department, Department of Industrial Works, Chonburi Province, law enforcement agencies, international organizations, and 18 related agencies and partners to examine the import of electronic waste from abroad potentially violating laws and international commitments.
Ms. Lalida stated the latest inspection reflects the key principle that “seizure for inspection does not mean guilt.” Of the 10 targeted containers, 9 were inspected because one lacked company representation. Results showed three containers from Poland, the UK, and New Zealand had correct declarations with no contamination, while six containers from the U.S. declared as aluminum scrap and unusable items were found to contain mixed electronic waste, prompting legal procedures and further investigations.
“The government will not stop at just opening containers and finding irregularities but will continue to trace who sent them, who imported them, where the goods went, and the money trail to reach the network's root. At the same time, we adhere strictly to evidence. Containers on the inspection list or seized are not automatically proven to be illegal,” Ms. Lalida explained.
Regarding 50 containers that the DSI requested Customs to additionally seize, these are for further inspection and investigation, not a conclusion that all are illegal. Preliminary checks found 19 containers already confirmed with violations and processed, 14 containers with no import records into Thailand, and the remainder with various statuses requiring case-by-case verification.
Meanwhile, the DSI is expanding investigations from an initial list of approximately 825 containers believed to have been imported into Thailand. Previously, 151 suspicious containers were inspected and confirmed with violations. Preliminary data link these to seven U.S. exporting companies and 16 Thai importing companies. The figures of 825 containers and company names represent the investigation scope, not a final judgment that all containers or companies committed offenses.
Ms. Lalida added that in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2026, Customs seized 187 environmental cases with confiscated items weighing 9.67 million kilograms, valued at over 234.4 million baht. This included approximately 2.7 million kilograms of electronic waste, about 6.6 million kilograms of hazardous waste, and roughly 300,000 kilograms of plastic scraps. These figures represent accumulated operations over 11 months, not just results from the most recent container inspections.
“The goal is to prevent Thailand from becoming anyone’s hazardous waste dumping site. Inspections must reach the origin, destination, and money trails. However, every step must be evidence-based, avoiding blanket assumptions or accusations before investigations conclude, to ensure environmental protection, public health, and law enforcement proceed together,” Ms. Lalida concluded.