Customs Seizes 10x More Toxic Waste, Plans Scrap Import Ban
Thai Customs has ramped up enforcement against illegal waste imports, seizing ten times more toxic material this year than in 2024. Maximum fines have been raised to 500,000 baht, and the department plans to propose a ban on free metal scrap imports, allowing only licensed recycling plants to bring in such materials.
The Customs Department has seized ten times more toxic waste this year and is preparing to propose a ban on the free import of metal scrap. Starting in November, maximum fines have been raised to the legal ceiling of 500,000 baht, and offenders must bear all expenses for re-exporting the seized goods. Previously, fines were only 20% of the goods' value, capped at 500,000 baht. For the next phase, Customs will propose to Deputy Finance Minister Suphachai Suthamphanthu a systematic fix to the waste import problem by prohibiting free import of metal scrap altogether. Only licensed recycling factories with legal smelters will be allowed to import, shutting out traders without their own facilities. This aims to close loopholes and enable full traceability from source to destination. This year's enforcement results are the highest in three years, with 198 arrests involving 20.5 million kilograms worth over 243 million baht, a tenfold weight increase compared to 2024, reflecting tighter inspections of high-risk containers using X-ray scanners and random physical checks at customs checkpoints and destination factories nationwide.
