Illegal Recycled Soap Factory Busted: Hand-Pumped Operation Using Fake Registration Numbers to Sell Online
Authorities shut down an illegal soap factory in Bangkok where a woman was remolding recycled soap scraps and selling them online with fake registration numbers and false health claims. The operation produced about 1,000 bars daily using ha
On May 15, 2025, Police Colonel Kongkrit Lertsittiakul ordered an investigation into a residence in Bang Kaenoi sub-district, Bang Kae district, Bangkok, following reports of illegal recycled soap production and sales. Officers discovered Ms. Nongnath (surname withheld), 45, managing an unlicensed manufacturing operation disguised as a residential home.
The facility was converted into an unauthorized factory filled with finished soap bars, liquid soap products, soap scraps in various colors, manufacturing equipment, label stickers, manual soap molding presses, stainless steel graters, bag sealing machines, silicone soap molds in multiple colors, and cutting saws. Authorities seized 115,380 items valued at over 300,000 baht.
Investigators discovered that some products bore expired product registration numbers on their labels to appear legitimate, constituting counterfeit cosmetics manufacturing. The suspect had fraudulently used registration numbers from discontinued products.
The operation sold soap bars through online platforms at below-market prices, claiming properties such as "kills dirt," "eliminates filth," "100% herbal soap," and "reduces oily skin, acne, melasma, and dark spots." No manufacturing license had been obtained.
During interrogation, Ms. Nongnath admitted to completing only sixth grade. She initially purchased soap from legitimate factories for online resale, but as demand increased and production costs rose, she began purchasing soap scraps from surrounding factories at 30-40 baht per kilogram, remolding them into bars selling for 4-10 baht each through online channels.
She acknowledged using hand-pumping methods with unsanitary equipment, learning the process from social media. One kilogram of scraps could produce 10-30 bars. Her operation produced approximately 1,000 bars daily, receiving 700-800 orders per day, generating roughly 50,000 baht monthly. The operation had been running for approximately one year.
Authorities charged her under the Cosmetics Act B.E. 2558 for manufacturing and selling counterfeit cosmetics and unregistered cosmetics. She was taken into custody for further legal proceedings.
