Thailand Weighs Deportation for Foreign Toxic Waste Importers

Thailand intercepted 89 shipping containers holding roughly 1.9 million kilogrammes of illegally imported goods between October 1 and November 9, as the government prepares a December package of penalties that could include deportation for foreign nationals caught importing toxic waste.

Deputy government spokesperson Lalida Persvivatana announced the measures on November 12, after a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun. The national electronic waste committee agreed to concentrate on three fronts: factory inspections and law enforcement, tighter import and export controls, and stronger penalties for environmental offences.

Lalida said the government was considering deportation for foreign nationals involved in illegally importing toxic waste, alongside increased civil and criminal penalties. The committee will also report progress to the prime minister every 15 days.

The threat of removal is aimed squarely at the trade in electronic waste disguised as recyclable metal scrap. Customs inspections in the autumn window targeted false declarations, e-waste concealed among metal scrap, and deliberate misclassification of shipments to avoid detection. The message is simple: misdeclare a container and risk a flight home.

How far has the factory crackdown reached?

The Industry Ministry has deployed 50 inspection teams against a target list of 3,049 registered facilities. As of the announcement, the teams had examined 752 factories.

The results are not flattering:

• 375 inspected factories violated the Factory Act, drawing 470 administrative orders
• Most orders required operators to correct violations
• Eight factories were ordered to suspend operations for improvements
• One facility had its licence revoked for seriously breaching a shutdown order

The ministry warned that factories failing to correct violations within the required period face suspension, followed by licence revocation if they continue to disregard official orders. Roughly half of the factories inspected so far have failed inspection — a compliance rate that speaks for itself.

What did investigators find in the east?

Environmental inspection teams have opened seven cases in eastern Thailand covering illegal waste dumping, suspected electronic waste stored in warehouses, and factories operating without licences. Officials have pursued shutdowns, machinery seizures and legal complaints, with major cases potentially referred to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

The scope is widening beyond registered factories to unlicensed operations and illegal disposal sites. Records from 2025 to 2026 identified more than 40 illegal dumping and burial sites across Rayong, Chon Buri, Chachoengsao and Prachin Buri, containing over 100,000 tonnes of accumulated industrial and electronic waste. Several sites sat near provincial boundaries, including areas adjoining Sa Kaeo, prompting plans for closer cooperation between neighbouring provinces.

What changes are coming for metal scrap trade?

To choke off further illegal imports, the committee is weighing stricter requirements for scrap iron, aluminium and copper, including contamination limits, certificates from exporting countries, and tighter checks on importers themselves.

A possible ban on exporting certain types of metal scrap is also on the table, intended to preserve raw materials for Thai industry. Exemptions and the needs of legitimate recycling businesses will be reviewed — an acknowledgment that the sector is not uniformly criminal, merely poorly policed.

The committee is also reviewing legislation that would require polluters to pay for environmental damage, and could establish a fund to restore contaminated areas and assist affected communities.

What happens next?

Detailed proposals are expected in the fourth week of November, followed by submission to the Cabinet in December. That filing is the milestone to watch: it will show whether deportation survives contact with legal drafting, and whether contamination limits on copper and aluminium scrap get numbers attached or stay aspirational. Until the Cabinet signs, the crackdown remains enforcement without a new statutory backbone.