Posted on 27 Oct 2025
The decision by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) to release 40,000 deformed steel bars, confiscated in the wake of the State Audit Office (SAO) collapse, has stirred controversy. The move came only shortly after the new government took shape, raising questions over timing and transparency.
Worth 40 million baht, the steel belonged to China's Xin Ke Yuan Steel, which was accused by the industrial minister under the previous government of producing substandard steel products. An earthquake on March 28 led to the collapse of the 30-storey SAO building, killing nearly 100 people.
In a subsequent probe, the Ministry of Industry found the use of SKY-branded steel bars supplied by Xin Ke Yuan Steel failed to meet safety standards. The previous government ordered all related steel stock seized for testing. Former industry minister Ekanat Promphan declared in April that some of the company's products were substandard.
The firm has run into trouble previously. Its plants were shut down in December 2024 after the factory was found violating environmental law. Following the SAO tragedy, TISI confiscated 41,635 bars pending an inspection.
However, according to TISI's recent reports, two rounds of testing -- on April 2 and Sept 15 -- both found the samples "in compliance with standards," leading to the full release of the confiscated stock. This outcome has sparked widespread scepticism, given that earlier reports suggested repeated failures in quality tests.
Mr Ekanat himself raised the question last week, pointing out the clearance order was issued on Sept 15, just three days after he and his team departed from the ministry. Xin Ke Yuan Steel last month sued Mr Ekanat and other state agencies for 3.21 billion baht in response to the ministry's decision to close its factory.
Current Industry Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the seized bars were not connected to the collapsed SAO building, but in fact tied to a factory fire on Dec 18, 2024. He added that part of the release process had begun under the previous administration.
TISI secretary-general Ekniti Romyanon maintains the agency abided by the rules. Once tests confirmed compliance, it was obliged to return the products to their owner. Still, confusion persists. TISI documents indicate the seizure order was issued on April 2, after the building's collapse, seemingly contradicting the minister's account that it involved a separate incident.
The key concern is that when two industry ministers offer conflicting accounts, who should the public trust? More urgently, will the 40,000 released bars now enter the construction supply chain and can the public have full confidence in the nation's safety standards, given that questions over the testing process still remain?
To be fair, the Council of Engineers of Thailand, which led the central investigation into the building collapse, concluded the failure was not caused by the quality of the steel. Xin Ke Yuan's products, therefore, cannot be held culpable for that tragedy. Yet that is a separate matter from the questions surrounding TISI's testing standards.
The Ministry of Industry must act to dispel public doubt by disclosing the test results. TISI's role is to safeguard public trust in industrial standards. If its enforcement outcomes appear to shift with the political winds, that trust will erode, along with confidence in industry itself.
Source:Bangkok Post
