Thai Steel Standards Change Under Scrutiny; Probe Demanded Over Political Pressure and Industry Impact

A former Member of Parliament, Watchara Phetthong of the Democrat Party, has submitted a letter to the Chairman of the Industry Committee of the House of Representatives, urging an investigation into the proposed changes to steel bar and rebar standards (TIS 20 and TIS 24) by the Ministry of Industry. The core concern is whether these changes are fair to domestic steel manufacturers. Watchara stated that there are indications of certain politicians attempting to push the Ministry of Industry to introduce new standards that would abolish the use of IF furnace technology in rebar production. This move could significantly impact domestic steel manufacturers who currently produce according to the existing ministry standards. These manufacturers collectively represent a production capacity of nearly 3 million tons, valued at over 40 billion baht, and affect a substantial number of workers. He emphasized that there has been no factual evidence presented suggesting that steel produced using the IF furnace method under the current standards has been the cause of building collapses. Therefore, a comprehensive fact-finding inquiry is deemed necessary to ensure fairness for the manufacturers and maintain public safety standards. Watchara requested the Industry Committee to invite the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, relevant agencies, academics, and steel rebar manufacturers to provide explanations from all sides to reach a fair resolution, with a requested update on the proceedings within 15 days. Furthermore, Watchara also submitted a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, demanding an investigation into serious ethical violations by Mr. Atthawit Suwanphakdi, a party-list MP from the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party. This is in response to his interview criticizing IF furnace rebar production as substandard, which Watchara believes has caused severe damage to Thai steel manufacturers. Such statements could potentially violate ethical codes 8 and 11 for MPs, reflecting bias against IF furnace producers or a lack of integrity in his duties. Watchara urged the committee to investigate whether the push to abolish or restrict IF technology would create economic benefits worth hundreds of billions of baht for specific business groups and if any individuals would gain special advantages from such policies. He also questioned the basis for continuously linking building collapse incidents to IF technology or steel, especially when state investigations have not identified steel bars as the cause, to prevent public misunderstanding. Regarding Atthawit's interview, Watchara stated that such matters should be deliberated by the committee, which should invite experts, standards agencies, and all producers for comprehensive information before jointly determining the facts, rather than relying on any single individual's opinion. Source: INN News