Thailand approves revisions to Hazardous Substance Act

The third revision to Thailand's Hazardous Substance Act, its main chemical law, may be enacted around the time of the country's next general election, expected in February 2019, according to Dr Piyatida Pukclai from consultancy Dr Knoell.Dr Pukclai told delegates at Chemical Watch's fifth annual Regulatory Summit Asia in Singapore that public meetings are still taking place and there may still be amendments. The draft was accepted by Thailand's parliament on 28 May and has been awaiting the prime minister’s signature.The law was previously revised in 2008, but there have been a number of updates to hazardous chemical lists in the last decade.The main change to the law will be in the rules for international shipments of hazardous substances.The rules seek to differentiate imports and exports from other transboundary shipments, where substances are moved along the international supply chain. This is important because of the intermediary role Thailand plays in manufacturing for international companies. For example, the country is the world's ninth largest producer of motor vehicles, mainly for South Korean and Japanese companies. And it is a major manufacturer of computer hard drives for companies such as Western Digital and Hitachi.