Akanat: Xin Ke Yuan Steel cannot seek parallel steel bar test

Industry Minister Akanat Promphan stated on Thursday that his ministry would not allow Xin Ke Yuan Steel to conduct a parallel test to lift the freeze on 2,441 tonnes of its confiscated steel bars. The company’s steel bars were used in the collapsed Bangkok State Audit Office (SAO) building.

Ministry Rejects Appeal for Alternative Testing

Akanat emphasised that the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand's test results were final, and the ministry would not consider an appeal from the Chinese steel manufacturer or accept results from any other testing institute.

Xin Ke Yuan disputed the test results, which indicated that its 32mm and 20mm deformed steel bars used in the collapsed SAO building did not meet safety standards.

The Rayong-based company called for further testing by the Thailand Automotive Institute, claiming that the institute could more accurately measure boron levels in its steel products.

Steel Institute’s Findings Are Final

Piyanat, an official from the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand, dismissed the request for a retest, stating that the findings were conclusive and that the manufacturer could not contest the results with alternative testing.

"It’s nonsense," Piyanat said.

 "There are fixed standards for deformed steel bars and steel bars. If they fail the standard, they fail. Do they want to retest until they pass?"

Akanat reaffirmed that his ministry’s policy does not permit new or parallel tests after a failure has been confirmed.

Steel Bars Failed Safety Tests Twice

Akanat revealed that Xin Ke Yuan Steel’s products had already been tested twice by the ministry:

1. December 2023: Initial testing found that the company's boron levels were lower than required standards.

2. Post-Collapse Testing: After the SAO building disaster, additional tests on steel samples from the site revealed that:

• The 20mm deformed steel bar had lower weight than the standard.
• The 32mm deformed steel bar failed the tension standard.

The second set of results was more serious than the first, confirming that Xin Ke Yuan Steel lacked manufacturing standards. Consequently, the ministry made the right decision to shut down the factory.

Government Seizes Steel Bars and Shuts Down Factory

In December 2023, the Industry Ministry shut down Xin Ke Yuan’s factory for multiple violations of industrial work laws and failing to meet steel standards.

In January 2024, the government seized 2,444 tonnes of steel bars, worth 49.2 million baht, and ordered the company to recall sold steel bars from the market.

Old Melting Technology Led to Substandard Steel

Akanat stated that Xin Ke Yuan used outdated Chinese melting technology, which is no longer effective for steel bar production.

He confirmed that the government had already shut down seven factories using the outdated Chinese melting process and that three more closures were expected soon.