Xin Ke Yuan Steel fails quality test again, confirms Industry Ministry

Industry Minister Akanat Promphan announced on Wednesday, citing test results from the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand (ISIT), which were conducted on a new batch of steel bars collected from the SAO building on April 11.

“The Chinese company’s SD40T 20-millimetre steel bar failed the mass-per-metre test, consistent with the previous results,” he said, adding that the steel was manufactured using induction furnace (IF) technology.

He stated that the ministry would forward the test results to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) as part of the ongoing inquiry into the building’s collapse. However, he clarified that these results are separate from any legal proceedings regarding product quality, which are based on the earlier test conducted on March 31.

Akanat confirmed that the ISIT’s testing procedures are consistent with standards set by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI). “A fail is a fail, a pass is a pass,” he remarked firmly.

He added that Xin Ke Yuan Steel’s 32-millimetre steel bar from the same source, which had previously failed to meet yield strength requirements, has now passed the standard. From here on, the company will need to prepare an explanation directly for the DSI, he said.

“This is just one part of the broader effort to crack down on zero-coin industries – those that contribute no real value to Thai society,” Akanat continued.

He also revealed that, over the past seven months, authorities have seized IF steel worth a total of 384.4 million baht, all intended for use in construction.

Highlighting IF technology as a key factor behind the substandard quality of the steel, the ministry has proposed adding the cancellation of IF steel certification standards to the agenda of the next Industrial Product Council meeting.