Minister orders closure of Ming Dih factory after fresh blaze

Industry Minister Varawut Silpa-archa has ordered the Samut Prakan Provincial Industry Office to take additional action against Ming Dih Chemical Co. Ltd. and expedite the permanent closure and license revocation of its factory, following another fire at the site yesterday.

The directive came after a blaze broke out at approximately 6.00am inside the company's premises in King Kaew Soi 21 in the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan.

The facility, which previously manufactured expandable polystyrene (EPS) foam beads, was the site of a catastrophic explosion and fire in 2021 that caused widespread destruction across the surrounding area.

Varawut explained that the site has remained derelict and inactive since the 2021 disaster, while authorities were processing an order under Section 39, Paragraph 3 of the Factory Act B.E. 2535 (1992) to authorise the Permanent Secretary for Industry formally to close the facility.

The operator failed, however, to implement proper security measures, enabling trespassers to break in regularly to scavenge scrap metal, an activity though to have producing sparks that ignited residual chemical waste in the site.

Although firefighters brought the fire under control by 6.40am with no injuries or fatalities reported, the minister emphasised that the ministry will strictly enforce legal proceedings and upgrade site security to prevent further incidents from threatening local residents.

The upcoming formal closure order will result in the immediate revocation of Ming Dih Chemical’s factory operating license, stripping the operator of all legal rights to conduct industrial operations due to its ongoing failure to comply with safety rectifications ordered under Section 39, Paragraph 1 of the Factory Act.