Thai customs authorities have confiscated 284 tonnes of electronic waste at Laem Chabang Port in Chon Buri, and are preparing to send the illegal shipment back to the United States where it originated. The electronic waste was found in 12 containers, which had been falsely claimed to contain scrap metal from Haiti, said Surin Warakijthamrong, head of the Department of Pollution Control.
The discovery was made following a tip-off from the Basel Action Network, which monitors trafficking in hazardous goods in violation of the Basel Convention. Authorities have been checking the remaining containers — there are 21 in all — and expect to find more illegal electronic waste, which will be sent back to the US under the terms of the Basel Convention.
Thailand ratified the Basel Convention in March 2023, which sets out international regulations to control shipments of hazardous waste, especially to least developed and developing countries, which have become major dumping destinations. According to the convention, any illegal hazardous waste shipment must be returned to the country of origin, often at the exporter’s expense. It mandates environmentally sound management of hazardous waste and permits countries to ban imports to prevent illegal dumping.
Thailand banned the import of electronic waste in 2020 and strengthened the regulations in 2025 to cover 463 types of e-waste, including circuit boards, batteries, and used phones.