Thailand Asbestos ban delayed; Cabinet say 'not enough evidence'

[webfact]

Thailand Asbestos ban delayed; Cabinet say 'not enough evidence'

BANGKOK: -- An article from The Bangkok Post explains on the issue involving asbestos. On the 23rd of December the cabinet had rejected a Public Health Ministry's proposal to disallow the material of asbestos, which is a type of mineral that has been linked to some serious health issues which include lung cancer, saying that there is not enough evidence of asbestos-related diseases in Thailand to forbid the mineral. Anti-asbestos groups have damned the cabinet decision to delay banning asbestos.

The cabinets rejection also overrules the Industry Ministry’s proposal to eliminate asbestos in industrial products by 2020. The anti-asbestos groups have been campaigning against the use of this material since 2006, which has resulted in a cabinet resolution banning the material in 2011, four years ago. However the ban has been stalled by campaigns from manufacturers and investors.

Somboon Srikamdokcare, who is a member of the Council of Work and Environment Related Patients Network of Thailand, said that the decision for the ban shows that the government is siding with the business part and neglecting the public's health.

“The cabinet must respect the opinions of the ministry in charge of peoples health care,” said Ms Somboon. “People are starting to think of the government’s ‘happiness campaign’ as returning happiness to capitalists, rather than the grassroots”.

The Disease Control Department deputy director-general Nopporn Cheanklin, had said that a revised proposal would be acknowledged by the Public Health minister this week, before being shown to the cabinet. Further information will be set at precise schedules for factory checkups. Around 200 factories in Thailand are using asbestos, and with less than 20 are using the mineral in large quantities. Dr Nopporn has said.

Uran Kleosakul, who is the managing director of the roof tile manufacturer Oranvancich Co, says that the cabinets decision has provided ‘justice’, since the Public Health Ministry has yet to connect any deaths to asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos has been and is still widely used in Thailand for roofing materials and floor tiles.

From January to November 2014, Thailand has imported over 620.95 million bahts worth of asbestos from Brazil, China and Russia. 525.46 million baht has come from Russia. The Joint Russian-Thai Intergovernmental Commission on Bilateral Cooperation, Russia’s Minister for Industry, and Thailand’s Industry Ministry will begin to hold talks on this topic on Friday, the 9th of January 2015.


-- 2015-01-05

[Bocking]

Remind me ..... is it really is 2015 (2558) ? .. Makes me wonder which people have a vested interest in Asbestos production/distribution here

[grantbkk]

What a joke! Corruption in the dictionary has a picture of Thailand next to it. IMHO the evidence is in. NO ONE cares about the poor people in The Land is Smiles.

[inzman]

Well obviously the roofing manufacturer has some great clout. After all Thais never let common sense get in the way of making money. These people are insane to allow asbestos in roofing with all the knowledge of its ill health effects common in the world community. When you consider how they also don't give a rats ass about the natural resources and how this country is plundered until nothing is left but a waste land. It makes sense. Just a big garbage dumb, sewerage dumped into the ocean and litter everywhere. Now asbestos is allowed in the roofing, amazing Thailand!

[halloween]

There may be a reason for the lack of evidence when you consider the lengthy time for the disease to be diagnosed and the life expectancy of Thai workers.

Edited January 5, 2015 by halloween

[Commerce]

The new 'Kingdom of Mesothelioma' should be written into the new constitution.

[Chang_paarp]

They would change their tune if Thailand had serious workers compensation laws that were enforced. The insurance industry would step in and get asbestos banned like they have in the rest of the world.

Yes I know I am dreaming.

[halloween]

They would change their tune if Thailand had serious workers compensation laws that were enforced. The insurance industry would step in and get asbestos banned like they have in the rest of the world.

Yes I know I am dreaming.

I suggest you read Gray Mountain: a novel by John Grisham. One of the themes is the difficulty miners with black lung have in obtaining compensation in the lawsuit capital of the world.

[dcutman]

I was not aware of asbestos was widely being used here. I have cut many a floor tile and many cement board products since moving here.

Dont suppose the health department would even consider putting warning labels on these products containing asbestos to at least give the consumer a choice.

Just a related story from last year about the use of lead in just about every brand of Thai paint. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/676309-high-level-of-lead-found-in-many-paints-in-thailand/

[Thailand]

I think it was considered extremely dangerous when I was a teenager, waaaaay back when!

TIT

[Snig27]

Waiting certain stuck records to blame it all on Yingluck/Thaksin and tell us we are all much safer now.

[keith101]

Thailand Truly still living the 3rd world dream of denial of all things bad .

[jcisco]

I was not aware of asbestos was widely being used here. I have cut many a floor tile and many cement board products since moving here.

Dont suppose the health department would even consider putting warning labels on these products containing asbestos to at least give the consumer a choice.

Just a related story from last year about the use of lead in just about every brand of Thai paint. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/676309-high-level-of-lead-found-in-many-paints-in-thailand/

Both tasks should use mask and goggles but unfortunately for asbestos the usual ones at hand are hardly sufficient. If the product is not affected by water simply do the task with the object wet and scrub the edges created by the cut.

This will significantly reduce airborne particulates and the additional burden of filtering run off water if required.

Warning labels would be nice though.

And to those who didn't know it was common, in BKK just have to look out over the houses to see the familar sight of asbestos. It may not be a problem now in thailand but when it comes to urban renewal periods and lots of demolitions or renovations, I am sure there will be enough eveidence for a ban. Might be 25 years lagged but it will happen,

Edited January 5, 2015 by jcisco

[thailiketoo]

Canada has recently been recognized as the country responsible for not adding asbestos to the international hazardous list. Canada's mining efforts started around 1850 when chrysotile deposits were discovered in Thetford. By 1876, approximately 50 tons of asbestos were being mined in Quebec. By the 1950s, the annual mining haul was more than 900,000 tons.

http://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/worldwide.php

As usual it's the Canadians fault. They walk around with their red maple leaves and you don't suspect a thing but then whamo out comes the asbestos.

Edited January 5, 2015 by thailiketoo

[Noi657]

And to thin, back in the UK I couldn't even rake out a minor crack without a specialised asbestos company coming into the premises to take samples... Off to the lab for tests and the result given in 3-4 days.

They keep going on about education in thailand, obviously there's some things they really don't want you to know! Unfortunately all this lack of information is geared towards the lower class.

With all they information that is out there about asbestos and asbestos related diseases the thai government/s are just putting their people to the sword.

Selfish, selfish, selfish.

[madmitch]

Why don't Thai authorities LOOK at farang investigations instead of hiding their heads under the sheets..... .

Because farang investigations are just that........farang. Thais know better about Thai situations. Thais don't get the same diseases as farangs and probably have an immunity to asbestos related illnesses.

In a country where someone can get sued for defamation, even if telling the truth, the lack of proper workmen's compensation/employer's liability is ridiculous and that's why the companies are continuing with this dangerous product.

[MJP]

I think this just sums up so much about the place. To be frank.

[AleG]

There may be a reason for the lack of evidence when you consider the lengthy time for the disease to be diagnosed and the life expectancy of Thai workers.

That is assuming any studies have been carried out in Thailand at all; from the wording of the article that is the impression I get, or at least that they have not been extensive or detailed enough, they are not accepting evidence from international studies neither, so they seem very interested in looking the other way.

[Cuchulainn]

Why don't Thai authorities LOOK at farang investigations instead of hiding their heads under the sheets..... .

Thais are always right!! Why else?

[MJP]

Do I understand it correctly that they're talking about serpentine asbestos (chrysotile/white) firmly bonded in cement sheets? Please don't tell me they're debating amphibole asbestos (amosite/brown, crocidolite/blue) in any form whatsoever, especially loose/lagging.

[thailiketoo]

Why don't Thai authorities LOOK at farang investigations instead of hiding their heads under the sheets..... .

They did they looked at the Canadians.

[marcusd]

Why don't Thai authorities LOOK at farang investigations instead of hiding their heads under the sheets..... .

Transam, SERIOUSLY! Look again at your post. Reconsider this.

Thai look at FARANG investigations? What does a bloody farang know anyway? The Thai way or the Highway isn't it? the west has only become rich and smarter because of what? THAINESS? To think that Thailand could learn from anyone else? that is why ther eis a happiness to the people campaign, just to remind them poverty is wonderful. Foreigners only want to hurt them.

Do you know the number of times children scream when I go near them because their parents tell them FARANG are bad and evil spirits? So why would Thailand want to learn anything else from us?

This place is only good for cheap labour for our markets, a joke a minute and boom boom. And that is a very sad thing to say but TRUE

[jcisco]

Do I understand it correctly that they're talking about serpentine asbestos (chrysotile/white) firmly bonded in cement sheets? Please don't tell me they're debating amphibole asbestos (amosite/brown, crocidolite/blue) in any form whatsoever, especially loose/lagging.

Hey everyone loves amphibole you can form it up with your hands into the shape you want, then pour molten aluminium into it... or iron. Pretty sure they don't have it 50KG sacks for you to go get at it with your mitts, I'd hope not.

[slapout]

a few years back a hail strom went thru the fang area, lots of roof damage. the government of the time gave used roofing to homeowers to replace damaged sheets. i looked at what was being used and inquired as too its source. it (asbestos mixture) was deemed unsafe and replaced with metal roof sheeting on some government facilities. guess they could not find a buyer so they gave this to the home owners. the budget money alloted to this project went to a needy cause i am sure.

there are people who know what is going on, reconigize the danger but for various reasons keep out of the media in expressing their concerns. lots of rats in the underground borrows who are never seen, until you gas/flood them out.

[chooka]

Why don't Thai authorities LOOK at farang investigations instead of hiding their heads under the sheets..... .

Thais are always right!! Why else?

yep the rest of the world got it totally wrong

[tullynagardy]

My god, if ever there was an example of the callous disregard for the ordinary Thai by this morally bankrupt regime this is it.

Kleosakul clearly has connections at the top (and paid some serious tea money) so screw all the poor Thai workers condemned to get cancer because of it.

I speak from painful experience, what this stuff does you wouldn`t wish on your worst enemy

[thailiketoo]

Why don't Thai authorities LOOK at farang investigations instead of hiding their heads under the sheets..... .

Thais are always right!! Why else?

yep the rest of the world got it totally wrong

India is the top importer of Canadian asbestos. http://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/worldwide.php

Brazil is the world's third-largest producer of asbestos. It is also the third-largest exporter, shipping primarily to Asia, Mexico and Colombia. The country used 94,000 tons as recently as 2007, ranking it No. 5 among the world's consumers.

Edited January 5, 2015 by thailiketoo

[Thai at Heart]

No one messes with SCG. No one. Thailand. Truly a completely morally bankrupt bunch.

I once met a Canadian bloke selling this stuff to Thailand. I think he had an enormous expense account as the bill testified that night.

If you know what I mean.

[MJP]

Do I understand it correctly that they're talking about serpentine asbestos (chrysotile/white) firmly bonded in cement sheets? Please don't tell me they're debating amphibole asbestos (amosite/brown, crocidolite/blue) in any form whatsoever, especially loose/lagging.

Hey everyone loves amphibole you can form it up with your hands into the shape you want, then pour molten aluminium into it... or iron. Pretty sure they don't have it 50KG sacks for you to go get at it with your mitts, I'd hope not.

Processed 65,000 tonnes of the stuff two years ago, it's no joke that gear.

The old Turner and Newall site in Rochdale is worth a Google. Interesting stuff.

[jamesbrock]

Discover Thainess indeed.