"Thai communities grapple with pollution in economic corridor", 30 April 2021

[...] Sarawut’s village and the nearby factory are situated in Khao Hin Sorn subdistrict, southeast Thailand. In March, the government issued the Thai–Chinese business CT Steel with a permit to recycle electronic waste here. But villagers say the polluting factory has been operational since 2018, shortly after China banned foreign imports of most recyclable waste.

CT Steel is one of dozens of businesses and individuals in the Phanom Sarakham district of Chachoengsao province with over 60 permits for landfill, waste sorting and recycling operations. More than a quarter of the businesses are owned by Chinese nationals, according to China Dialogue’s research into Department of Industrial Works and DBD Business databases. [...]

At the CT Steel factory, there are piles of black ash and metal components behind a three-metre fence.  

The Chinese factory owner, wishing to be identified as “Ki”, says the factory has been underutilised since the pandemic struck. “We haven’t done much at all since Covid-19. We haven’t burned anything. We actually are struggling because there are barely any jobs… You need to understand that our business is struggling too.” [...]