Thailand's rebar rule would bar induction-furnace steel
Steel groups back the draft and induction-furnace makers oppose it, and no rule is in force until a public consultation and a ministerial regulation follow.
Thailand's Industrial Product Standards Council approved a draft on 23 June 2026 that would stop steel from induction furnaces being used as rebar in the columns and beams of large buildings. The move follows the collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) tower in Bangkok on 28 March 2025.
Nothing is in force yet. The Nation reported on 17 August that the council's approval is only a step: a public consultation must test the framework, and the Industry Ministry must then issue a regulation.
What the draft says
Under the revision of TIS 24, the standard for deformed steel bars, rebar for critical structural members would have to come from a basic oxygen furnace or an electric arc furnace. Induction furnaces, which melt scrap, would be excluded. Critics say some operators skip the refining stage.
Ten steel-industry associations, representing more than 500 businesses, described the draft in July. They said it would lift the required yield strength from 490 to 785 megapascals, a rise of about 60%, and cut permitted phosphorus and sulphur by 30%, bringing Thai rules closer to Japan's and China's. The associations' claims were not independently tested.
They also said officials reviewing the standard had received letters warning of liability if a vote harmed induction-furnace operators, and asked the prime minister and industry minister for protection. The report did not include a response from the operators' group.
Why it began with a collapse
The SAO building was about 30% complete when it fell after the Myanmar earthquake. By August 2025, prosecutors had filed charges against 23 individuals and companies, and the toll stood at 92 confirmed deaths.
Early tests pointed at steel. A ministry-led group examined 28 samples from the rubble and reported that 13 did not meet standards. All 13 came from one company that had been ordered to shut in December 2024. Officials cautioned that several factors had to be considered, and that substandard steel had not been confirmed as the main cause.
In April 2025 the industry minister, Akanat Promphan, proposed cancelling certification for induction-furnace steel. The Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand counted 14 manufacturers using the furnaces, mostly Chinese-owned. Akanat, citing data from steel associations and the Federation of Thai Industries, put electric arc capacity at 4.3 million tonnes against bar demand of about 2.8 million tonnes in 2024.
The two sides
Atavit Suwanpakdee, a United Thai Nation Party list MP and former adviser to the industry minister, backs the exclusion. He argues that standards should control how steel is made, not only test the finished bar, and that only five officials handled steel inspections nationwide from 2016 to 2026.
The Induction Furnace Metal Smelters Trade Association disagrees. Its president, Sakchai Thanabodijirapong, says induction steel can meet current and revised standards and that the problems involved two or three factories. His colleague Amorn Uengsomboon warns of shortages for contractors and developers and asks who would compensate operators. They say the sector is worth tens of billions of baht.
The associations backing the draft reply that induction makers could still sell round bar under TIS 20 and import higher-grade billet, and that global overcapacity should hold prices down.
Shanghai Metals Market, in an August analysis, says induction rebar can sell about 20% below arc-furnace steel and alleges some producers submit only their best samples for certification. It reports that the ministry sealed seven plants and impounded non-compliant rebar worth over THB384 million. It does not call for banning the technology outright, but for stopping sales of steel whose safety cannot be assured.
What to watch
The next dated step is the public consultation notice, which this desk could not find as of 18 October. Contractors should ask suppliers now which furnace route their rebar comes from, because a rule that takes effect with a short transition would leave little time to switch. Watch also whether the final text keeps the 785 megapascal figure the steel associations describe.
FAQ
Is induction-furnace rebar banned in Thailand?
Not yet. The council approved a draft on 23 June 2026, but a public consultation and a ministerial regulation must come first.
Did bad steel cause the SAO building collapse?
Not confirmed. Thirteen of 28 samples failed standards in April 2025, but officials said multiple factors had to be considered. Prosecutors charged 23 individuals and companies in August 2025.
Would rebar get more expensive?
Induction-furnace makers say yes, and steel associations say no, citing global overcapacity. Shanghai Metals Market says induction rebar sells about 20% cheaper today.
Sources
- The Nation: IF steel producers oppose proposed overhaul of rebar standards (17 August 2026)
- The Nation: Thai steel groups demand action over legal threats in TIS 24 review (17 July 2026)
- The Nation: SMM urges tighter controls on low-quality rebar across Thailand and ASEAN (15 August 2026)
- The Nation: Industry Ministry to ban IF furnaces over poor steel quality (24 April 2025)
- The Nation: Prosecutors charge Premchai and 17 others over SAO building collapse (7 August 2025)
- Pattaya Mail: Inspection reveals 13 out of 28 steel samples from collapsed building did not meet standards (2 April 2025)
