Bangkok, April 2026. Thailand’s Ministry of Industry has reaffirmed an accelerated push to upgrade national hazardous substances management in line with OECD standards, positioning the reforms as both an industrial cost-saving measure and a safeguard for human health and the environment. Speaking at Government House on 28 April 2026 ahead of the Cabinet meeting, Industry Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said the Ministry is strengthening entrepreneur capabilities and modernizing the hazardous materials management system as Thailand prepares for OECD membership, with an ambition to reach full accession by 2028. Thailand is currently an OECD accession candidate.

What the Government is Driving

The Ministry’s stated direction is to align Thailand’s chemicals and hazardous materials governance with international OECD expectations, with an emphasis on:

• reducing compliance friction and long-run costs for industry through clearer, standardized systems;
• improving protection of people and the environment from risks linked to modern chemicals and biotechnology products; and
• minimizing the risk of non-tariff trade barriers by aligning domestic practices with internationally recognized approaches.

Inter-Agency OECD Technical Assessment Track

The initiative is anchored to a Cabinet resolution dated 26 December 2023, which assigned Thailand’s technical focal points for OECD engagement and readiness assessment under the OECD Chemicals and Biotechnology Committee (CBC). The lead agencies named include:

• Department of Industrial Works (DIW), Ministry of Industry;
• Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI), Ministry of Industry; and
• Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health.

This technical track is intended to function as the core mechanism for aligning national rules, tools, and institutional practices with OECD chemicals governance instruments.

Stakeholder Mobilization and Readiness Work

The Minister highlighted DIW’s recent outreach to build a coordinated national preparedness model. DIW convened a meeting with 158 organizations involved in hazardous substances management, spanning government bodies, the private sector, and independent organizations. The meeting focused on practical guidelines, preparation steps, and the expected benefits of OECD alignment, alongside briefings on the OECD CBC instruments intended to serve as a framework for integrated national cooperation.

OECD Membership Framed as System-Wide Reform

Beyond chemicals management, the Ministry emphasized that OECD membership is being treated as a whole-of-system governance upgrade. In the Minister’s framing, the accession effort is linked to raising legal-system standards, strengthening good governance and transparency, and improving Thailand’s attractiveness for foreign investment. He added that the Prime Minister and the government are accelerating the process, with political emphasis on achieving full membership on an accelerated timeline.

Outlook

The statement signals continued regulatory momentum around hazardous substances governance as Thailand progresses through OECD accession. For companies operating in Thailand, the policy direction points toward tighter alignment with OECD-style instruments and practices, potentially reshaping how hazardous substances are assessed, controlled, and documented across the supply chain, while also increasing expectations around transparency and regulatory predictability.