Thailand

Thailand has a free market for ELT, and the management of ELT is not considered to currently be a priority issue for the government. ELT are not the object of any specific law or regulation, but they fall under the category of solid waste, which is regulated.

There have been no changes in legislation since 2016.

There is no main organization managing ELT in Thailand, but various actors are associated both from the private and public sectors such as the Pollution Control Department, the Department of Industrial Works under the Ministry of Industry and the Thai Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association.

In Thailand, the estimated recovery rate is of 53.9%. Pyrolysis and cement kilns are the two main recovery routes in the country.

There is increasing attention to pyrolysis pollution. Local tire manufacturers highlighted that the industry is expecting the government of Thailand to issue regulations to control operations.

Developing new technologies to recycle ELT is not considered as a priority in Thailand. However, some studies have been conducted:

• Integration of crumb rubber into cement bricks to lower their thermal conductivity (2013)
• Study of the use of ELT as geomaterials mixed with soil and stabilized by cement for road and embankment construction (2013)

The government recently commissioned a study on the implementation of a regulatory framework system for ELT management which would: either consist in a tax-based regulation system scheme, or a manufacturer responsibility system, very similar to EPR systems.

Municipalities may lack technical and financial resources to implement recycling projects. Furthermore, there are no official collectors outside of major cities, which can make the collection of ELT difficult in rural areas.