Health activists have called on the Public Health Ministry to consider the health of the public as it compiles a report on the impacts of asbestos.
The ministry's findings are expected to be released next week and will be considered by the cabinet as it mulls placing a ban on asbestos use.
About 50 members of the Thailand Ban Asbestos Network (T-Ban) rallied at the Public Health Ministry yesterday to voice their concern over a possible delay to the ban.
T-Ban coordinator Somboon Sikamdokkhae said it seems as if someone is trying to delay the ban even though the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed that all forms of asbestos are carcinogenic.
The WHO says 125 million people around the world are exposed to asbestos in the workplace.
More than 107,000 people die each year from asbestos-related diseases, resulting from occupational exposure.
About 50 countries have banned all types of asbestos.
Thailand has banned five types of asbestos not including chrysotile, a type that is used widely in the construction industry for insulation and floor coverings.
Chrysotile is also used in brake linings, clutch systems and heat-resistant household appliances such as toasters, irons and ovens.
In 2010, the National Economic and Social Development Board proposed a ban on chrysotile.
The cabinet approved the proposal in 2011, but the actual ban has been delayed for two years while the Industry and the Public Health ministries have insisted on studying the impacts of the substance.
Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong set up a committee last year to study the health impact of asbestos.
The panel's findings will be forwarded along with a proposal by the Industry Ministry to the cabinet next week.
The Industry Ministry wants the ban on chrysotile to be delayed for three to five years.
However, experts on the Public Health Ministry's committee want the product completely banned within six months of cabinet approval.
T-Ban members said the Public Health Ministry's asbestos committee chaired by deputy permanent secretary Charnwit Tharathep completed its study yesterday.
But Dr Charnwit said the report would not be finalised until next week.
His comments angered the T-Ban activists who accused the panel of bending to the asbestos industry to delay the study.
Dr Charnwit said there was currently not enough medical evidence to support the view that chrysotile asbestos poses a health hazard.
His panel may discuss measures to prevent possible health risks next week, he said.
Dr Surasak Buranatrevedh, an academic of the Association of Occupational and Environmental Diseases of Thailand, said all asbestos must be banned.
Evidence worldwide shows that the product is dangerous to humans, he said.
The import of asbestos could be banned immediately, he said.
Products made from asbestos could take three years to be banned as manufacturers seek substitute materials, he said.
