The Department of Industrial Works (DIW) has told at least 141 companies to register their stock of poisonous sodium cyanide, widely used in mining and as a pesticide, by Thursday.
It also wants companies owning or using benzyl cyanide and benzyl chloride to do the same.
Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said the DIW must limit the use of such poisonous compounds, particularly sodium cyanide, as it can be used in methamphetamine production.
The DIW's director, Jullapong Thaveesri, said on Tuesday an online registration system has been opened for firms importing or exporting the compounds and for end users. They had to include their annual demand for the compounds on the form before the department sets a quota for those compounds in January.
Mr Jullapong said companies should register demand as soon as possible, as quota setting takes time. Registration for sodium cyanide and the other poisonous compounds became necessary after the cabinet's import ban on those compounds on Nov 21.
The government intensified discussions on drug surveillance after the mass killings at Nong Bua Lam Phu, which led to the ban.
Rachada Dhnadirek, the government's deputy spokeswoman, said the ban is part of the DIW's trading measures for those compounds.
Sodium cyanide is listed as a type 3 narcotic. According to an Office of the Narcotics Control Board source, a kilo of sodium cyanide can help produce at least 22,000 meths pills or 0.5kg of crystal meth.
