| In the news: Executives at Toyota Motor's
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| | they don't risk putting all their eggs in
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| new plant in a Bangkok suburb point out
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| | one basket. Thai plants are part of their
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| that the factory in Thailand is the first
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| | diversification strategy."
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| to run on clean natural gas.
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| | Thailand was able to produce 1.2 million
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| The factory is equipped with robots and
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| | vehicles last year and almost half of
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| parts movers moving silently on the
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| | which were exported. Thailand's vehicle
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| assembly floors. Toyota's $426 million
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| | tax structure that favors pickups over
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| facility shows that despite the political
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| | passenger cars makes the one-tonne truck
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| unrest in Thailand it has not affected
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| | the champion of the Thai auto industry.
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| global carmakers' positive views of the
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| | Inexpensive diesel has also helped to
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| country.
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| | increase sales. Auto columnist Suphat
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| Thailand is renowned worldwide when it
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| | Tisapong said, "Entry prices for pick-ups
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| comes to the production of one-ton
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| | and passenger sedans are about the same
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| trucks, with projected outputs of 853,000
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| | here at around half a million baht
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| units for this year alone. The said
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| | ($14,285). But a pick-up comes with a
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| figure outpaced United States which
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| | much larger 2.5-litre engine compared
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| according to J.D. Power Automotive
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| | with 1.5 litre for sedans."
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| Forecasting produces only 588,000 units
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| | Aside from Toyota, Ford Motor Co, General
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| of trucks.
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| | Motors Corp, Nissan Motor Co Ltd,
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| Thailand is the second biggest market for
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| | Mitsubishi Motors Corp, Isuzu Motors Ltd,
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| trucks since it's a common sight in rural
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| | and Mazda Motor Corp. have also opened
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| areas where most farm products are
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| | factories in Thailand for their export
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| produced. The domestic sales for this
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| | vehicles and mostly have started building
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| year are forecast at 510,000 units as
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| | their plants after Asia's 1997/98
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| compared to the 651,000 units forecast in
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| | economic crisis. Each of them has
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| the United States.
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| | invested 140,000-180,000 trucks a year,
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| According to Vallop Tiasiri, director of
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| | exporting them to 100 countries from
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| the privately-funded Thailand Automotive
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| | Australia and the Middle East to Europe
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| Institute, "The strength of our truck
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| | and even reaching Latin America.
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| industry lies in the size of our domestic
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| | Automotive Resources Asia analyst May
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| market that makes production cost
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| | Arthapan said since most producers have
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| competitive. Our traditional political
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| | already establish their plants in
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| and labor stability also help."
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| | Thailand there would come a time that the
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| The Toyota plant has started operation
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| | export growth will slow down once output
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| last month and occupies 245 hectares or
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| | meets global demand . She also added,
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| 605 acres of paddy fields, making
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| | "The big export rise in recent years is a
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| Thailand as a major export base for small
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| | result of the relocation of production
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| pickup trucks. Plant Manager Charnchai
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| | base to Thailand. Once this is over, we
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| Suppayakom said, "We ship 4,000
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| | should return to more normal growth."
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| right-hand drive Hilux trucks to
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| | J.D. Power has estimated that global
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| Australia a month and another 2,000 of
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| | demand for the small trucks for this year
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| the left-hand version to Saudi Arabia."
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| | reaches only 2.1 million units and
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| He also added that the factory's initial
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| | predicted average annual growth of 7.1
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| 100,000 annual production capacity can be
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| | percent for the coming 2008 to 2011. As
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| quadrupled to answer any increase in
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| | oppose to J.D. Power the Vallop of
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| future export demand.
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| | Thailand Automotive was not that
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| ToMoCo's third Thai facility has been
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| | optimistic saying, "This is quite a small
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| able to increase annual vehicle
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| | vehicle segment with limited growth
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| production output to 550,000 of which 40
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| | potential of perhaps 2 per cent a year."
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| percent are shipped or exported overseas.
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| | He also added that Thailand would need to
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| The Thai facility will also be used to
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| | shift to other trucks or small sedans
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| manufacture Toyota truck parts. The
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| | once demand for new one-ton trucks
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| additional 2,000 workers at the Ban Pho
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| | ceases.
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| plant bring Toyota's Thai workforce to
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| | In recent years the Thai government has
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| 13,500 of which 5,000 are permanent staff
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| | offered proposals that include generous
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| while the rest are hired on temporary
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| | incentives for global carmakers just to
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| contracts.
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| | encourage them to invest in
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| Despite the military coup last September
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| | export-oriented facilities for small
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| in Thailand that has somewhat affected
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| | economy sedans. The Thai government aims
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| its image as an investment destination
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| | to further develop its auto industry
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| for global companies both the Japanese
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| | which is its second-biggest industry
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| and US carmakers are determined in
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| | after computers and electronics,
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| staying put. Somphob Manarangsan, an
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| | employing about 350,000 people and
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| economics professor at Bangkok's
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| | accounting for nearly 15 percent of gross
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| Chulalongkorn University said, "Japanese
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| | domestic product.
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| firms are investing more in China, but
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