Thailand floods stall automakers

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Still recovering from the Japanese earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown disaster, Asian automakers are now getting hit by another ecological nightmare: floods.


Toyota, whose production capacity in Thailand is over 550,000 vehicles per year, said in a statement Thursday that a production halt at three plants in Thailand, in place since October 10, will remain at least until November 5.

As a result of this supply disruption, Toyota will suspend production at several North American plants on Saturday and will suspend overtime at all North American assembly plants next week. Production at facilities in South Africa, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam will also be slowed.

Honda said this week that floodwaters had entered one of its plants outside Bangkok that has an annual production capacity of 120,000 and has been closed since October 4.

"Due to the inability to access its facility, [Honda-Thailand] does not currently have a clear outlook for when production will resume," the company said.


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