limguanengmymasterhero

THE NATION reports: The third master plan for the Thai automobile sector has been drawn up, alongside a study of long-term development of the industry with a view to establishing the Kingdom as one of the world's key manufacturing hubs by increasing production from 2.3 million units this year to 5.6 million units by 2050. The Thailand Automotive Institute's five-year master plan for 2012-2016 is focused on increasing output by an average of 10 per cent annually. The plan is also aimed at making the country one of the top 10 auto-manufacturing nations within the same time scale and increasing the use of local content in the industry from 40 per cent now to 50 per cent. In addition, the institute's long-term development goal is to increase production step by step over the next several decades. Targeted output is 3.3 million units in 2020, rising to 4.5 million units by 2030, 5 million units by 2040, and 5.6 million units in 2050. Witoon Simachokedee, permanent secretary of th

Moving to tap markets in Southeast Asia, China's largest automaker SAIC Motor Corp recently agreed to form a joint venture with Charoen Pokphand Group to produce its MG cars in Thailand. The Shanghai-listed automaker said in a statement last week that it will have a 51 percent stake in the planned joint venture, and CP Group, the biggest conglomerate in Thailand, will hold the remaining 49 percent. With initial investment of 1.8 billion yuan ($290 million), the joint venture is set to start production in 2014. It will have an annual production capacity of 50,000 vehicles at the outset, which could increase to 200,000. It is the first SAIC joint venture with a foreign partner to produce its own brand passenger vehicles overseas, part of the company's efforts to greatly boost its foreign deliveries to 800,000 vehicles a year by 2015. SAIC said that it also plans to export the Thailand-made MG to other Southeast Asian markets and some countries elsewhere that use right-hand-drive

Doc Iain Corness reports in Pattaya Mail on our last AFG Meeting with Dr. Moser: The November meeting for the Automotive Focus Group (AFG) saw an invitation extended to a Professor from the Swiss University of St Gallen, Dr. Roger Moser. The University of St. Gallen is one of the foremost business universities in Europe and on a par-level with the very best institutions around the world and through Dr. Moser has conducted studies for the Chinese and Indian auto markets. In China his research was done for business development for BMW, while the Indian study was for the aerospace consortium EADS. Dr. Moser is currently conducting a study into our automotive future, called Thailand Automotive 2022.  At the meeting he shared the first trends and some interesting information about the methodology of this study. Read the full article here Download Dr Mosers presentation here

Bualung Securities reports after AAPICO Opportunity Day 29.11.2012: Profit in line with estimate AH reported a 3Q12 net profit of Bt168m, up 24% YoY but down 40% QoQ. The result was in line with our estimate but below 22% the Bloomberg consensus. 9M12 earnings jumped 98% YoY to Bt543m (boosted by insurance payouts and stronger other income than assumed), which represents 94% of our earlier FY12 projection. Results highlights Sales rose by 42% YoY and 9% QoQ to Bt4.3bn. The 3Q12 top-line expansion was due to capacity expansion at AH's main plant in Hitech Industrial Estate in order to supply rising demand from car makers for component parts to manufacture vehicles for both domestic and export sale. Gross margin fattened further to 6.6percent from 6.3% the previous quarter. But AH's net margin fell to 4.0percent from 7.1% in 2Q12 and 4.5% in 3Q11 because of higher OPEX, mostly related to the new capacity. Outlook We anticipate that the firm will deliver weaker QoQ core earnings f

THE NATION reports: This year can certainly be considered the golden year for Thailand's automobile industry. Just grab a look at these figures: apart from achieving a new sales record of an expected 1.4 million vehicles, 2012 also marks the first year that the industry has broken the 2-million-vehicle production mark. Auto exports from Thailand this year is estimated at Bt1 trillion, making the auto industry the biggest earning industry, with 1-tonne pickup trucks and eco-cars as the mainstream products, as well as auto parts and components. Watching this growth trend, many are already eyeing the 3-million-vehicle production mark for the auto industry. The Industry Ministry along with the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), the Auto Industry and the Auto Parts Industry Club of the FTI, Thai Automotive Industry Association (TAIA), Thai Auto Parts Manufacturers Association (TAPMA), Board of Investment (BoI) and the Thai Automotive Institution (TAI) recently celebrated the 2-million

More news from THE NATION : The Industry Ministry has set a target for the country's total automobile production to reach 3 million units by 2017. In collaboration with the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) represented by the Automotive Industry Club and the Auto Parts Industry Club; the Thai Automotive Industry Association; the Thai Auto Parts Manufacturers' Association; the Office of the Board of Investment; and the Thailand Automotive Institute, the ministry yesterday announced that production by the the Thai automotive industry had exceeded 2 million units for the first time. Ministry permanent secretary Vitoon Simachokdee said total production was expected to reach about 2.3 million this year, of which 1.3 million vehicles would for sale domestically and the rest for export. About 252,165 vehicles were manufactured in October alone, up 410 per cent over the same month last year. The high growth was due to the low production at the end of last year because of the massive

NATION MULTIMEDIA Report: The Excise Department yesterday revealed that registrations for tax refunds under the first-car rebate scheme exceeded 581,000 valued at about Bt43 billion. "We expect the total number of applications to the first-car scheme will exceed 600,000 by the time the project ends, so more than the 500,000 units targeted earlier by the department," said Excise Department director-general Somchai Poonsawat. The programme ends on December 31. "Although the number of car buyers eligible for tax rebates will exceed our target, we will not limit the amount of money to be refunded to them, which is in line with the government's policy. As the first car-scheme will expire at the end of this year, I have relayed the policy to all staff of the Excise Department to facilitate anyone asking for the tax refund," he said. It had been expected that if the 500,000-unit target were reached, the tax-refund budget would be about Bt32 billion, he said.

Thailand FTI Press Release in full: Bangkok – 23 November 2012:  The Ministry of Industry, in collaboration with the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) represented by the Automotive Industry Club and  the Auto Parts Industry Club; the Thai Automotive Industry Association; the Thai Auto Parts Manufacturers’ Association; the Office of the Board of Investment; and the Thailand Automotive Institute, announced a milestone for the Thai automotive industry of reaching annual production of more than two million automobiles for the first time. They also revealed their commitment to boost investor confidence and set a goal to produce three million cars per year by 2017. From Left to Right: Mr. Yongkiat Kitaphanich, President of the Auto-Parts Industry Club, The Federation of Thai Industries, Mr. Suparat Sirisuwannangura, President of the Automotive Industry Club, The Federation of Thai Industries, Mr. Payungsak Charts utipol, Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, Mr. Vitoon Simachokdee

THE STAR, MALAYISA: For years, Malaysia must have viewed the moves Thailand has made to its auto industry with some envy. Despite starting from scratch and well behind Malaysia's auto industry, Thailand now has arguably the most dynamic auto industry in South-East Asia, with Indonesia fast catching up. Has the opportunity to have a meaningful and competitive auto sector bypassed Malaysia? Not if you ask Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) chief executive officer Madani Sahari. He feels the Malaysian automotive industry is set to enter an exciting decade of liberalisation and growth, where consumers get to enjoy more choices and value as the motor vehicle market would be more open and competitive. Check out the article here .

THE NATION reports: Honda Automobile (Thailand) aims to boost annual car production capacity by 20 per cent next year to 240,000 units from the present 220,000, according to executive vice president Pitak Pruittisarikorn. Of the planned 20-per-cent output hike, 10 per cent would be implemented early next year and the remaining in the second half. This will see its production capacity increase from 1,000 units per month to 1,100 and subsequently to 1,200 units per month to cater to rising demand. Honda launched its 10th model this year after its flood-stricken plant in Ayutthaya resumed operations in April, this year. The new model, Brio Amaze, is a four-door version of Honda's first eco-car Brio. The Brio Amaze is powered by a 90-horsepower 1.2-litre engine and is available in four variants: S manual transmission priced at Bt454,000; S automatic transmission at Bt493,000; V MT at Bt482,000; and V AT at Bt521,000. Customers buying the Brio Amaze under the First Car Buyer scheme will

THE NATION REPORT: This year, Thailand will produce more than 2 million vehicles for the first time in history.  It has taken more than five decades for the industry to come this far, and it speaks volumes of the success of all sectors that have been involved, whether government or private.  In 2011 two major disasters were responsible for rocking Thailand's automobile industry - the East Japan earthquake and the great Thai flood. Both the tsumani in Japan and the mega flood in Thailand caused a disruption in the supply of parts that brought production lines to a halt. It also shook Thailand's position as a regional production hub, as production in other countries was also affected.  The earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 heavily damaged many important auto parts production facilities in Japan, causing parts shortages.  With assembly plants coming to a halt, the whole industry teamed up to overcome the problem and resume normal production. Auto-makers started to assist parts-

THE NATION: Since resuming full production at its Ayutthaya manufacturing plant in April 2012, Japanese auto-maker Honda has made a dashing come-back to achieve record sales in Thailand. Honda, which launched nine new models in the past seven months, sold 21,265 vehicles in October. This represents an increase of 14 per cent over the 18,614 vehicles sold in September, setting the highest-ever monthly sales record in the company's history. Accumulated sales from January to October this year were 127,709 vehicles, exceeding Honda's previous annual sales record of 114,056 in 2010. Click here to read more.

THE STAR reports: After anti-Japan protesters in China smashed cars and torched dealerships, Koito Manufacturing Co. suspended a plan to triple output in the country. With a new factory half-built, Koito — a Toyota Motor Corp. supplier — reasoned that it may no longer need it. “Demand from automakers is unclear, so we don’t know how long we will have to freeze the project,” said Shinji Karasawa, spokesman for the Tokyo-based headlight maker. Along with Koito, Japanese parts-makers including Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. and Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. are rethinking plans to expand in China, where Toyota’s sales plunged 41 per cent in September as demonstrations over disputed East China Sea islands flared. The manufacturers are focusing expansion plans on Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia and Cambodia, a sign that this year’s drop in Japanese investment in China may deepen next year, crimping bilateral trade that has tripled to $340 billion in the last decade. “Our board members

Bangkok Post reports: Toyota plans to build as many as 1 million vehicles a year in Thailand in the near future. Toyota Motor Corporation president Akio Toyoda gives a presentation at Thursday’s ceremony in Bangkok marking the 50th anniversary of the Japanese carmaker’s Thai operations. Akio Toyoda, the president of Toyota Motor Corporation, revealed the plan at a ceremony in Bangkok on Thursday celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Japanese carmaker's Thai operations. Click here for more information…

THE NATION : Tripetch Isuzu Sales Co expects to see its sales reach a new high of 210,000 units this year due mainly to the launch of the redesigned Isuzu D-Max pickup in October 2011, last year's floods and the government's first-time-car-buyer tax break. Tripetch president Hiroshi Nakagawa said the overall Thai automotive industry had expanded to record highs, and Isuzu's sales volume had also grown to its highest point this year. At the end of September, Isuzu sales already totalled 200,000 units, compared with 130,00 for all of last year. Its previous sales record was 160,000 units in 2005. Because of high demand for its pickups and a delivery delay of three to four months after last year's floods, Isuzu recently raised its production capacity through a new Bt6.5-billion plant at Gateway City Industrial Estate. The new plant commenced production last month. Isuzu also has a plant in Samut Prakan. When production at the two plants is fully merged in February, annual

The US carmaker will introduce a new-generation MPV, the Chevrolet Spin, in Thailand in the second half of next year, a multipurpose seven-seater that will be assembled in Indonesia. GM Thailand has enjoyed strong local sales growth this year after boosting its presence in the rapidly growing Thai automobile market with three new models designed to appeal to a large cross-section of buyers. In the first nine months of this year, GM had sold 52,945 vehicles in Thailand for a 5.36% market share compared with 32,000 sold for all of last year. By comparison, Chevrolet sold only 3,739 vehicles in Indonesia for a 0.49% market share and 1,533 cars in the Philippines for a 1.17% share. "GM Thailand expects to record 130% sales growth this year, the highest performance among our group's operating units globally, followed by Poland with 53% and South Korea with 20.3%," said Laurent Berthet, the communications director for Southeast Asia. "Thailand ranks 11th for us in terms of

From a BANGKOK POST Interview with Thavorn Chalasthien, assistant secretary of the Human Capacity Building Institute, Federation of Thai Industries (FTI): It took half a century for the Thai automobile industry and tremendous efforts from both government and private sectors to achieve annual production of 2 million vehicles. Thavorn Chalasthien Today, this industry has grown into one of the country's strategic industries that generates billions of baht for Thailand. Indeed, the auto parts sector is the heart of the Thai automobile industry. But what's important is creating stability for Thailand as a sustainable auto production and export hub, and this will depend on a number of key factors. Hundreds of billion baht have been invested in the Thai auto industry, with over Bt100 billion going for research and development. The next target for the industry is to produce 3 million vehicles per year for supplying the Asia-Pacific and global markets. There is also a good possibility t

NISSAN Thailand plans to significantly increase capacity...said Friday it would spend about 358 million to build its second auto assembly plant in Thailand, as it ramps up production away from its costly home base of Japan. The new plant in Samut Prakan province will be constructed close to  Nissan’s existing factory near Bangkok, which employs about 6,000 people.   Takayuki Kimura, President Nissan Thailand Nissan’s plant emerged largely unscathed from record flooding last year  that dented Japanese firms operating in the country, although it temporarily  stopped production due to a parts shortage   Japan’s second-biggest automaker said it would initially build 75,000  vehicles at the new plant, scheduled to open in August 2014, before expanding  annual output to 150,000 units Read more: Nissan plans to double Thai Output - Bangkok Post Nissan to build new auto plant in Thailand - Latest - New Straits Times

VIA PAUL TAN'S BLOG According to a report, DRB-Hicom has selected a Japanese carmaker as Proton’s first foreign strategic partner, and that partnership is set to be announced in Japan later today. The report by Business Times doesn’t name the automaker, only venturing through a person familiar with the matter that the partner “is among the top 10 manufacturers in the world.” The BT report adds that that there are four Japanese automakers in that global list for 2012, namely Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Suzuki.

BANGKOK POST 25.10.2012 Fresh investments likely, but parts-makers need to raise standards dramatically It is undeniable that the coming of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) brings with it both opportunities and risks for the Thai auto parts industry.  As Thailand formally enters the AEC in 2015, among the expected benefits include the birth of a much larger market place, with higher quality for raw materials and parts, as well as lower prices. This is a great chance for fresh investments and for Thai companies to raise their capabilities. Of course, Asean could well become an important parts production hub in the future.  http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/AEC-brings-opportunities--and-risks-30192998.html

It has been half a year since the government embarked upon the 40 per cent nationwide minimum wage increase. Another boost is scheduled for January. Many have expressed concern over the risk of companies relocating production bases. Some have argued in the wage rise's favour due to subsequent productivity improvement. Read more here

Thailand's vehicle production and exports increased in September as auto makers continued to play catch-up from the effects of last year's flooding, and as tax incentives for first-time car buyers added oomph to domestic demand, the Federation of Thai Industries said Thursday. Production increased to 228,500 vehicles in September, 8.6% more than in August, and 31.2% more than in September last year, the federation said in a statement. Exports increased 15.2% on month and 8.4% on year to 98,268 vehicles. Read more here

August was no record month for the Thai Auto Industry - but we are well on track to reach and break the 2.2 Mio mark in 2012.

The amazing, record breaking story of Thai Automotive Sales continues. Thailand's automotive industry sells cars like hotcakes … enjoy!

Yesterday, 25 AFG members joined Andrew Durieux's brilliant presentation about AEC 2015 which you can download here . The team from Amari Orchid organized a splendid setting and provided excellent service – thank you very much. For more details (and a synopsis) check out Doc Iain's article in Pattaya Mail by clicking here . The 'bonus presentation' about Myanmar and it's Automotive Industry an be downloaded here .

The local unit of the German testing specialist TUV SUD has launched a new automotive testing laboratory here, which it hopes will maintain the company's two-digit growth in the sector. TUV SUD PSB (Thailand) has invested 20 million baht in a 400-square-metre automotive laboratory in the Thailand Science Park in Pathum Thani province, where the company is located, said general manager Boey Kok Fai. The new laboratory will focus on international-standard testing of components including tyres and wheels. "We expect revenue growth for our automotive business, which is a third of our total business, to grow by double digits this year. Thailand is a very big market for us. There are lots of original equipment manufacturers here and they are more or less trying to look for local suppliers," said Mr Boey. Check out the full article here

Total domestic car sales during January to June mark a new record in Thailand auto industry with a total 606,523 of vehicles were sold with 40.4% increase compared to the previous year. The growth is classified into that of 46.3% rise in commercial vehicles and 33.1% in passenger cars. Please find below the sales figures for the Thai Auto Industry for the first half of 2012.

Some photo shoots from yesterday's AFG meeting with Hugh Varnijprabha, TEBA Thai European Business Association.

Looking forward to see you at the next AFG Meeting this Friday at 5 PM with Hugh Varnijprabha, Executive Director of TEBA Thai European Business Association. Register here online .

Edd Ellison write for WARDS AUTO: General Motors’ body-on-frame Chevrolet Trailblazer pitches the auto maker into an emerging segment here. Bowing at the Bangkok International Motor Show earlier this year, the new model is aimed squarely at the Toyota Fortuner, which arrived in the market in 2005 and has dominated the D-class SUV segment ever since. The Trailblazer, a spin-off from the Colorado pickup, follows the Fortuner game plan, which was derived from Toyota’s Hilux pickup and has proved a success for the auto maker not only here but throughout the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region. Click here to read the whole article.