Advertisement

Honda to end production at one of its Thailand auto plants

  • The company’s sales in Thailand have been under 100,000 for each of last four years as Chinese EV makers make inroads in Southeast Asia

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
The Honda logo is seen on a vehicle at the 43rd Bangkok International Motor Show in Bangkok on March 22, 2022. Photo: Reuters

Japanese carmaker Honda Motor will halt vehicle production at its factory in Ayutthaya province in Thailand by 2025 as it plans to consolidate its output in the plant it runs in Prachinburi province, the company said on Tuesday.

Advertisement
The move highlights the tougher conditions Japan’s second-biggest carmaker faces in the Southeast Asian nation as Chinese brands aggressively seek to gain market share in Thailand and consumer demand for electric vehicles (EVs) grows.

Honda has seen combined production at the two plants fall from 228,000 vehicles in 2019 to less than 150,000 a year for each of the four years through 2023. The company’s sales in Thailand have been under 100,000 for each of the four years through last year.

Advertisement

The company plans to produce car parts at the Ayutthaya plant, which was first opened in 1996, when it stops making vehicles there next year, a company spokesperson said. It will consolidate vehicle production at the Prachinburi plant, which was opened in 2016, according to the spokesperson. The factories are the only two plants the carmaker has in Thailand.

Honda hopes to close the gap between vehicle production and sales it has seen in Thailand, according to the spokesperson.

Advertisement