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Heli Breaks Ground for Factory in Thailand
Jack Hao Heli Industrial Vehicles (Thailand) Co., Ltd.’s broke ground for its industrial vehicle assembly and lithium battery pack production factory at the Navaan Nong Khuang Industrial Park in Chonburi Province, Thailand Nov. 27, 2025.
To consolidate and expand its leading position in the global market, actively advance its global strategic layout, and build a global production and supply system, Anhui Heli Co., Ltd. has established a strategic partnership with Siam Motors Parts Co., Ltd., a local Thai enterprise, to jointly establish Heli Industrial Vehicles (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Through this joint venture, the two parties will co-invest in building a new manufacturing base in Thailand, creating an integrated production and sales platform for industrial vehicle complete machines and lithium battery systems.
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BYD Delivers 90,000 vehicles to Thailand in three years
Akihiro Komuro BYD announced that it has delivered a cumulative total of 90,000 vehicles to the Thai passenger car market since entering it three years ago. Last year, BYD began producing EVs at its Thai plant. BYD is preparing to produce plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHVs) to further expand its market share.
BYD reported that 6,100 of the factory’s 6,900 employees are Thai nationals. BYD also announced that it will produce plug-in hybrid electric (PHV) sedans at the Thai factory. This will be the first time BYD has produced PHVs in Thailand. The factory has an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles. Expanding the range of models produced will increase consumer choice and the factory’s operating rate.
BYD entered the Thai passenger vehicle market in 2022 by exporting the EV SUV “ATTO3” from China. BYD is focusing on establishing local factories to expand into overseas markets. The Thai factory began operations in July 2024 and is positioned as BYD’s first full-scale passenger vehicle factory overseas.
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Honda To Cut Thai Car Production
THAILAND REPORT
Akihiro Komuro Honda said it plans to integrate its two automotive manufacturing plants in Thailand by 2025. The move will cut annual production capacity in Thailand by 50% to 270,000 units.
Production at the Ayutthaya plant will be discontinued and consolidated at the Prachinburi plant in central Thailand. The Ayutthaya plant has an annual production capacity of 150,000 units. Honda's total production capacity in Thailand is 270,000 units, but there was a surplus of 147,000 units in…
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Japanese Car Share Plummets in Thailand, China Gains
THAILAND REPORT
Akihiro Komuro The share of Japanese automakers in Thailand’s new car market, once considered a “stronghold for Japanese cars,” is plummeting. This is due to the rapid adoption of electric vehicles due to the government’s preferential policies and the rise of Chinese manufacturers focusing on electric vehicles. Thailand is also the largest automobile manufacturing base in Southeast Asia, and this could affect the entire regional market. According to a tally by Toyota Motor’s Thai subsidiary, the nine Japanese giants will have a combined market share of 77.8% in 2023. They once held a 90% share, but the 2023 mark was 7.6 percentage points lower than the previous year.
In Thailand, companies that import EVs can receive a subsidy of up to 150,000 baht (about $600,000) per vehicle and a tariff reduction of up to 40% if they sign a memorandum of understanding with the government. More than 10 companies, including Chinese EV giant BYD, have signed the MOU because of the lower selling price.
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Thailand Lithium Deposit World’s Third Largest
THAILAND REPORT
Akihiro Komuro The Thai government has announced the discovery of a large lithium deposit, calling the deposit the third largest in the world after Bolivia and Argentina. It has estimated reserves of approximately 14.8 million tons. The deposit was found at two sites in the southern province of Phang Nga. However, it will take some time to find out how much of the discovered resources can be used.
Thailand is keen to become the center of EV production in Southeast Asia, leveraging its experience in assembling conventional cars, and the discovery of the lithium deposit will give the country a boost in achieving this goal.
Source: AFPBB
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China’s Changan Auto To Build EV Plant in Thailand
SOUTHEAST ASIA: THAI REPORT
Changan Automobile Group, a major Chinese automobile manufacturer, will establish a new plant for electric vehicles such as EVs in Thailand, according to the Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI). The investment will be US$ 284 million (9.8 billion baht or about 38 billion yen), and construction is expected to be completed within a few years. The initial production capacity will be 100,000 vehicles a year, and on-board batteries will also be manufactured. The Thai government has established an incentive program to encourage local production of EVs, and Chinese EV giants have been actively investing in the country.
In addition to EVs, the new plant will produce electric vehicles such as HVs and PHVs. The company plans to supply vehicles to Southeast Asian countries, Australia, South Africa, and other markets.
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Japan Could Miss Out on Southeast Asia’s Shift To EVs
INDONESIA AND THAILAND REPORT
Akihiro Komuro Competition in the development of EVs is fierce, and the momentum for their introduction is growing in Southeast Asia. While Chinese and Korean manufacturers are aggressively entering the market, Japanese manufacturers, which hold an 80% share of the new car market, have not made any significant moves.
Although the COVID-19 disaster has brought the market to a standstill, Southeast Asia, with a population of 660 million and a rising middle class, will continue to be a promising growth market.
A proactive EV strategy is required to protect the current market dominance. In Indonesia and Thailand, the two largest markets in the region, Japanese cars have a 90% share of the market. However, it is only the Chinese and South Koreans who are providing the buzz about EVs.
In Indonesia, South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. will begin producing EVs in March at its completed vehicle plant that recently went into operation. For the time being, it will rely on imports for key components, but it is building a plant for mass production of onboard batteries in collaboration with LG Group, another Korean electronics giant.
In Thailand, China’s SAIC Motor Group and Great Wall Motor have already started selling EVs. The latter plans to start mass production of EVs in 2023 at a plant it acquired from GM in the US. Compared to China and South Korea, which are trying to secure a scale of production with an eye to exports, Japan is generally cautious, with Toyota and Mitsubishi considering local production of EVs in Thailand starting in 2023.
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COVID-19 Variant Disrupts Supply Chain
Akihiro Komuro In Southeast Asia, where the delta variant of the COVID-19 is spreading rapidly, business activities are becoming stagnant. In response to government regulations and the rapid increase in the number of infected people, major Japanese companies such as Toyota and Panasonic have suspended production at some of their plants. In addition to the decline in local sales, the disruption of the supply chain has also affected production in Japan.
Toyota has sequentially shut down all three of its plants in Thailand since July 20. The company has not yet decided when to resume operations because it has been unable to procure parts due to an outbreak of infection at one of its customers’ plants. Honda also shut down one of its plants in Thailand from August 3 to 5.
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