Last Friday, Nissan revealed in Bangkok that it will build a second assembly plant in Thailand at a cost of 11 billion baht ($358 million). Reuters adds that the new plant will be located near its existing factory in Samut Prakarn province, which can produce 220,000 vehicles a year.
The new facility will have an annual production capacity of 75,000 vehicles when it opens in August 2014, and like the first one, will produce passenger cars and pickup trucks. Capacity will eventually double to 150,000 vehicles, half of that marked for exports.
“Adding 150,000 units of production capacity will not only enable us to raise our competitiveness in the domestic market but will ensure Thailand’s position as a key strategic global export hub for Nissan,” Nissan’s executive vice-president Hiroto Saikawa said in a statement, while denying that this Thai second plant is to diversify production after anti-Japanese demonstrations in China.
“The reason we will be investing in Thailand more is because we trust in the growth in the ASEAN region and Thailand. China’s economy is slowing down, but still growing. We have no intention of shifting from China. China is a very important market for us,” he added.
Buoyed by the Thai government subsidy for first car owners, Nissan Thailand has revised upwards its sales target for this fiscal year ending March 2013 to 132,000 vehicles from 127,000. The carmaker has set its sights on a 15% market share in the Kingdom by 2016, up from around 10% now.
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Hurray for bolehland and its ultra good NAP…keep this and oresee more additional investment happened in thailand, indonesia or even vietnam…ppl obtain more investment and job…
Looks like Thailand is steaming ahead, leaving Malaysia way behind, with it’s “national car” rubbish that is going nowhere.Thailand has created thousands of jobs, creating multiplier effects on the Thai economy, earning huge amounts of foreign exchange through it’s exports, and the government does not have to spend a single bhat!
Unlike Malaysia where, because of the “vision” of one or two people, we have, for three decades already, borne the burden of high prices,low quality, narrow choices, lack of safety features, lousy diesel. We wonder when all this will end…
can’t agree more….but still tend to have thumbdown givers, we know who these ppl r…
The moment we vote out BN, this will end! Vote wisely come GE 13.
No politics please…
Your long grouses are useless here. Pl join Pakatan. Here we talk about cars. This is not the forum to bash up any political parties as they are other platforms for that purpose. I love Protons especially Proton Preve.
When open market and Honda Civic was priced same with Proton Preve, see if you still Proton Preve die hard fan.
As our neighbor countries keep progressing, ours seems to have stagnated. The examples of success are at our doorsteps yet why isn’t our gov learning? I’m really disappointed with Malaysia current situation, not just in the automotive industry but the overall economic, political and social enviroments. I have been proud to be a Malaysian but now i understand why so many people wanted to migrate from Malaysia while encouraging others to do so.
U sound like a person how havent seen the world! See if lovely thailand is any better! or another 3rd, developed country!
Stop complaining about the gov as the main contributer, instated try doing better for a change.
NISSAN, GO! Go! Go!
Oh well, starting to get tired of news of manufacturers opening plants all around us, but never here locally…
I guess its a reflection of governments’ policies as well as investors’ confidence in a country….
Thank you G for the new NAP.
Your great contribution is highly appreciated by the Thailand!!!
thank you father of thai automotive industry
Malaysia? Where are you and what is your direction…
Hope we can wake up one day before too late…
More & more assembly plant to be built on tomyam land, bye bye bodeh land..
Why Thailand and not Malaysia? I thought that the G claimed that they are soooo good in attracting investors?
We got Lotus maaaaaaaa…now got JV with Honda…Power of Keep on Dreaming…
honda already want to build new plant here
Shame on Malaysia, giant car manufacturers are prefer to invest in Thailand and Indonesia rather than Malaysia. Guess why?
At least it’s not late than never. They’ve (and other auto players) been lagging so far behind Toyota all these years in Tomyamland
so sad… We should do “something” in the coming PRU13…..
why no car manufacturer in singapore?
Wow another $358 million into Thailand’s pocket by foreign investor. That’s more than RM1 billion!
When will Malaysia start to attract real investors like this?? Everyday come out with policies to enrich cronies only! At Malaysian expense!
terima kasih Dr. Madey ^_^
Dr M = Father of Thai automotive industry.
His son is in MITI to continue with his legacy.
Don’t be silly!!!
Singapore is the world’s fourth leading financial centre, and its port is one of the five busiest ports in the world.
Do they really need the so call pride for having own car brand?
despite that ‘pride’, it seems most people have to live in condos because they haven’t enough land already. so better they have something to proud of lol
Their public transport is a millennium ahead of ours too.
malaysia got plenty of international ports, who we are today ?? dont compare Bro when something that you dont really know.
in malaysia the workers are useless lazy to work hard come to work late , back home early and want high salary , job wise the car had a lot of problem.
Even after Sylphy 2012 was manufactured in Thailand, we’re only can enjoy the car almost by 2014!
What a ridiculous! Even Australia will get car (dubbed as Pulsar 1.8 sedan and Pulsar SSS 1.6 Turbo) in November.
I can’t understand why should we assemble every car if import direct from ASEAN Thai more feasible. If TC can changed the name (to Sentra or Pulsar)to compensate the buyers of facelift but still ugly yet somewhat upmarket 2.0 Sylphy is better than having similar name but not so catchy, like syphilis-sound and sassy Sylphy.
Beside Thai, Indonesia also very important market for Nissan. Perhaps, direct involvement of principal Nissan is inevitable if Malaysia chapter of Nissan Tan Chong.
i would like to ask Danny / Paul Tan, any official could get / confirm from Nissan Malaysia about setting up a plant in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah posted about 2 years ago? It was on the headline at local newspaper with how many hundreds million plant to be set up just like the one in Thailand. no? abandone?
That is a 4WD plant, not sure what is going to be built there.