Toyota started its business in Thailand in 1962 and began making cars in 1964. Over 48 years, the manufacturing network has expanded to include sites in Samrong and the Gateway and Ban Pho plants in Chachoengsao.
One of the automaker’s three Thai assembly plants, the Ban Pho facility, will see its annual output capacity of roughly 120,000 units rise to around 200,000.
The Ban Pho plant is southeast of Bangkok and makes the Hilux Vigo pickup truck and the Fortuner sport utility vehicle, both part of a series of strategic vehicles bound for emerging markets. In addition to Southeast Asia, demand from the Middle East and other export destinations is expected to grow steadily down the road.
Toyota made its most significant move in Thailand in 2004 when it invested 37 billion baht in a pickup truck and passenger car hybrid called IMV or innovative international multi-purpose vehicle project.
New-car sales in six major Southeast Asian markets, including Thailand and Indonesia, totaled 1.8 million units for the first nine months of 2010. This was up 36% from 2009, with full-year sales forecast to top the 2008 record of 2.09 million units. With a share of 40% in these six markets, Toyota is in the top position. The Asian market outside Japan and China is becoming a core earner for the automaker, with operating profit there swelling 2.5-fold on the year to 164.2 billion yen for the April-September half.
Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. (TMT) has produced a cumulative 5 million vehicles in Thailand. TMC established TMT in 1962 as its second overseas production site, following Brazil.
Toyota Started Prius Production in Thailand last week
The Gateway Plant is the first to produce the third generation of Prius outside of Japan. It is expected to have a capacity of up to 12,000 vehicles annually. The first hybrid vehicles to roll off the assembly line will go into dealerships tomorrow being priced from 1,190,000 baht (US $39,313) to 1,270,000 baht (US $41,856).
Recently, Camry Hybrid has been introduced to Thailand and Asia for the first time and apparently succeeding which will achieve more than 10,000 sales units within this October of this year. Now, Toyota Motor Thailand is ready to introduce another hybrid car to Thai customers which is Prius. Thailand will become the third country in the world that will serve as the manufacturing base of Prius, in this November
said Mr. Kyoichi Tanada, President of Toyota Motor Thailand Co.Ltd.
| Company | Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. (TMT) | Siam Toyota Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (STM) | |||||||
| Established | 1962 | 1987 | |||||||
| President | Kyoichi Tanada | Shigeru Murai | |||||||
| Equity participation | TMC: 86.4%; The Siam Cement Public Company Ltd.: 10.0%; others: 3.6% | TMC: 96%; The Siam Cement Public Company Ltd.: 4.0% | |||||||
| Product lineup | Gateway Plant: Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Vios, Yaris and Prius | Engine (diesel/gasoline), propeller shaft | |||||||
| Samrong Plant: Hilux | |||||||||
| Ban Pho Plant: Hilux and Fortuner | |||||||||
| 2009 production results | Approx. 435,000 units | Approx. 468,000 units | |||||||
| Employees | Approx. 14,800 (as of September 30, 2010) | Approx. 2,600 (as of November 30, 2010) | |||||||
| Milestones | 1964: Samrong Plant opens 1996: Gateway Plant opens 2004: IMV Project launched 2007: Ban Pho Plant opens |
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| Cumulative production | 1996: 1 million units 2006: 3 million units 2010: 5 million units | 2001: 1 million units 2007: 3 million units 2010: 5 million units (forecast) |
