Ford resumes partial production
Ford Operations (Thailand) has resumed one shift of its production today after temporary suspension in the production since Oct 10, said government affairs director Arnupab Tadpitakkul.
He said Ford insists that it has sufficient inventories for delivery and that the temporary disruption would not severely affect its sales and production.
Ford, with plants in Rayong, suspended the production due to the disruption of auto-part supplies from severely-affected Ayutthaya. Toyota Motor Thailand is suspending the production at its three plants until Oct 15. Honda Automobile (Thailand) suspended the production on Oct 10, as its only assembly plant is located in Ayutthaya.
So far, floods have submerged two industrial estates - Rojana Industrial Park and Saha Rattana Nakorn Industrial Estate, while Hi-Tech Industrial Estate is at risk.
DBS Vickers Securities (Thailand) said in its research note today that it is difficult to quantify damage at this point, but "we believe it to be substantial and it could take up to two months to resume normal operations". Those affected include Aapico Hitech Plc (with a plant in Hi-Tech Industrial Estate which generates 22 per cent of group revenue) and Thai Stanley Electric Plc of which supplies to Honda contributes 45 per cent of its revenue.
