Toyota predicts Thai car sales to be low
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TOYOTA MOTOR Thailand expects the auto industry's sales this year to be low, between 760,000 to 770,000 units, because of the sluggish economy, said company president Kyoichi Tanada.
The company also trimmed its own sales target for this year to about 265,000 units from the previous estimate of 280,000.
However, Tanada expects overall annual car sales to rebound to around a million units within three years.
He made the remarks during a press visit to Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Engineering and Manufacturing Company (TMAP-EM) in Samut Prakan yesterday. The venue was established in April 2007 at a cost of Bt1.3 billion as the research-and-development and manufacturing support headquarters for Toyota in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Japanese carmaker started R&D activities in Thailand in 2003 under the name TTC-AP (Toyota Technical Centre Asia Pacific) and then changed the name to TMAP-EM, adding purchasing and production-engineering functions at that time.
Currently TMAP-EM employs about 2,500 staff, of whom around 1,400 are engineers.
The facility’s R&D achievements include the development of alternative-fuel engines for customers around the globe and its involvement in the development of hybrid family-vehicle software.
TMAP-EM also acts as a centre for human-resource development in Thailand and the region.
Tanada said TMAP-EM was committed to elevating the automobile industry in Thailand and the Asia-Pacific region by supporting R&D, production engineering, purchasing and human-resource development to serve regional customers better. Tanada, who also serves as TMAP-EM president, said Toyota would continue to invest in TMAP-EM, depending on the situation.
He added that he wanted the government to waive import tax for equipment to be used at this centre, which would be one way to support Toyota’s transfer of Japanese technology to Thailand. Yesterday Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, and Industry Minister Achaka Siboonruang also visited TMAP-EM.
Besides those in Japan (Toyota Central Research and Development Laboratories in Nagakute, Aichi prefecture) and Thailand (TMAP-EM), Toyota has four other major R&D centres. These are TEMA/TTC (Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing America/Toyota Technical Center), TME (Toyota Motor Europe) R&D/Manufacturing, TMEC China, and TTAU Australia (Toyota Technical Centre Australia).
