Disasters pull down Thailand's auto parts exports

BANGKOK, November 22 (TNA) - A flooding crisis in Thailand and a tsunami in Japan this year are expected to cut Thai auto parts exports by about 10 per cent, from an earlier target of some 400-billion-baht. Spokesman of the Thai Autoparts Manufacturers Association Thaworn Chalatthian acknowledged on Tuesday that Thailand's vast flooding has affected local manufacturers of automobile parts who have either suffered directly from their flooded plants, or could not sell their products due to a temporary suspension of the flooded automobile manufacturing plants. The spokesman said that Thailand's exports of auto parts will, therefore, likely drop by some 10 per cent this year, from the earlier 400-billion-baht target, and that relevant private parties will hold a meeting to discuss the situation on November 23. Meanwhile, Vallop Tiasiri, President of the Thai Automotive Institute, insisted that his institute will consider measures to assist local automobile manufacturers who now need to import auto parts, noting that many flood-hit auto manufacturers have resumed their production, except Japan-based Honda, whose Thai plant is located at the Rojana Industrial Park and has remained highly-inundated. Vallop said that the Honda plant in the central Thai Ayutthaya Province should be able to resume its production in the first quarter of next year, and that he believed Thailand should be able to produce up to 2-2.2 million units of vehicles next year when there will be three new eco cars manufacturing plants of Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Ford, with each production capacity of 100,000-200,000 units annually. (TNA)