Ford to invest $450 million in new Thailand plant

Ford Motor Co, a US based leading car maker, today announced that it is planning to invest heavily (about $450 million) in the Thailand market, in a bid to establish a new manufacturing plant and expand its operations in the Asia Pacific region. The new plant, which will be built in the eastern province of Rayong, will be used for manufacturing the Ford Focus model from year 2012. This will be the first ever fully-owned plant of Ford Motors in Thailand.

Company's new and highly flexible plant is the latest proof point in its aggressive expansion strategy in the Asia Pacific and African region, said Mr Joe Hinrichs while briefing to the reporters. The establishment of new plant will certainly affirms the vital role that Thailand has and will continue to play as a global production and export base for Ford Motor Company, he added.

The new assembly plant, which will be spread over 750,000 square metre (8.07 million sq ft) will initially have an annual production capacity of 150,000 units and about 85% of this capacity will be used for exports made to markets outside Thailand. According to Mr Peter Fleet, Ford's president for the 10-country Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the company is looking forward to develop a more successful relationship in Thailand. The company has invested over $3 billion to aggressively expand its operations since the year 2006, and ensure that it is not only competing in this region but actually driving its growth as well.