Chinese automakers drive Thailand’s aggressive EV push

[BANGKOK] By the end of this year, Thailand expects to have attracted six of China’s top manufacturers of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), along with several well-known Japanese and German brands, a boon to the country’s credentials as South-east Asia’s leading automotive manufacturing hub.

Since the launch of an aggressive BEV investment promotion scheme in 2022, Thailand has secured commitments from China’s BYD Auto (the top-selling brand in China), Great Wall Motor, SAIC-MG, Neta, GAC-AION and Changan Automobile to manufacture BEV models locally, along with Japan’s Toyota, Germany’s Mercedes-Benz and Taiwan’s Foxconn in a joint venture with Thailand’s PTT.

The success was hardly accidental.