Thailand targets Japanese auto giants for investment, tech transfer

Industry Minister Akanat Promphan said he will soon meet executives of top Japanese automakers and encourage them to invest in manufacturing advanced vehicles in Thailand and develop Thai personnel in future mobility technology.

He said he plans to meet the executives of Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Honda and Isuzu to discuss investments and the possibility of technology transfer and development of Thai personnel.

Currently, leading Japanese automakers only produce vehicles that use internal combustion engines in the kingdom, though several Chinese automakers have started making electric vehicles here.

Akanat said he also hopes to meet executives of Murata Manufacturing, a major Japanese multinational corporation specialising in the manufacture of electronic components, particularly known for its ceramic-based products like capacitors, filters and sensors.

He said he hoped his meetings with Japanese executives would help tighten ties and cooperation between Thai and Japanese industries.

Akanat added that his planned meetings with Japanese companies follow his recent discussions with representatives of Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry. He said these discussions focused on finding ways to encourage Japanese firms to invest in future mobility industries, clean energy and technology developments in Thailand.