Srettha tells Japan: Thailand won’t abandon ICE carmakers during EV switch
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has assured Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida that Thailand will not abandon Japanese makers of conventional vehicles during its transition to an electric-vehicle (EV) manufacturing hub.
Srettha promised to look after Japan’s Thailand-based manufacturers during talks with Kishida in San Francisco on Wednesday. Both leaders are in San Francisco to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Week. Srettha doubles as finance minister.
The PM assured Kishida that his government would not abandon Japanese carmakers that continue to make internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles at Thai plants, despite measures to turn the country into a hub of battery-EV production.
Under its “30@30” policy, Thailand has issued a raft of incentives to boost EVs to 30% of total vehicle production by 2030.
Srettha said Thailand would remain a hub of ICE vehicle production during the transitional period. Thai government agencies would continue to collaborate with Japanese ICE automakers on support measures, he told Kishida.
Meanwhile, the Japanese leader asked if Thailand could boost travel convenience by offering Japanese investors visa-free entry.
He also invited Srettha to attend the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit from December 14-17 to discuss alternative energy sources as a route to net-zero emissions in Asia.
Srettha responded by pledging Thailand’s cooperation with Japan’s Asia Zero Emission Community initiative.
Srettha told Kishida that his government welcomed new Japanese investment in the digital and green economies.
He also invited Japan to cooperate in the southern land-bridge project to open a new trade route between the Pacific and Indian oceans by linking the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea. He said Japan would also benefit from the project.
