Honda rolls out 1 millionth vehicle made in Thailand

Honda Automobile (Thailand) Company Ltd., Thailand’s second-largest manufacturer and exporter of passenger cars, announced December 13 its one millionth car rolled out from its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Avutthava. It marked another significant milestone for the company since the first "made-in-Thailand" Honda vehicle was produced in 1984.

Kenji Otaka, president of Honda Automobile (Thailand) Company Ltd., said, “This accomplishment of ‘one million’ total cumulative production in Thailand is not only a testimony of consumers’ trust in the Honda brand but also a strong vote of confidence in our people, technology, and design innovations.”

Thailand is a strategic manufacturing base for Honda vehicles in the Asia-Oceania regions, and the company’s commitment to its host country has gained pace with a series of well-timed investments, technology, and skills transfer made over the past 23 years. 

The company’s recent investment of more than $205 million U.S., announced in July 2007, in a second facility to be built adjacent to its existing one in Ayutthaya province will double its production capacity from 120,000 to 240,000 units when completed in late 2008. The new Honda plant will incorporate clean production technologies, making it one of the cleanest auto manufacturing facilities in the world.

“Through our pioneering research, next-generation technologies, and innovative designs, we are constantly raising the standards for quality manufacturing and enhancing customer satisfaction. Word-of-mouth endorsements by people who have personally experienced driving a Honda vehicle are valuable testimonials about Honda’s durability, safety, reliability, quality and environment-friendly attributes,” said Otaka.

Honda vehicles and auto parts made in Thailand are exported to 14 countries for CKD (completely knocked down – or components and parts needed to build a complete car) and to over 30 countries for CBU (completely built up – or vehicles exported fully built).

The one millionth unit is the premium, upscale, all-new 2008 Accord which made its local debut in November 2007. The latest model – completely redesigned to make it bigger, roomier, sportier, and more powerful – is also the first Honda model assembled locally that is gasohol E20-friendly. 

Thailand’s total auto industry is now one of the top 10 automotive producers in the world, producing more than 1.8 million vehicles per year of which over 800,000 units are exported annually.

About Honda’s manufacturing facility in Thailand

• Honda’s manufacturing facility in Thailand is the sixth largest in the world, after Japan, USA, China, Canada and the United Kingdom.  It employs around 3,700 people at the Thailand plant.
• The manufacturing site is located at Rojana Industrial Estate, Ayutthaya Province, on a site that covers almost 680,000 square meters.
• Models manufactured at the plant include the Honda Jazz, City, Civic, CR-V and the all-new Accord.
• Honda will accelerate its regional R&D functions (planning, concept building, styling, research, development, and testing) as well as technology transfer to the Asia/Oceania region by transferring its R&D role to Thailand in order to meet the growing demand for Honda products