For decades, Thai’s automotive and auto – parts manufacturing have been developed concurrently and they have become the targeted industries that Thai’s government well supported. With assets to support them such as natural resources, skilled labors at a reasonable cost, etc., Thailand has moved closer to become a genuine “Detroit of Asia,” and to be one of the key manufacturers in the automotive manufacturing world. This industry is expected to have produced over 1.8 million cars per year by the year 2010.
Auto – parts making industry has been well supported in terms of industrial policy, the subsidies for research and development from the related institutes and private sectors, etc. And, its export value has been increasing every year. In 2006, its value was worth 255,570 million baht and 93.56 % of the export was automotive parts for passenger cars. During the past two quarters of this year, there has been a 35,320.82 million baht increase from the same period of last year’s 10.16% or 32,046.77 billion baht. And at the end of this year, it is expected to have increased by 12 – 15 % and make tens of thousands of million baht for the country.
