Nice turnout at AFG Meeting on Friday 27th of January

A very interesting evening with more than 40 members attending the presentation of Khun Charn Saralertsophon, Executive VP from Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).

Khun Charn covered the effect of the 'Great Flood' in 2011 emphasizing the resilience of the industry which is expected to 'bounce back' and display further growth in 2012 and the following years.

The presentation will be made available for download within the next days for AFG Members.

In an unannounced surprise presentation, Uli Kaiser introduced a preview of the upcoming THAI AUTO BOOK 2012 which will be available for the iPad. It's a comprehensive directory of Thai based OEM's Tier 1s, organizations, industrial parks, events and supporting industries providing basic information about the companies, address data, contact information, maps and is aimed at professionals both in Thailand as well as in ASEAN and overseas in Europe and the US.

A directory of the Thai Automotive Industry

After this presentation, AFG President Jim Beeson presented AFG member and correspondent Doc Iain Corness with a 50,000 Baht grant towards his 'Retro Racing Program'. The Doc will invite AFG members to future race events and can also organize 'special outings'. From usually well informed circle we heard the he is looking for additional supporters – and can be contacted by email in this matter.

After the talk the NOVA PLATINUM had prepared a fabulous poolside networking setting which inspired many participants to stay around, discuss and exchange ideas.

Flood-Affected Auto Makers In Thailand To Resume Full Production In Q1 2012

The Thai Automotive Industry Association (TAIA) said on Tuesday that flood-affected auto makers in the country would resume full production by the first quarter of 2012, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

Pickups could be the winners after the floods

The first month of the New Year is about to pass by but the problems caused by the flood last year have not been completely taken care of.

Honda, the second-biggest passenger-car manufacturer in the country, is still unable to resume production while other major auto-makers, despite not being directly affected by the flood, are facing parts disruption and are not capable of producing at full capacity.

Thai Auto output to reach 2 million units in 2012

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) on Monday said it expects automotive production in the country to reach a record high of two million vehicles in 2012.

This would translate into a year-on-year increase of 37 percent compared to 2011 when production plunged 11.4 percent to 1.46 million vehicles.
Of total, 733,950 were manufactured for export, accounting for 50.3 percent of total. This showed a 17.9 percent drop from a year earlier. Domestic demand decreased as slightly as 0.80 percent, as 794,080 vehicles were sold in 2011.

BMW pushes for CO2 excise rate

BMW reaffirmed its position on the implementation of a carbon dioxide (CO2) emission-based excise tax rate for vehicles to enable Thailand's automobile industry to achieve sustainable development and set a precedent for global environmental concerns.

Thailand's current excise tax system for vehicles is calculated based on engine size and horsepower. BMW said engine displacement and horsepower are not indicators of an environmentally friendly vehicle as opposed to the level of CO2 emissions.

Thai governments have discussed BMW's policy for many years, said Ronald Gentsch, managing director for vehicle distribution at BMW AG and honorary investment adviser at the BoI Fair 2011.

Malaysian auto sales growth 'modest' in 2012

Sales fell 0.9 percent to 599,877 units as Japan's earthquake and tsunami and record floods in neighbouring Thailand caused supply chain disruptions, said Aishah Ahmad, head of the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).

Malaysia -- Southeast Asia's second-largest vehicle market after Indonesia, according to the MAA -- had seen 2010 sales grow 12.7 percent to 605,156 units thanks to a robust domestic economy and strong consumer confidence.

Bangkok Post: New auto show plans to rev up next month

New Auto Show at BITEC:

The First Auto Show Thailand 2012 (FAST), the newest member of Thailand's myriad motor shows, will be held from Feb 29-March 4 at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center (Bitec) on Bang Na-Trat Road.

The event is indeed the first auto show on the calendar.

King of Auto Products (KAP), the organiser and subsidiary of Autocar (Thailand), said the inaugural edition of FAST is purely an automobile sales event, with an emphasis on certified used cars.

Indonesia becomes biggest automotive market in ASEAN

Indonesia has replaced Thailand as ASEAN`s biggest automotive market with car sales reaching 890,410 units in 2011.

"Thailand has been projected to restrain with a total industrial volume of 800,300 units from year to year in 2011," Vice President of Automotive Practice at the research company Frost & Sullivan Asia Pasifik, Vivek Vaidya, said in Jakarta on Wednesday.
First Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Motor Vehicles Industry (Gaikindo) Jongkie D Sugiarto also said that Indonesia`s car sales in 2011 had exceeded Thailand`s.

Thailand Stocks Up: Aapico, Ratchaburi, Somboon, Sub Sri Thai

The automotive industry was upgraded to “overweight” from “neutral” by Suchot Tirawannarat, an analyst at KGI Securities (Thailand) Pcl, who cited the recovery of production following floods in the country. The analyst’s top buys are Somboon Advance Technology Pcl (SAT TB) and Aapico Hitech Pcl (AH TB).

REUTERS: Toyota confident in Thailand, invests despite flood

Toyota Motor Corp said on Tuesday it would spend 8.2 billion baht ($257 million) on investment in Thailand, showing its confidence in the Southeast Asian car sector hub despite floods last year that caused severe disruption to the sector.

The Japanese car maker is building a manufacturing plant at Gateway industrial park and restarting a production line at its Thai Auto Works (TAW) plant, where its Fortuners were produced, Kyoichi Tanada, president of the Toyota Motor Thai unit, told a briefing.

Malaysia to Sell Stake in Proton

Malaysia's state investment firm said it will sell its 43% stake in national car maker Proton Holdings Bhd., the latest in a series of government sales meant to spur growth in the important Southeast Asian economy.

The sale, to Malaysian conglomerate DRB-Hicom Bhd. for 1.29 billion ringgit ($412 million), also could also Proton's competitiveness in a crowded Asian auto market.

Ford Says Thailand Floods Prevented Asia Unit From Making Profit

Ford Motor Co. said floods in Thailand caused a 2011 loss for its Asia Pacific and Africa region, preventing the automaker from achieving its goal to be profitable in all its global business units.

“The impact of the Thai floods is a bit bigger than we anticipated,” Ford Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth told analysts yesterday in a presentation at the Detroit auto show. “We guided in the third quarter that all business units would be profitable for the full year. We now think that’s no longer possible because of the impact of the Thai floods.”

Bosch sells low-tech brakes ops to buyout firm

(Reuters) - Robert Bosch GmbH ROBG.UL, the world's largest car parts maker, is to sell what remains of its low-tech brakes business to KPS Capital Partners, a U.S. buyout firm which one source familiar with the deal said paid around 200 million euros.
Bosch, like other global players in the auto parts markets, wants to focus on more profitable high-tech components, leaving production of more mainstream parts to rivals with a lower cost base.