Mitsubishi Thailand hit 4 million export milestone

KUALA LUMPUR: Mitsubishi Thailand started manufacturing vehicles locally back in 1961. The Japanese manufacturers set up three auto production plants and a powerplant factory in Chonburi Province. And by the time Malaysia had its first national car, Mitsubishi had already become the first company to export vehicles from Thailand.

By 2018, almost 80 percent of the 440,000 cars manufactured in Mitsubishi’s Thai plant were being exported. A total of 4 million vehicles had been exported from Thailand since 1988. The plant employs 7,000 employees directly with hundreds more working indirectly in the supply chain.

The Triton and Pajero Sport pickup trucks may not be Thai national vehicles, but does it really matter? Immense value has been added to these vehicles by Thais on every step of their production.

Osamu Masuko, chairman of MMC, said, “The ASEAN region centering on Thailand is one of the most important areas for Mitsubishi Motors. In addition to contributing to the region through businesses such as providing products that meet each country’s demands, employment, human resources development, investment as well as local production and export, we have been contributing to local societies through our corporate citizenship activities. We will continue to expand our activities in the ASEAN region to further contribute to solving social issues.”

Hats off to what Mitsubishi and Thailand have been able to accomplish together in the auto industry. Hand-in-hand, taking one step at a time, the two have proved themselves.