Automaker Suzuki will halt production of cars and trucks in Thailand at the end of next year to focus resources on producing electric and hybrid vehicles elsewhere, the company said on Friday.
The company plans to continue its sales and after-sales services in Thailand by importing vehicles, including electric cars and hybrids, from factories elsewhere in Southeast Asia, Japan and India.
“While advancing carbon neutrality and electrification globally, Suzuki has considered optimizing global production sites within the group,” the company said in a statement, adding that it had decided to close the plant by the end of 2025.
The 12-year-old factory in Thailand’s Rayong province, southeast of Bangkok, was run by local subsidiary Suzuki Motor Thailand and has an annual production capacity of 60,000 units. About 800 people work there.
The announcement comes as Japanese carmakers face stiff competition from Chinese rivals in Thailand and pressure to produce more electric and hybrid vehicles. Suzuki aims to have six EV models between 2030 and 2031. It plans to launch its first electric car in India next year, which it plans to export to Japan as well as Europe.
