BANGKOK, Feb 1 – Japanese automaker Honda will resume production at its Ayutthaya assembly plant, north of Bangkok, in March, a top company executive said Wednesday.
Pitak Pruittisarikorn, executive vice president of Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co said the firm is installing machinery and testing systems at its assembly plant in the Rojana Industrial Estate, hit by last year’s flood.
After resuming production, it then will manufacture auto parts to supply Honda plants in member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Facilities in other countries, affected by supply chain disruptions due to the Thai flood crisis last year, are expected to be able to resume operation in April.
Mr Pitak said the Office of Industrial Economics recently announced criteria and conditions for complete car import approvals and the company is working on importing the Honda Jazz and Accord from Japan for distribution to customers in Thailand from the end of February onwards to offset the domestic production loss.
Scrapping the1,055 Honda cars irreparably damaged by the floods began Dec 27, he said, and will finish by Feb 25.
