Mitsubishi Motor and Mazda have confirmed that they are set to resume production at their respective Thai facilities on November 14th, after devastating floods crippled production facilities across the country.

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi has reaffirmed its commitment to investments in Thailand worth billions of baht to make eco-cars and parts and will resume manufacturing at its two existing factories on November 14th by importing some parts.

President Osamu Masuko made the comment on November 10th at a meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Industry Minister Wannarat Channukul.

"I expressed our sympathy to the premier for the flood disaster and said thank you to Thailand for supporting Japan when the tsunami struck early this year," he said after donating 12 million baht (US$ 389,600) for relief assistance.

Disruption of parts supplies because of floods caused Mitsubishi to suspend work at two plants in Laem Chabang in Chon Buri on October 13th.

It will resume making pickups and Pajero sport utility vehicles on November 14th and will start making passenger cars later at the two factories that have full capacity of 1,000 units per day. The goal is to recover production of 23,000 units lost from the impact of both the Japanese disasters and floods in Thailand.

Mitsubishi has Board of Investment privileges for its eco-car plant, which is scheduled to open in March next year with a total investment of 7.73 billion baht and a capacity of 107,000 units a year. The company expects to export 88% of the cars to Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan.

The BoI at its next meeting will consider three other Mitsubishi projects worth a total of 5 billion baht, said secretary-general Atchaka Sibunruang.

The company proposes plants to manufacture 150,000 petrol engines a year, 4 million parts for eco-car manufacturing and 2.2 million general parts.

Mazda

Also on November 14th, Mazda plans to resume passenger-car production and says it will be ready to immediately deliver Mazda2 and 2.0-litre Mazda3 cars. Both cars are built at the AutoAlliance Thailand plant, the Japanese company's joint venture with Ford in Rayong.

However, production of BT-50 pickups remains suspended as the company could not find parts abroad to replace those unavailable from flood-damaged suppliers in Thailand.

Since the AAT plant was not directly affected by the flood, resuming production will help maintain supplies as well as help strengthen consumer confidence, said Choichi Yuki, managing director of Mazda Sales Thailand.

The company will also be able to respond to demand for new vehicles in areas not affected by the flood.

Marketing director Suleetip La-ongthong said Mazda had successfully secured parts from suppliers in Japan and China for Mazda2 and Mazda3 sedans and hatchbacks, but pickup truck production was more difficult.

AAT halted production of Mazda automobiles in the middle of October.

Despite difficult conditions in October, Mazda said that its sales rose 23.8% year-on-year to 3,284 units, lifting its market share to a record 7.7%.