Daimler is planning a new assembly facility in Thailand as it looks to rebuild its presence in south east Asia's largest heavy truck market.
Through its newly established local subsidiary, Daimler Commercial Vehicles (Thailand), the truck maker expects to have a new assembly plant in place in Laem Chabang – a port city just east of Bangkok – by the end of the year.
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The factory will have an initial annual capacity of 3,000 units and will focus on producing Fuso brand trucks for the local market.
The move came after Daimler ended its seven year Thai assembly contract with Hong-Kong-listed Tan Chong International last year.
Daimler acquired an 89% stake in Japan's Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) in 2005 and the Fuso brand now accounts for most of Daimler's truck sales in the Asia Pacific region.
The unit is also busy with production and exports in India. Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) has been supplying Fuso truck CKD kits to Kenya for local assembly since March 2016, and to Daimler Truck's production plant in East London/South Africa, where local assembly began last month.
