Mitsubishi Motors Corporation’s Thai unit, Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) (MMTh) has now built 5m vehicles at its Laem Chabang factory. The milestone vehicle is a Pajero Sport.
 
At a celebration, Thai deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak congratulated the automaker for its successful collaboration with the government.
 
“Mitsubishi Motors Thailand’s milestone today underlines the role of the automotive industry as one of Thailand’s growth engines. The company’s commitment to Thailand, and its leadership in sustainable practices is initiative that will help us achieve our national economic goals.”
 
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) CEO Osamu  Masuko said: “We have always had the confidence in Thailand’s potential for domestic market growth. Its long-term policies to grow the automotive industry are also a positive sign for our business.”
 
MMTh’s Laem Chabang factory is MMC’s biggest outside Japan, capable of producing 424,000 vehicles a year with exports to 120 countries. The output supports the company’s growth in the ASEAN region as well as internationally.
 
MMC started operations in Thailand as far back as 1961 but did not reach 1m production units until 2003. The second million followed in 2010 and the third in 2013. As demand increased, the 4m mark was reached in 2015.
 
Of the 5m vehicles, 3.7m were for export. In 2016, MMTh celebrated 3m exports.
 
MMTh currently operates three automobile plants in Laem Chabang. The first was opened in 1992 and the second in 1996, the latter focusing on production of one tonne pickup trucks as a production hub and export base.
 
In 2007, Mitsubishi Motors Thailand joined the Eco Car project and invested in its third automobile plant which started producing eco cars in 2012. MMTh also has a powertrain plant that produces engines for both domestic and export markets.
 
MMTh currently has over 6,600 workers. Thai operations include global parts logistics, a proving ground and a new training centre.

From PLDB (subscription required): Light vehicle cycle plan at the Laem Chabang plant from 2018 to 2027