Published on 26/08/2013
Volvo Group of Sweden announces Thailand is assembly base for world exports
Volvo Group of Sweden announces Thailand is assembly base for world exports - Launches the UD Truck Quester in Thailand to the world market - First vehicle will be delivered to customer in the 4th quarter of this year while exports will be the first quarter of next year Volvo Group (Thailand) Company Limited, the sole distributor of Volvo Trucks and UD Trucks in Thailand, has announced Thailand is to be assembly base for UD Trucks supplying to the world market with its investment of 2 billion baht to expand its assembly capacity, sited on Bangna – Trat Road. According to Mr. Jacques Michel, Volvo Group (Thailand) President, Thailand had high potential among the countries in South East Asia to be assembly base for exports to the world as Thailand had strong supporting industries related to the automobile industry. He said in the press conference, attended by Thai and overseas journalist launching the UD Quester, Volvo Group (Thailand) had invested 2 billion baht in upgrading annual assembly capacity to 20,000 units of UD Trucks and 4,500 units of Volvo Trucks and part of the production would be served America, Latin America and South East Asia. “We do not export to India and China as the two countries have their owned assembly facilities,” said Mr. Michel.
Volvo Group (Thailand) debuts the UD Quester in Thailand and the model is assembled in Thailand for the Thai market and the exports market, and the company expects to deliver the locally built vehicles to the Thai customers in the last quarter of this year while the exports will be in the first quarter of next year to Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam. “Especially in the Philippines, we already got the purchase order without seeing the vehicle and the specification because the buyers are very confident on the Volvo Group,” said Mr. Michel. Volvo Group (Thailand) introduces seven models of the Quester, including 4×2R/T, 6×2R/T, 6×4R/T and 8×4R for the businesses of distribution and long haul distribution. For the Thai market, Mr. Michel said UD Trucks would concentrate on the customers group different from the Volvo Trucks’ customers group which need special requirement from the vehicles. However, both brands will be treated the same service standard under Volvo Group (Thailand) which has invested 3 billion baht in expanding sales and service nationwide network to 17 outlets which are expected to completely opened within this yaer. Mr. Michel said up to the end of August this year, the company had sold 340 units of UD Trucks and 530 vehicles of Volvo Trucks. “The heavy duty trucks market in Thailand has high potential to grow because the demand will increase in accordance with the economic growth of the country. The most important that Thailand will join the upcoming AEC scheme in 2015 and Thailand will get benefit from the situation as a result of the borderless transportation from other countries creating service demand from the vehicles came from other countries around Thailand,” said Mr. Michel.