Tesla is currently in discussions with the Thai government regarding the possibility of establishing a Gigafactory in the country, as revealed by an official from the Prime Minister's office. The collaboration between Tesla and Thailand has been under consideration for several years, with recent developments indicating a more concerted effort to explore the potential for a Gigafactory in Thailand.
Significant progress seems to be underway, with Thai government representatives indicating that Tesla is actively exploring options for building a production facility within the country. A recent confirmation from an official suggested that the facility could be dedicated to the manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs) or batteries.
This latest development follows a series of meetings between Tesla and Thai officials, particularly in the latter part of 2023. Notably, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visited Tesla's Fremont Factory in Northern California last year, further solidifying the discussions. Additionally, Tesla is said to have plans to send officials to Thailand for on-site inspections of potential factory locations.
Prime Minister Srettha had multiple engagements with Tesla, including a meeting with CEO Elon Musk in New York in September, during which discussions encompassed Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink.
While Thailand currently boasts a robust automotive manufacturing industry and holds the position of being the largest vehicle producer and exporter in Southeast Asia, there is a concerted effort to shift towards supporting the EV sector. The goal is to position Thailand as a key hub for EV production among global companies.
Thailand has already attracted substantial investments, exceeding $1.44 billion, from Chinese automotive companies, according to Reuters. The evident admiration for Tesla, coupled with Thailand's existing infrastructure for Chinese EV manufacturers, suggests a keen interest in having Tesla as a presence in the country.
Reasons for this interest could include Tesla's reputation as a premier global EV company, even though it faced competition from BYD in global volume during Q4. Tesla's technological leadership in the EV sector and its potential role in influencing other automakers to consider Thailand as a production hub contribute to the country's enthusiasm for the collaboration.
--------The article excerpted from TESLARATI.