Thailand won in 2010 but the UK came back in 2011 and won. Auto production. Thailand has steadily increased rank and production numbers in spite of the overwhelming negativity of Thai Visa posters and economic experts over the years.

It is only a matter of time before superior Thai engineering and production techniques and worker quality boost Thailand to a place permanently above the UK.

It doesn't take a brain trust to see this is a battle and the winner easy to see in spite of the Anglo spin doctors.

I'll go on record to predict 2012 Thailand will win and never look back. The UK will forever after take a back seat to Thai auto production.

The Federation of Thai Industries projects that annual production of Thailand’s automotive industry will pass 3 million units from 2017, and the Thailand Automotive Institute is even more gung ho by predicting that mark will be hit sooner in 2015.

In 2011, Thailand produced 1.46 million vehicles. One- ton pickup trucks are the local industry’s largest single product category, making up 61% of total automotive output in Thailand, the world’s biggest producer and exporter of the line. The country is also Southeast Asia’s top sales market for pickups.

The top five car export destinations were Indonesia, Australia, Japan, the Philippines and Malaysia, out of the 170 nations to which Thailand exports vehicles.

The country is also a major motorcycle hub. Last year Thailand manufactured nearly 2.05 million CBU motorcycles, with family models accounting for 94% of production and sports models constituting a lesser line

http://www.boi.go.th/tir/issue/201204_22_4/42.htm

I am not sure that the UK auto industry would see things as some sort of competition between them and the UK - their main markets appear different. There is one is one big similarity in that both are very much reliant on the Japanese.

If you're comparing Thailand to the UK you should go one step further and say Thailand will out produce all of Europe.

The UK produces 2.2 million cars per year.....and produces more cars than Germany.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2210199/Britain-producing-MORE-cars-Germany-How-UK-car-production-capital-Europe.html

Who gives a sh*t?

How's Canadas doing ?

Who gives a sh*t?

This thread is dedicated to all those who have posted negative comments about the Thai economy in the past few days. The reality is that Thai auto production is going to surpass the UK for the long term because of the quality of Thailand in many different areas.

How's Canadas doing ?

How is Russia doing? Don't try to derail my thread. It is not about Canada. It is about the UK and Thailand.

Rain only stops play @ the Oval!

I had a few Thai friends at university doing engineering or car design. One went to work designing for Peugeot in France, one went to design for Toyota in Japan and one went to design for Honda bikes in Japan. One is doing a PHD in Bath. One came back to work for Volvo in Bangkok and is now working for a gas pipe company as it pays better.

While Thailand may have cheap land and labour and an ever increasing number of graduate engineers the ones that are good enough for the job study abroad and mainly stay working abroad.

You can claim Thailand is better or whatever but the engineers are foreign and the companies are foreign and without them thailand wouldn't have a car industry.

I'm sure the UK's high end automotive manufacturing sector is shaking with fear. Bentley, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Landrover, Lotus and McLaren are probably so overcome with fear they are thinking of closing shop. Maybe someone should have sent the memo to the Indian and German investors that have injected funds into the UK auto sector.

The multinational manufacturing operations of companies such as GM, Ford, and Toyota have a protected niche. With the cost of transport of finished vehicles and the likelihood of cargo charges increasing as oil prices increase, it makes economic sense to maintain a manufacturing presence in the UK. Governments will always source their vehicle fleet purchases from local manufacturers wherever possible. It is what sustained GM, and Ford during the era when they churned out crap. lemme see now, would HM give up her Landrover in favour of a Thai built vehicle. I don't think so. Does James Bond drive an Aston Martin or a ThaiRung product?

Oh, btw, in respect to original design and engineering, Thailand has a negligible impact. I don't think the Japanese, Italians, Germans, Koreans or Americans are about to roll over any time soon. When it comes to craftmanship, I don't think any Thai auto worker can compete with the skilled tradesman at the Rolls Royce or Bentley workshops.

How's Canadas doing ?

How is Russia doing? Don't try to derail my thread. It is not about Canada. It is about the UK and Thailand.

You're Canadian. If you want a 'Whose is biggest contest' compare your own.

Drop the import tax and see how good the industry really is then.

How's Canadas doing ?

It is improving. Vehicle sales are up. As a side note, vehicles built in Canada, and in cold weather European countries are built to higher standards than Thai vehicles. Their reliability and performace surpasses Thai sourced vehicles. US built vehicles that meet California environmental standards demonstrate some of the best emission results in the world. Air pollution and vehicle safety standards are not a priority for Thai consumers, to the extent that they are for western consumers.

How's Canadas doing ?

How is Russia doing? Don't try to derail my thread. It is not about Canada. It is about the UK and Thailand.

You're Canadian. If you want a 'Whose is biggest contest' compare your own.

Why? I like Canadians. And the UK has been in a close race with Thailand for the past 6 years and Canada has not. So it is not really apples to apples.

Don't feed The Troll

Thread after thread we hear about how much superior the West is to Thailand but have one word about how Thailand is better than an ex colonial power and you call me a troll?

How's Canadas doing ?

It is improving. Vehicle sales are up. As a side note, vehicles built in Canada, and in cold weather European countries are built to higher standards than Thai vehicles. Their reliability and performace surpasses Thai sourced vehicles. US built vehicles that meet California environmental standards demonstrate some of the best emission results in the world. Air pollution and vehicle safety standards are not a priority for Thai consumers, to the extent that they are for western consumers.

And this is why UK sales are going down as compared to Thai auto sales? You know what they say, Money talks ***** walks.

Don't feed The Troll

Thread after thread we hear about how much superior the West is to Thailand but have one word about how Thailand is better than an ex colonial power and you call me a troll?

You are sick mate always going after the UK. Do you have a problem with them. Seem a bit obsessed maybe similar to me and those old guy threads

How's Canadas doing ?

It is improving. Vehicle sales are up. As a side note, vehicles built in Canada, and in cold weather European countries are built to higher standards than Thai vehicles. Their reliability and performace surpasses Thai sourced vehicles. US built vehicles that meet California environmental standards demonstrate some of the best emission results in the world. Air pollution and vehicle safety standards are not a priority for Thai consumers, to the extent that they are for western consumers.

And this is why UK sales are going down as compared to Thai auto sales? You know what they say, Money talks ***** walks.

Nothing to do with the state of the economy in the UK since 2008 and the emerging market in Asia ?

Drop the import tax and see how good the industry really is then.

Probably one of the biggest factors involved here, has nothing to do with Thai Quality.

They gotta make more...

Between floods, wrecks and poor quality, the replacement market is huge.

As for economies, the guy that rode a bicycle to work last year and can now afford a Yamaha scooter this year is better off than he was.

The guy who had to settle for a Mercedes Benz this year because he couldn't buy that Ferrari he wanted is arguably worse off than he was.

But I know which one I'd rather be...

How's Canadas doing ?

It is improving. Vehicle sales are up. As a side note, vehicles built in Canada, and in cold weather European countries are built to higher standards than Thai vehicles. Their reliability and performace surpasses Thai sourced vehicles. US built vehicles that meet California environmental standards demonstrate some of the best emission results in the world. Air pollution and vehicle safety standards are not a priority for Thai consumers, to the extent that they are for western consumers.

And this is why UK sales are going down as compared to Thai auto sales? You know what they say, Money talks ***** walks.

Nothing to do with the state of the economy in the UK since 2008 and the emerging market in Asia ?

Hey I am not crying about red and yellow shirts. Man up and call a spade a spade. UK does not have the tools to get the job done anymore.

Drop the import tax and see how good the industry really is then.

Probably one of the biggest factors involved here, has nothing to do with Thai Quality.

Good point, the Thai government is brighter than the UK government. I have thought that for years.

So this is a UK bash then ?

Hardly a "war." God forbid.

Let's move on to computer technology or medical advancements and view the comparison.

Industry in Thailand, predecessed by that in Japan, owes a great deal to Western inventiveness.

The fact is Thailand has no great history of being innovatory. Neither has Canada for that matter.

Have you some axe to grind about the UK OP?

I worked in Canada briefly and loved the country. I found there were limitations though. No Bangkoks there, more towns designed by commitees.

Lets see how happy he is about Thai Engineering prowess if they ever decide to build a Nuclear Facility near his house?

Nothing to do with the state of the economy in the UK since 2008 and the emerging market in Asia ?

Hey I am not crying about red and yellow shirts. Man up and call a spade a spade. UK does not have the tools to get the job done anymore.

Maybe you should check the nationalities of the engineers in top level motorsport or the nationalities of the top car car designers except for Coventy University and royal college of art educated half british Julian Thompson I don't think you'll find many Thais. Brits on the other hand.

But yes we have rather a lot of media studies and arts graduates these days just like Thailand.

So this is a UK bash then ?

I prefer to call it a truth searching thread about Thailand and the UK competing for 11th 12th and 13th place internationally for auto sales.

Hardly a "war." God forbid.

Let's move on to computer technology or medical advancements and view the comparison.

Industry in Thailand, predecessed by that in Japan, owes a great deal to Western inventiveness.

The fact is Thailand has no great history of being innovatory. Neither has Canada for that matter.

Have you some axe to grind about the UK OP?

I worked in Canada briefly and loved the country. I found there were limitations though. No Bangkoks there, more towns designed by committees.

No, no stick with the thread. Have you ever been to an auto marketing meeting? War? Close.

I have nothing against the UK. Look at, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_motor_vehicle_production

UK and Thailand are neck and neck.

Don't feed The Troll

Sorry, but I do not understand your post?

Win what?

Since when did the U.K. manufacture anything anyway? Like to U.S. they have completely outsourced the majority of all industrial production.

When was the last time you met a factory worker in the U.K.?

So this is a UK bash then ?

I prefer to call it a truth searching thread about Thailand and the UK competing for 11th 12th and 13th place internationally for auto sales.

OP you didn't click on the link did you ? ( http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2210199/Britain-producing-MORE-cars-Germany-How-UK-car-production-capital-Europe.html) which clearly shows how well the UK is doing. You're comparing oranges to kumquats.

You started this thread based on manufacturing & now it is sales ?