Registered in 1992, GM Thailand is one of the linchpins of General Motors Corporation’s expansion strategy in the Asia Pacific Region.

In 1996, Thailand was chosen as GM’s regional manufacturing site. Construction of the assembly centre began in 1996 in the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate in Rayong. Its state-of-the-art technology makes it the most modern car manufacturing plant in Thailand and one of the most advanced in the world. The plant employs over 2,500 people.

The first GM Thailand product, the Zafira multipurpose vehicle, is exported to 19 countries. Named MPV of the year in Thailand for three consecutive years, the Zafira has made GM Thailand one of the country’s top vehicle exporters for the past two years.

In 2003, GM Thailand started producing a one-tonne pick-up truck, designed under an agreement with Isuzu. The vehicle is exported to 130 countries globally.

In June 2003, GM Thailand started manufacturing the Chevrolet Optra, which was launched in the Thai market in July and named “Car of the Year for Best Sedan 1.8 Litre” in 2004.

In October 2003, the Chevrolet Lumina imported from Australia was launched in Thailand. The vehicle was named the Official Car of the APEC CEO Summit.

In March 2004, GM Thailand completed the first Thai-built American one-tonne pickup, the Chevrolet Colorado, for the domestic market.

GM Thailand also boasts an impressive safety record. In May 2004, GM Thailand received the Award for the Best Employer for Safety, Health and Working Environment from the Thai government, for the fourth consecutive year.

GM’s facility has reached an unprecedented 30 million man-hours worked without lost time due to injury or accident. GM Thailand also received the honourable Prime Minister’s Industry Awards for Safety and Quality Management in 2002 and 2004.

GM Thailand and Chevrolet vehicles (Zafira, Optra, Lumina and Colorado) are distributed in Thailand by Chevrolet Sales Thailand through an extensive nationwide network. The company was ranked as providing “the Best Sales Satisfaction” by J.D. Power in 2003, only three years into its operation in Thailand.

Company milestones
1992 Jun • Establishment of General Motors (Thailand) Ltd.
1996 May • Announced General Motors’ investment in Thailand – regional manufacturing site Nov • Began construction of GM Rayong plant
1999 Dec • Plant construction completed
• Start of pilot production of Zafira
2000 Jan • Announced Zafira export plan and introduced Chevrolet brand
• Established Chevrolet Sales (Thailand) Ltd.
Feb • First public launch of Chevrolet Zafira at the
BOI Fair 2000
2001 May • Announced agreement between GM Thailand and Isuzu Corporation Japan to produce the Isuzu pick-up truck
Dec • GM Thailand became Thailand’s biggest automobile exporter in terms of value
2002 Apr • Achieved 15 million work-related man-hours without lost-time due to injury
2003 Jan • GM Thailand and Chevrolet Sales Thailand signed a contract with the APEC CEO Summit Organising Committee to be the exclusive automotive sponsor and to use the Chevrolet Lumina as the official CEO car at the APEC Summit in Bangkok.
Jan • Produced the 100,000th Zafira
Feb • Achieved 20 million work-related man-hours without lost-time due to injury
Mar • Announced the new Chevrolet Optra
Apr • Zafira named “Car of the Year – Best MPV” for third consecutive year
May • Produced first Isuzu one-tonne pick-up truck
Jun • Produced first Chevrolet Optra
Aug • Chevrolet Thailand ranked by J.D. Power Asia Pacific as providing top sales satisfaction
2004 Jan • Announced the production of Chevrolet Colorado for the domestic market
Mar • Launched the new Chevrolet Colorado
Apr • Optra named “Car of the Year – Best Sedan 1.8 Lt.”
May • GM Thailand ranked for the fourth consecutive year “Best Employer for Safety, Health and Working Environment” by the Ministry of Labour. Achieved The Prime Minister’s Industry Award on Quality Management.
July • Achieved 30 million work-related man-hours without lost-time due to injury