As a token of its long-term commitment to Thailand, Chinese-Thai joint venture SAIC Motor-CP Co yesterday announced the construction of a second assembly facility at Hemaraj Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate 2 in Chon Buri province.
According to Chen Zhixin, president of the Chinese carmaker Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC Motor), the 700,000-square-metre facility will handle MG vehicle production processes such as body assembly, vehicle assembly and painting under one roof.
"Thailand is set to be a production hub for right-hand-drive vehicles and SAIC Motor aims to make 300,000 units a year in the very near future," said SAIC Motor chairman Chen Hong.
SAIC Motor-CP bought 438 rai of the new land plot for an undisclosed sum from SET-listed Hemaraj Land and Development Plc last November.
The investment cost of the new plant is estimated at 30-40 billion baht.
Founded in 2012, SAIC Motor-CP is a joint venture of SAIC Motor and Thai agribusiness conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group.
The Chinese company owns 51%.
The carmaker's 9-billion-baht first factory, with total production capacity of 50,000 units, was built in Rayong's Hemaraj Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate and began operations in June 2014.
The company launched the 1.8-litre MG6 saloon that same month and sold 300 units of the model last year.