Floods: Honda destroys cars | Bangkok Post: learning

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Customers need not worry about buying the flood-damaged cars seen so often in photos. They will be systematically destroyed and scrapped.

Photo above of flood-damaged Honda cars being destroyed (demolished). Photos of these cars became quite famous during the floods (See photo gallery).

Click button to listen to Honda Demolition to download

AUTOMOBILES: Honda begins demolition derby of flooded cars by Santan Santivimolnat

Honda has begun destroying 1,055 flood-damaged cars worth a combined 740 million baht or an average of about 701,000 baht apiece.

That valuation excludes damage to parts and components stocked for new car assembly and two affected factories.

The demolition, which is taking place at Honda's plants in Ayutthaya province, will take a month to complete, with destruction of damaged new parts and components to start immediately afterward.

Scheduled for demolition are 353 City models, 217 Brios, 213 Jazz cars, 150 Civics, 91 Accords, 30 of the CR-V and one imported Freed.

"Despite these 1,055 vehicles being damaged, we still managed to relocate many other new cars to safe areas," said Mr Pitak Pruittisarikorn, an executive vice-president of Honda Automobile (Thailand), the country's second-largest car manufacturer and exporter.

All parts and components will be removed from the damaged cars and scrapped and fluids will be drained and disposed of systematically, while the car bodies will be compressed.

Some materials will be salvaged for reuse such as steel, aluminium, copper, foam, plastic and rubber.

Hazardous materials such as batteries and fluids will be sent to authorised treatment and recycling centres.

As well, the ID numbers of all demolished vehicles will be listed on Honda's website at www.honda.co.th to reassure customers they are not being sold damaged goods.

Mr Pitak said Honda is making a great effort to return to normal production as soon as possible.

The carmaker's two factories in Rojana Industrial Park was inundated on Oct 8 and remained flooded for nearly two months.

It had already suspended production three days before due to a parts shortage.

Mr Pitak said machinery, equipment and tools were all submerged. Some items may need repairs, while others will have to be replaced.

"We're still assessing the damage at both plants, and this will take some time," said Mr Pitak.

Honda reiterated its commitment to Thailand and vowed it would not leave the country.

Mr Pitak did not give an exact date for the plant reopenings. However, Honda Motor of Japan has said it will be next April.

In the meantime, some models will be imported from Japan to help local dealers.

(Source: Bangkok Post, AUTOMOBILES, Honda begins demolition derby of flooded cars, 28/12/2011, Santan Santivimolnat, link) 

Automobile Vocabulary

demolition - complete destruction การรื้อถอน, การทำลาย
demolition derby - a competition with cars ramming and banging into each other, trying to destroy each other, the last car that is still running is the winner (See Wikipedia)
demolition derby of flooded cars

demolished - destroy completely ทำลายให้สิ้นซาก
vehicles - machines with an engine used to carry people or goods from place to place ยานพาหนะ
demolished vehicles
vehicles being damaged

plants - factories
the demolition is taking place at Honda's plants in Ayutthaya province

components - parts
the valuation excludes damage to parts and components stocked for new car assembly  

destruction - when something is destroyed การทำลาย, ภาวะที่ถูกทำลาย
immediately - happening right after something else with no delay; right away ทันที
destruction of damaged new parts and components to start immediately afterward

models - different designs or types of a product
scheduled for demolition are 353 City models

relocate - move to another location ย้ายไปตั้งอีกที่หนึ่ง
we managed to relocate many other new cars to safe areas

scrapped - when old things are destroyed (so they can be used for their "scrap" metal)
fluid - a liquid (such as water)
drained - if you drain something, you remove the liquid from it, usually by pouring it away or allowing it to flow away รีดน้ำออก
disposed of systematically

all parts and components will be removed from the damaged cars and scrapped and fluids will be drained and disposed of systematically, while the car bodies will be compressed

hazardous - dangerous
authorised - activity given official permission to happen ได้สั่งการให้
treatment - when special things are done to an object to prepare it for something (such as disposal, waste treatment)
recycling - taking used metal or paper and processing it so it can be used again
authorised treatment and recycling centres

hazardous materials such as batteries and fluids will be sent to authorised treatment and recycling centres.

demolished - destroy completely ทำลายให้สิ้นซาก
reassure - to make someone feel less worried about something ให้ความมั่นใน

the ID numbers of all demolished vehicles will be listed on Honda's website at www.honda.co.th to reassure customers they are not being sold damaged goods

effort - an attempt to do something ความพยายาม
Honda is making a great effort to return to normal production as soon as possible.

inundated - flooded ถูกน้ำท่วม, จมลงใต้น้ำ
the carmaker's two factories in Rojana Industrial Park was inundated on Oct 8 and remained flooded for nearly two months 

suspended - stopped for a period of time (temporarily)
shortage - when there is not enough of something การขาดแคลน
it had already suspended production three days before beinf flooded due to a parts shortage.

submerged - under water จมน้ำ อยู่ใต้น้ำ
machinery, equipment and tools were all submerged

assessing the damage - looking carefully at all the damage and calculating how much it cost
we're still assessing the damage at both plants, and this will take some time

reiterated - repeated something in order to emphasise it or make it very clear to people พูดซ้ำ ย้ำ ยืนยันตามเดิม
commitment - a promise to continue doing something for a long time  การใ้ห้คำมั่น a promise or firm decision to do something การมอบความไว้วางใจ
Honda reiterated its commitment to Thailand and vowed it would not leave the country

plant reopenings - the opening again of factories closed for a time (during the floods)

local - in this country (here: Thailand)
local dealers - companies that sell automobiles in a country

some models will be imported from Japan to help local dealers

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