Thailand's first automotive performance and custom dress-up parts show kicked off yesterday with highlights including more than 30 award-winning custom cars imported from Japan along with a variety of premium and supercars.
More than 30 awardwinning custom cars were brought in from Japan for Thailand’s first automotive performance and custom dress-up parts show. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD
Celebrities and models, both local and Japanese, are on hand acting as presenters.
The Bangkok International Auto Salon 2012 has been organised by Siam Sport Syndicate Plc, the sports media enterprise, and its subsidiary Inspire Entertainment, the publisher of men's and women's magazines.
The event, which runs at Impact Muang Thong Thani until July 1, is officially licensed by Tokyo Auto Salon, an annual exhibition in Japan that is the largest auto exhibition in the world.
"We're confident this unique event in Thailand will be successful like its 27-year counterpart in Japan. Thai car enthusiasts and manufacturers cannot miss the 11 days it runs, and we believe it will become the biggest auto show in Asean," Mr Satoshi Suzuki, the executive director of San-Ei Shobo Publishing, which organises the Tokyo Auto Salon, said during yesterday's opening ceremony.
This is the first time the Tokyo Auto Salon has granted a licence to a Thai enterprise to host the show under its brand.
Wiluck Lohtong, Inspire Entertainment's chief executive, said the Bangkok International Auto Salon showcases state-of-the-art automotive technology in performance and dress-up parts and promotes parts exports.
The event cost 200 million baht to organise, half of it media spending.
Mr Wiluck said more than 30 award-winning modified custom cars hand-picked from this past January's Tokyo Auto Salon are on display to whet the appetite of car enthusiasts and other visitors.
"Each car is priceless, as they are all uniquely and exquisitely modified to be one of a kind," said Mr Suzuki.
Also represented at the event are major international automobile and motorcycle companies, after-market parts manufacturers, local and international customising shops and other automotive businesses.