MUMBAI, India (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. is furthering its push into Asia, announcing plans for eight new vehicle models in India and a $350 million investment with partner Mazda Motor Corp. in their pickup truck plant in Thailand
On Thursday, Ford also said it and joint venture partner Mazda would pour another $350 million into their pickup truck plant in Thailand to revamp production.
The investment at AutoAlliance Thailand, a 50-50 joint venture, underlines that four years of political upheaval has not yet deterred automakers from expanding their manufacturing in the Southeast Asian nation, which offers incentives such as tax breaks to foreign manufacturers.
Most auto plants are located in the eastern seaboard province of Rayong and haven't been directly affected by the unrest, which has centered on the capital Bangkok.
The U.S. and Japanese automakers also run plants in China and the U.S. together. The latest investment won't increase production capacity at the plant from the current 275,000 a year but will focus on revamping the facility, said Mazda spokesman Kotaro Minagawa.
The investment, which will bring the total at the Thai joint venture since 1995 to $1.85 billion, will also go into work force training, the companies said.
The Thai plant now exports Ford and Mazda pickup trucks to more than 130 markets around the world. The plant also makes passenger cars, mainly the Mazda2, sold as the Demio in Japan, and the Ford Fiesta.
Thailand is a popular place to manufacture cars not only for the Thai market but also for the Southeast Asian and European markets because of government incentives, well developed industrial infrastructure and relatively affordable labor costs.
On Thursday, Ford also said it and joint venture partner Mazda would pour another $350 million into their pickup truck plant in Thailand to revamp production.
The investment at AutoAlliance Thailand, a 50-50 joint venture, underlines that four years of political upheaval has not yet deterred automakers from expanding their manufacturing in the Southeast Asian nation, which offers incentives such as tax breaks to foreign manufacturers.
Most auto plants are located in the eastern seaboard province of Rayong and haven't been directly affected by the unrest, which has centered on the capital Bangkok.
The U.S. and Japanese automakers also run plants in China and the U.S. together. The latest investment won't increase production capacity at the plant from the current 275,000 a year but will focus on revamping the facility, said Mazda spokesman Kotaro Minagawa.
The investment, which will bring the total at the Thai joint venture since 1995 to $1.85 billion, will also go into work force training, the companies said.
The Thai plant now exports Ford and Mazda pickup trucks to more than 130 markets around the world. The plant also makes passenger cars, mainly the Mazda2, sold as the Demio in Japan, and the Ford Fiesta.
Thailand is a popular place to manufacture cars not only for the Thai market but also for the Southeast Asian and European markets because of government incentives, well developed industrial infrastructure and relatively affordable labor costs.