Ford spends $900 million to upgrade auto plants in Thailand

Ford Motor is investing $900 million for upgrading auto plants in Thailand that build its Ranger pickup truck and Everest SUV.

The plan consists of almost doubling the number of robots at its Thai manufacturing plant and at AutoAlliance Thailand, a venture with Mazda Motor, whereas $400 million of the investment would be dedicated to its supply chain network.

It will also include a second shift to Ford’s plant which will create about 1,250 new jobs.

In Thailand, the automaker is able to produce around 270,000 vehicles annually.

About 60% is exported to the markets like Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines where its pickup trucks are popular.

The factory upgrades will enable the automaker to better customize production for vehicles such as open cabs and four-door pickups to meet the demand.

Thailand is Asia’s fourth-largest auto assembly and export hub. This represents about 10% of the country’s GDP and manufacturing jobs.