The Lexus Group, Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. hold the “CT200h Design Your Mood Contest” event for student and public to explore cool creative idea onto Lexus CT200h car. The winner will be awarded almost 100,000 baht. Besides the work will be shown at the Motor Show 2012 Festival. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/lexussociety from today till February 29, 2012.

Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd. today announced that production at its Ayutthaya assembly plant is scheduled to resume by the end of March 2012, with the delivery of new cars from the plant to customers starting in April, 2012. Until production resumes, the company will import Honda Jazz and Accord models from Japan for local sales under the Office of Industrial Economics’ special import guidelines.

According to Mr. Pitak Pruittisarikorn, Executive Vice President, Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd., “The year 2011 was challenging for Honda, as we had to deal with two major natural disasters that affected our operations; the tsunami in Japan in March and the flooding in Thailand during the second half of the year. In October 2011, we had to temporarily suspended production at our facilities in Rojana Industrial Park, which inevitably impacted unit sales. Honda has put the utmost effort into restoring our operation. We have now reached the point where we have finished repairing and installing production equipment and are now running thorough system checks.”

The production of parts for export to Honda’s plants in other ASEAN countries will also resume. Honda expects that these plants, which suspended production due to a shortage of parts caused by the flooding situation in Thailand, will start normal operations in April.

Following the recent announcement by the Office of Industrial Economics about tax exemptions for imported automobiles, the company has imported Honda Jazz and Accord models from Japan to replaced units that could not be produced while the Ayutthaya assembly plant is closed. These vehicles will be delivered to customers starting by the end of February.

“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to our customers for their morale support and trust in Honda brand. I believe that we emerged from the flooding crisis as an even stronger company that strives to develop and deliver the highest-quality products to meet customer expectations and reinforce their trust in Honda automobiles,” added Mr. Pitak.

The company also reported on the progress of its program to scrap the 1,055 cars that were damaged by the flood. The program, which kicked off on December 27, 2011, is on schedule to be completed by February 25, 2012. The scrapping of automobiles into bundles will finish on February 9, while the scrapping of damaged parts will be wrapped up on February 25. The Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) of all 1,055 damaged cars are publically available on Honda’s web site at www.honda.co.th to reassure customers that none of the vehicles affected by the flood have been sold.

About Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
The Honda Automobile Plant, under the management of Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd., is located in the Rojana Industrial Park, No. 49, Moo 9, Thanu Sub-district, Uthai District, Ayutthaya Province. It has 7,074 employees with a total production capacity of 240,000 units per year. The Honda Automobile Plant is a major production base for Honda Asia and Oceania, producing five Honda automobile models including the Brio, Jazz, City, Civic, Accord and CR-V, for the domestic market and export to more than 30 countries worldwide.

Photo

Photo 1: The Honda Automobile plant in Rojana Industrial Park is scheduled to resume operation by the end of March 2012

Photo 2: The installation of new equipment at the welding unit in Honda Automobile plant

Photo 3: An engineer runs a power test for an injection machine at Honda Automobile plant

LUXE AUTO GALLERY, the importer of luxury and super car arranged the Exclusive Launch presenting the luxury and super cars especially the highlight model “New 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera (991)” also the special campaign for customers who ordered a car will get iPhone 4s and special promotions on 25-31 Jan @ Central Rama 3. The company accelerated their brand awareness and develop the organization for responding the market growth.
Miss Sirinapa Sawanglum President and Mr.Kuna Vitayatanagorn Managing Director of Luxe Auto Gallery Co.,Ltd. the importer of luxury and super car unveiled “The company arranged the Luxe Auto Gallery Exclusive Launch event presenting the luxury and super cars especially the highlight model “New 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera (991)” also the special campaign for customers who ordered a car will get iPhone 4s and discounts on 25-31 January 2012 at 1st Floor, Central Rama 3.
“Preceding we received the good responsiveness from the customers and we continually develop our business to support the expansion of the target group lead to the import car market respectively grows up. This year the company is constructing the new showroom & service center on Vibhavadee-Rangsit Road expected to open in the mid of the year and accelerate our brand awareness of Luxe Auto Gallery to the target group with the marketing activity in the department store and other places” Miss Sirinapa Sawanglum and Mr.Kuna Vitayatanagorn said.
According to the market is very unique that desired in the distinguished product & service, Luxe Auto Gallery sees this is the good opportunity to achieve our goal because the company positioned their product as the new choice of premium car which has the quality car & service development and after sale service with professional team to serve the market need.

Further information please contact Oasis Media Co., Ltd Tel. 02-937-4735 ext. 15, 21
E-mail: saranyarat@oasismedia.co.th, wichaiw@oasismedia.co.th

Mr. Nobuyuki Murahashi, President of Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd. welcomed Dr. Atchaka Sibunrung, Secretary General of BoI on her visiting Mitsubishi Motors Smart Life Smart Energy pavilion in BOI Fair 2011. MMTh present the knowledge and up coming-life style that synchronizes with the environmental friendly vehicle. The visitors will acknowledge the various automotive technologies such as the flex fuel vehicle, the self-sufficiency energy from local agricultural. The high-light of Mitsubishi Motors pavilion is ‘i-MiEV’ electric vehicle that is a part of smart grid society and visitors have good chance to experience their sitting in i-MiEV.

Mazda Sales (Thailand) Co. Ltd. has already started to step on the gas right from the start of the year with the official launch of the all-new BT-50 PRO pickup. Featuring the heroic concept “Drive to Reality”, the all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO is the latest pickup from the Thai production center that completely erases the old pickup image with a sporty and seductive design as well as the most powerful engine in the market. National hero Col. Bird has been chosen as the presenter for the all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO in an advertisement campaign that brings back the hero from history to becoming the hero for the family and friends in the present day. Retail price starts at only Bt589,000 and the sales target for the year is 22,000 units.
Mr. Choichi Yuki, Managing Director of Mazda Sales (Thailand) Co. Ltd., said the all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO is the most complete and integrated pickup of the present day. “We hope that after the launch of the all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO, it will initiate a change in direction for the pickup truck market with its beautiful design both inside and outside, which is reflective of luxury SUVs, and the largest body dimensions in the market. The new truck has been clearly positioned in the market and communications have been clearly established with potential customers. This will quickly turn the all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO a highly popular pickup truck in the market. In addition, we also have a presenter who is loved by the Thai people who will also help strengthen the product image,” he said.
The all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO is available in several body styles and engine sizes — Freestyle Cab and Double Cab, 200hp/470 Nm 3.2-liter Di-THUNDER PRO and 150hp/375 Nm 2.2-liter Di-THUNDER PRO that are both powerful and fuel-efficient; 2-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive. “The raised 2-wheel-drive Hi-Racer model in particular will be an important instrument to help Mazda achieve our 22,000-unit pickup truck sales target this year,” Mr. Yuki stated
He added that the all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO has broken every rule in conventional pickup design with the combination of beauty and style with the versatility of a pickup. It features the “Nagare” design philosophy that features natural beauty and flowing lines, as well as the “KODO”, or “Soul of Motion” design language that is inspired by the lion’s graceful stance as well as instantaneous power and speed, ready to pounce on its prey. It is the first pickup in the world that has flowing lines from the front to the rear and is the first pickup that provides a sense of sportiness and outstanding character, something that conventional pickup trucks are unable to achieve. In addition, the comfort and convenience features that accompany the stylish looks and largest body size in the Thai pickup market, help complete the all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO.”
The all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO features a five-point front grille that has become a Mazda trademark, boomerang-shaped headlights that are not only stylish but also provide excellent visibility. The large wheel fenders are one-piece with the body while the turning lights on the sideview mirrors look stylish and elegant. Unlike in conventional pickups, the rear light cluster is laid out horizontally, while the lightweight 17-inch alloy wheels help improve road performance and gives a touch of sportiness. The engine is mated to either a 6-speed automatic transmission (industry-first) or a 6-speed manual transmission with upshift indicator. Meanwhile, the cabin design is reflective of a luxury passenger car — there’s a multi-function display screen with Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity. Safety features include dual front airbags, ABS brakes with EBD, immobilizer key, reverse sensor with video graphic display.
Sureetip La-Ongthong Chomthongdee, Marketing Director of Mazda Sales (Thailand) Co. Ltd., said the all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO will stimulate new demand and create a new segment within the Thai pickup truck market. She said Mazda’s new truck will change the purchasing behavior for pickup trucks in Thailand. “The all-new Mazda BT-PRO will fill in the gap where others had left out and the gap between pickup trucks and passenger cars, as well as between pickup trucks and PPVs. The target customers for the all-new BT-50 PRO are those who use pickups for business as well as for family activities. They travel a lot and are people who choose to enjoy life in their own style. They are active, and consider that vehicles they use reflect their character. They give importance to design and quality of the vehicle, as well as outstanding performance from both the engine and suspension. They do not take any compromises even for a pickup, meaning that they are demanding for a pickup that is different from others available in the market today,” she said.
Pricing strategy is something that Mazda has given importance in order to make it easier for customers to own our products. “We have decided to launch the all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO with starting price of only Bt589,000 while the top model, the 4-wheel-drive Double Cab with 6-speed transmission and 3.2-liter engine, leather seats and a complete equipment list, costs lower than Bt1 million. This will allow customers eligible for the First Car Buyer program to enjoy full benefits and great value-for-money,” she said.
The all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO is available in many versions as follows.
– Freestyle Cab 4×2 S 2.2L 6MT, metallic color MSRP 589,000 THB
– Freestyle Cab 4×2 V 2.2L 6MT, metallic color MSRP 639,000 THB
– Freestyle Cab 4×2 V 2.2L 6MT ABS, metallic color MSRP 683,000 THB
– Freestyle Cab 4×2 V 2.2L Hi-Racer 6MT, metallic color MSRP 659,000 THB
– Freestyle Cab 4×2 V 2.2L Hi-Racer 6MT, metallic color MSRP 715,000 THB
– Freestyle Cab 4×4 R 3.2L 6MT, metallic color MSRP 814,000 THB
– Double Cab 4-door 4×2 S 2.2L 6MT, metallic color MSRP 629,000 THB
– Double Cab 4-door 4×2 V 2.2L 6MT, metallic color MSRP 724,000 THB
– Double Cab 4-door 4×2 V 2.2L 6MT ABS, metallic color MSRP 764,000 THB
– Double Cab 4-door 4×2 V 2.2L Hi-Racer 6MT, metallic color MSRP 746,000 THB
– Double Cab 4-door 4×2 V 2.2L Hi-Racer 6EAT MSRP 874,000 THB
ABS + Leather Seat + Cruise Control, metallic color
– Double Cab 4-door 4×4 R 3.2L 6MT MSRP 943,000 THB
ABS+DSC, metallic color
– Double Cab 4-door 4×4 R 3.2L 6EAT MSRP 988,000 THB
ABS + DSC + Leather Seat + Cruise Control, metallic color

Sureetip added that the all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO not only comes with outstanding and graceful appearance, but is also a pickup that will respond to customers who look for these qualities but were unable to obtain them from any other pickup truck. “It has clear sales points that are like no other — product positioning is extremely important in helping us to achieve targets. The target group of the BT-50 is clear — male, mostly married with children or single but in a relationship. They have good education level such as bachelor’s degree, and are owners of SME’s or company employees. They are in the process of building a family, and are the head of the family, a good father to the children, an activist and diligent worker. The person who can best reflect there qualities, and I’m sure you all know him well, is Col. Bird or Col. Wanchana Sawasdee, the sharp-looking Thai soldier who has won himself a hero status in Thailand from his lead role in the movie “Legend of King Naresuan the Great”. Although he has become highly successful in his acting career, he still maintains a simple lifestyle as a simple man who loves and wants to take care of his family and all around him the best he can. This is what has earned him the admiration from the Thai people and similarly, we hope that this strength, warmth and heroic character can also make everyone a hero. This is the character that the all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO will reflect,” Sureetip said.
The introduction of the all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO is something that is very challenging for our team. It is a truck that has a sporty and elegant design, as well as a cabin similar to luxury passenger cars or SUVs. It has erased the old pickup image and offers customers what they have never experienced in a pickup before. One main strategy that we have held on to all along, and one that has helped the Mazda brand grow significantly during the last several years, is that there is no waiting period — after the launch we will be able to deliver vehicles to customers right away.
Come experience and test drive the all-new Mazda BT-50 PRO sports pickup, the Mazda2 sports subcompact and Mazda MX-5 roadster at all 130 Mazda showrooms countrywide. For more information contact the Mazda Speedline at Tel. 0-2664-4888 for Bangkok and call free for provincial areas at Tel. 1-800-226-408

A Little race Team from Thailand left for Dubai in the start of January 2012 to compete in the Dubai 24 Hour Endurance Race, with cars and drivers from all over the world. The event is starting to get an international recognized status as one of the famous 24 Hour races, with many factory teams heading for the Dubai 24 Hour race every year. 2012 was not an exception, with drivers like Bernd Schneider, Jarooen Bleekemolen, Thomas Enge, and many other famous race drivers, and teams like AF Corse, Heico Motorsport, and Schubert Motorsport with the Saudi Falcon’s. The Team owner Thomas Raldorf started his preparations for the event back in August 2011, and felt he was well prepared when the car was shipped to the UAE in the start of December, but he latyer came to learn that racing a 24 Hour race is like nothing else, and the preparations are very comprehensive. The aim was to bring a full Thailand based team of Drivers and mechanics for the event, but due to flooding in Thailand and the Thai race calendar being shuffled around we ended up having 3 drivers from Thailand and 2 from Denmark.ie; Ekarat Wihawatprapa (Thailand), Pitsanu Sirimongkolkasem (Thailand),Thomas Raldorf (Thailand), Jakob Borum (Denmark) and Niels Borum (Denmark) The Team left for Dubai on the 7th of January, and spent the next days from the 8th to the 10th checking up on the car and doing the final preparations in Dubai at a local workshop close to the track. On the 11th the car went to the track where the first practice sessions was driven, and time was spent to make sure everything was running well. After the practice sessions it became clear that there was an issue with the Sensors in the car, and the fuel mixture was wrong, so time was spent of getting this right and the team again pulled a long all-nighter to get the car ready for qualifying the following day. In first qualifying session the team again had a fuel issue, and was not able to push, and the same in the second qualifying session, so they ended up last in their class, and has to start last on the starting grind the following day. The Team again pulled a long all-nighter and got everything sorted and in the morning warm up set their fastest lap of the event so far, and 9 seconds faster than qualifying. The race started at 14.00 local time in Dubai with 2 flying laps and a rolling start, and slowly the team moved its way upwards and was up to 7th place in class after the first 6 laps, and the team was now 3 second faster that they had been so far and was 2nd fastest in class on the still very slippery track. After the first 6 laps the team was passed the first time by the leading cars, and now needed to spent a lot of their time looking in the mirrors for the much faster A6 class with their Mercedes SLS AMG’s, Lamborghini’s & Porsches. One of the things the team had struggled with was a duel fuel tank system that had been installed a few days before the race to make sure they had a fuel capacity of 120 Ltr which was what was allowed, but since this had caused so many problems, one tank had been removed so they would now have to pit for fuel much more often than the other teams, but they had no choice. Until nigh fall the team was doing well and staying in 7th place and doing the same lap times as the teams in the 3rd, 4thm 5th and 6th places, but then when the dark fell over the track, more issues for the team showed up. The Team has installed a special rally type light bridge on the hood which was great but untested, so once it was on, it became apparent that the car was not able to produce enough power to the battery with the set-up they had so it ran the battery flat and the car had to be recovered back to the pit’s, where the alternator was changed as they thought this was the issue, but soon after that it was wrong again, and the team pitted and disconnected first 2 of the strong lights then later one all the strong lights, and then later on the new Xenon long beam lights and lastly they disconnected the second of the 2 fuel pumps just to make it work at night. A lot of time was spent in and out of the pits for this, and it meant the drivers had to drive slower to ensure no accidents as they struggled to see the road and corners in time. About 3 hours into the night, the ECU developed an issue, so every time the team pushed the car above 7000 RPM the ECU would shut down, and the driver would have to switch it on and off to get it working again. In the pits a lot of time went into think how to solve the problem, but because nobody was sure what was causing it it was decided to keep driving and doing laps, and hope that this would be enough as others might get problems bigger than them. As the sun came up in the morning the team was still in 7th place and looked like it would stay there, as none of the other cars had shown any sign of weakness during the night, but at 9 Am the 4th and 5th placed car was going in and out of the pits to try and solve problems, and at 10 Am the 6th placed car also had problems. The team talked about it and agreed to keep pushing with the limitations they had and hope that it would be enough. With 1 hour to go it looked like 6th would be possible and 5th also might be possible, but it was decided that finishing was more important as this stage, as finishing 5th or 6th would not make a big difference, but finishing or not finishing would be a big difference. So the drivers were told to back off and drive slower to take care of the car for the remaining 1 hour of the race, and if we caught them great and if we did not then that would be okay.With 10 mins to go we climbed to 6th place, and with a few mins to go they were within 4 laps of 5th place, but had run out of time, so they finished the race in 6th place in class. At the start of the event that had been a total of 75 cars, but many of them had not been able to finish and others had finished but had many problems during the race and spent a long time in the pits, so we ended up 46th overall. The Team had been into and out of the pits a total of 30 times, more than any other team in the race, and this was also noticed by the commentators of the event, but the fact that they had many stop but spent less time in the pits than many other teams, was also mentioned, and the mechanics was given praise for keeping the car going all the 24 hours. The Team was very happy after the event to have been able to finish such a long and hard event, and plans were made right away to join the 2013 Dubai 24 Hour event again, as they now knew much more and would be much better prepared for the next race in 2013. The Motorsports media was very interested in the little team from Thailand and the fact they had travelled all the way to Dubai to compete with the big name teams like Besaplast and S.I.G from Germany, and was also very interested in knowing more about Motorsport in Thailand in general as most of them had no idea how big motorsport in Thailand is. The Team would like to thank a number of Companies and people who made it possible for them to join the event and to keep going during the event, as they held with everything from Finances to Parts and Contacts: The Pizza Company, Raiden, B-Quik, Liqui Moly, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Unicar (D2 Suspension), RAAT, Sa-ing Garden & Khun Charoen Auamchan, Thon-Sticker, NFS, LAP 57, Spencer (SVDP Racing), James Kaye, Duel Racing and Creventic.For more information, please contact Thomas Raldorf Team Owner Mobile +66 81 377 1553 raldorf@hotmail.com

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Mr. Juris Cernavskis, Regional Certification Manager for Southeast Asia and Mr. Prawaltong Tongyai Na-Ayudthaya, Commercial Manager, Bureau Veritas Certification (Thailand) Ltd., awards ISO 14001 Certificate to Mr. Takehiko Hirota, Executive Vice President, Ryuji Kajio, Vice President and management teams of Kawasaki Motors Enterprise (Thailand) Co., Ltd., and Khitkan Co., Ltd.

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Yasuhiko Kondo, Managing Director, AEON Thana Sinsap (Thailand) Public Company Limited (2nd from right) and Chiaki Kato, President of A.P.Honda Co., Ltd. (2rd from left) hosted the launch of the “Enjoy Honda with Easy Installments from AEON” campaign by offering 0.99 per cent interest on all Honda purchases from now until 30 April 2012. For more information and apply, please contact AEON at one of their 28 branches in and around Bangkok.

For further media information, please contact:
Waruch-on Manomairat
Spark Communications
Tel: 02 653 2717-9
Email: yim@spark.co.th

During 17-18 January 2012 “Sandy Stuvik” sponsored by Singha Corporation, The Pizza Company, Dacon Inspection Services, RAAT and SAT tested for the first time in a Formula 3 car. The car was an F304 car, which last raced in the Asian F3 Championship in 2008. The testing is a vital step up for Sandy, as he prepares himself to compete against the best racers in the world. He started the 2012 season with testing various touring cars in Thailand and following on from the Sepang F3 test, will be doing a series of tests in Europe with Formula 3, Formula Renault and hopefully GP3, in the build up to the Formula Renault season start in April, where he will race in the Formula Renault NEC series.Sandy is working hard to improve his physical and mental physic, which is just as vital as in car preparations at this level. The high altitude training camp he did in Austria in December has set the tone for a very rigorous and demanding training program, which has to be juggled between other racing activities, promotions and school. The coming season will indeed be demanding for the 16 year old Thai driver, but he remains fully committed to his racing ambitions. At Sepang, Sandy started out with getting a feel for the F3 car and had a very good test program with his old racing coach, Philippe Descombes. It was considerably more physical to drive the F3 than any previous car he has driven and in Malaysia’s notoriously hot and humid conditions he had 2 tough days of testing. The track was both wet and dry, so Sepang offered a good variety of different racing scenarios. Sandy was very pleased with his first F3 outing and looks forward to getting back into the car in Europe within the next few weeks.Formula Renault Northern European Cup 2012 schedule Official Test Days: 19 & 20 of March Oschersleben -Germany 22 & 23 of March Hockenheim- GermanyEvents: 19/22 April Hockenheim- Germany 7 /9 June Spa — Francorchamps – Belgium 21/23 June Nurburgring- Germany 5/8 July Oschersleben- Germany 2/5 August Assen – Netherland 23/26 August Red Bull A1 Ring- austria 30 August – 2 September Most- Czech Republic 20/23 September Zandvoort- NetherlandFor more information, please go to http://www.necup.com/

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Aiming to provide convenience for consumers in Eastern Bangkok and Samut Prakarn, King of Auto Product announced the organization of the First Auto Show Thailand 2012 during 29 February – 4 March at BITEC Bangna. The president expressed his confident that the space will be fully booked.
With experiences in organizing used car fairs for over 5 years, Pattanadesh Asasappakij, President of King of Auto Product Co., Ltd., and Organizing Chairman of
the 1st First Auto Show Thailand (FAST) said that he is now ready to organize the first auto show that offers both new and used cars to consumers.
The earliest annual auto show, FAST offers reasonable booth rental and construction fees for exhibitors, making them be able to sell cars at affordable prices for consumers. For those looking for first cars, there is also a wide selection of used cars with attractive payment schemes.
As a main sponsor of the event, Kiatnakin Bank will be offering one-stop financial services for visitors.
The First Auto Show Thailand 2012 will be held during 29 February – 4 March at BITEC Bangna, with 7,550 sq.m. indoor space for new car sellers and over 3,000 sq.m. outdoor space for used car vendors.
Chalatchai Paphatphong, Vice Organizing Chairman of New Cars, said that with his experiences in organizing the International Motor Expo and handling business database, he decided to join this new event, which he believes will help boosting auto sales in the first quarter. He also looked forward to utilizing volume control measure and latest IT systems to the event.
“We have chosen to hold the event at BITEC Bangna not only because it is vacant during that time but also to provide convenience for consumers in Eastern Bangkok and Samut Prakarn, which are new business areas whose population is of high purchasing power. The event is also easily accessible for visitors from Sukhumvit area via BTS,” said Chalatchai.
Asadavut Asasappakij, Vice Organizing Chairman of Used Cars and Pattanadej’s son, said this event is a chance for him to use his experiences and skills in managing this unique used-car show and building consumer confidence.
“With quality guarantee and checking services, consumers can be assured that they will get reliable cars, particularly women and those who know little about cars,” said Asadawut.