Fumihiko Ike, chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, said Tuesday he doesn¡¯t think last week¡¯s military coup will have a major impact on the production operations of Japanese carmakers in Thailand.
¡°There have been some protest rallies, but there were few cases in the past that rallies directly impacted our business,¡± Ike, who is also chairman of Honda Motor Co., said in his first group interview since he took over at JAMA in mid-May.
Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda resumed production on Friday after suspending night-time operations on Thursday because of a military-imposed curfew.
Though he said the situation in Thailand requires careful monitoring, Ike noted the Southeastern Asian country will continue to be an attractive destination for investment.
¡°From my personal experience, we have been able to continue to invest (in Thailand) with peace of mind since policies don¡¯t change easily¡± unless the top of the bureaucracy changes, Ike said in Tokyo.
He added that Thailand¡¯s Board of Investment, a government agency, remains committed to encouraging investment in the country.
Ike lived in Thailand from 2008 to 2011 as president and director of Asian Honda Motor Co.
¡°Though I haven¡¯t spoken to all of the Japanese automakers about this, I assume they still have a strong incentive to invest (in Thailand),¡± he said.
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