FORD AND MAZDA TO INVEST US$350 MILLION IN THAILAND

By Jamaluddin Muhammad

BANGKOK, Aug 26 (Bernama) -- Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Corporation
will invest US$350 million in their joint venture AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT)
plant in Rayong to support the production of their next generation compact
pickup trucks.

The investment will enable production of the new Mazda and Ford compact
pickups to start in mid-2011.

Once completed, this will increase Mazda and Ford's total joint investment
in the AAT facility to more than US$1.85 billion since operations began in 1995.

The US$350 million investment reinforces Ford and Mazda's long-term joint
commitment to Thailand.

"Today's investment announcement marks another important step forward in
AAT's development as a state-of-the-art manufacturing hub," said AAT president
Toshinori Kusuhashi in a statement.

Kusuhashi said the new investment would enable them to continue enhance the
one-ton pickup's reputation as product champion of Thailand's automotive
industry.

The investment would also dedicate resources to workforce training and
development to ensure that AAT employees have the skills required to meet the
high standards the new compact pickup truck programme would require, he said.

"The new investment in AAT reinforces Ford Motor Company's long-term
commitment to Thailand as a strategic manufacturing base for our global
operations," said the company's president for Asia Pacific and Africa, Joe
Hinrichs.

He said the new production line, with the support of the employee at AAT and
the continued commitment of their Thai suppliers, would raise the bar in
flexibility, efficiency, quality and environmentally-friendly production at AAT.

AAT exports Ford and Mazda pickup trucks to more than 130 markets around the
world.

In July 2007, AAT celebrated one million units of production since the
facility began manufacturing vehicles in 1998.

A new state-of-the-art passenger car plant was opened in July 2009 and is
currently producing the Mazda2 and Ford Fiesta for sale in Thailand as well as
for export to Asean and other markets.
-- BERNAMA