The new Prime Minister of Thailand had a meeting with multiple US companies in New York City to seek potential investments in the country’s economy, including Google and Microsoft.
However, the most noteworthy event on his US trip was his meeting with business tycoon Elon Musk.
Meeting details
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin shared through an X post that his meeting with the American billionaire revolved around various matters, including Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink.
“Met with @elonmusk and team during my trip to #UNGA in New York. We had a good conversation on @Tesla, @spaceX, and @starlinktechnology. I am impressed with the advance the group has made for the humanity, and we share a common view of the future for a cleaner world. We look forward to further discussions. Look forward to more inspirational successes of the #EV and #SpaceExploration breakthrough – for not only Thais but also the global community.”
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin
Tesla’s presence in Thailand
Tesla has already penetrated the Thai electric vehicle market since 2022, Teslarati reported. At that time, it debuted the popular Model 3 and Y in the country.
Since then, demand for Tesla EVs surged significantly in the Thai market. It is worth noting that these models come from the automaker’s Giga Shanghai in China.
In hindsight, Tesla initially delivered its first batch of offerings to the Thai market in February 2023, signifying Tesla’s significant expansion in Asia.
See Also:
- BYD again leads Thailand’s EV sales in February, while Tesla is catching up
- Tesla starts customer deliveries of Model 3/Y in Thailand
- Tesla Model 3 and Model Y has officially begun selling in Thailand
- GAC Aion to develop a new EV factory in Thailand and begin production by 2024
- Changan to erect $250M NEV factory in Thailand with 100K-unit initial output per year
Despite the recent meeting with the Tesla Chief and Thai PM, there was no mention of a local factory in the Asian country. As we all know, the EV giant has been exploring options for its new Gigafactory.
It seems that the strongest candidate is India, with CEO Musk’s confirmation that it plans to set up a factory in the country to produce the $24,000 Tesla EV. However, it would also be good to invest in Thailand, as the country is among the largest vehicle producers in Southeast Asia.
