According to Mcot News, BMW is to use Thailand as a base for manufacturing big bikes, according to Thailand's industry minister.

Pongsvas Svasti said after a BMW Group executive from Germany, Frank-Peter Arndt, met with him Friday to affirm the company will use Thailand as base to manufacture its big bike for further domestic sales and exports.

Mr Arndt said the company sees continuous opportunity growth of Thailand's automotive industry and that the country is ASEAN's main production centre. The big bike model with 250-500cc engines has been in growing demand in the worldwide market.

BMW asked Thailand to train high quality employees, to which the industry ministry agreed to help.

Also, Thailand's adjustment of its vehicle excise tax system in accord with carbon dioxide emission levels will match BMW's vehicle development standards.

Meanwhile, Mr Pongsvas said he believed that the government's minimum wage raise of Bt300 to be launched nationwide next year would not affect big industries, particularly automotive industry, for employees are already hired at a higher rate than Bt300. In a related matter, Board of Investment (BOI) secretary-general Atchaka Sibunruang said BOI benefit adjustment on big bikes investment is provided to investors from the standard of 500cc engine to lower to 250cc engine in order that Thailand becomes ASEAN's big bikes manufacturing base. However, the benefits are conditional--all engines must be made in Thailand.

The move has attracted other bike manufacturers for more investments including Honda, Kawasaki, Triumph, and Ducati.

Honda and Kawasaki produce bikes with 250cc engines but less than 500cc, together at around 380,000 units/year. Triumph and Ducati manufacture 67,000 units/year of big bikes in Thailand.

The BOI aims to make Thailand ASEAN's big bike production hub in the coming years, hoping that each maker will manufacture around 100,000 units/year for further lowered production cost

Source: http://www.mcot.net/cfcustom/cache_page/410125.html

The first question is, does Kawasaki Thailand still produce the very popular Ninja 250R in Thailand? This press release is written very quickly, more like something they will release to make other bad news sound less bad...

Also the production is not a BMW operation, its a joint venture operation with an Indian company, something what sounds just a little bit different. Also Thailand will not be the only manufacturing side, in India they will produce motorcycles. Most engine parts will likely be manufactured in Thailand and will be exported to India under the Thai-Indian Free-Trade-Agreement.

Great news to hear that another manufacturer will produce motorcycles in Thailand, now only hope that the prices will also be going down...

It would be very amazing to be able to buy a BMW for less money than a Honda

" ... now only hope that the prices will also be going down... "

And that the dealer network, unlike Barcelona Chiang Mai, is professional, honest and fully supportive of its customers!

According to some well informed sources, BMW Motorrad has no intension to use the BMW brand for any motorcycles below 450cc. Therefore it's more likely that BMW will release a 250cc motard style motorcycle under it's Husqvarna brand.

Quote by: Richard

The first question is, does Kawasaki Thailand still produce the very popular Ninja 250R in Thailand? This press release is written very quickly, more like some they will release to make other bad news sound less bad...

Also the production is not a BMW operation, its a joint venture operation with an Indian company, something what sounds just a little bit different. Also Thailand will not be the only manufacturing side, in India they will also produce some motorcycles. Most engine parts will be manufactured in Thailand and will be exported to India under the Thai-Indian Free-Trade-Agreement.

BMW team up with a Indian company you joking, right?

Quote by: what a joke

Quote by: Richard

The first question is, does Kawasaki Thailand still produce the very popular Ninja 250R in Thailand? This press release is written very quickly, more like some they will release to make other bad news sound less bad...

Also the production is not a BMW operation, its a joint venture operation with an Indian company, something what sounds just a little bit different. Also Thailand will not be the only manufacturing side, in India they will also produce some motorcycles. Most engine parts will be manufactured in Thailand and will be exported to India under the Thai-Indian Free-Trade-Agreement.

BMW team up with a Indian company you joking, right?

Actually, BMW has teamed up with an Indian company – TVS Motor Company – which is in India quite famous for producing small engine size, below 250cc, motorcycles and scooters.

Not so long ago we wrote an article about the talks between BMW and TVS motor, see BMW Motorcycle and Indian TVS Motor Talking for more information, and if you not believe us you can always search the Internet for “BMW – TVS Motor”

BMW Thailand has informed us that, some content was not correctly translated (see below).

"กระทรวงอุตสาหกรรม 7 ก.ย.- ม.ร.ว.พงษ์สวัสดิ์ สวัสดิวัตน์ รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงอุตสาหกรรม กล่าวภายหลัง นายแฟรงค์-ปีเตอร์ อาร์นท์ กรรมการบริหารของ บริษัท BMW AG จากประเทศเยอรมนี เข้าพบว่า BMW ยืนยันใช้ไทยเป็นฐานการประกอบรถยนต์เพื่อจำหน่ายในประเทศและส่งออก เพราะมองเห็นโอกาสการขยายตัวอย่างต่อเนื่องของอุตสาหกรรมยานยนต์ในประเทศไทย และเป็นศูนย์การผลิตสำคัญของอาเซียน"

I'm not an official translator, but basically what the text says is “BMW will produce CARS in Thailand for domestic and export market” and in the official Thai version of the press release we can also read that BMW showed interested in producing Big Bikes in Thailand (nothing committed, as in we will do it).

See also the link to the Thai version of the press release http://www.mcot.net/cfcustom/cache_page/410154.html

Another major discrepancy in the THAI and ENGLISH version of the article is that the ENGLISH version says “Honda and Ducati produce bikes with 250cc engines but less than 500cc, together at around 380,000 units/year” . Ducati has never produced a motorcycle engine below 803cc in Thailand.