BANGKOK, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Several Thai auto parts suppliers have halted operations due to flooding in the country, disrupting deliveries to carmakers including Toyota and Isuzu and impacting their operations, industry officials said on Thursday.
Last month, Bangkok was declared a disaster-affected zone after nearly 300 mm (12 inches) of rain hit the city in just three days, as much as it typically receives in the whole of September.
• Around 10 auto parts manufacturers nationwide have suspended operations, mainly because flooding has prevented employees from getting to work, said Sompol Tanadumrongsak, president of the Thai Auto-Parts Manufacturers Association
• Some suppliers that were not directly flooded have been unable to deliver parts because of logistics disruptions, said Surapong Paisitpattanapong, spokesperson of the Federation of Thai Industries’ Automotive Industry Club
• The delays in parts supply have hit the operations of Toyota, Isuzu, Ford, Nissan, and Honda, Surapong said
• Isuzu, Honda, Nissan and Ford did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. A Toyota spokesperson said its plants are slated to reopen on October 11, but that was still to be confirmed
• Thailand is Southeast Asia’s biggest auto production centre and an export base for some of the world’s leading carmakers
• Automakers are monitoring whether suppliers can resume production once floodwaters recede. If disruptions persist, then parts may need to be sourced from Japan, said Surapong
• On Wednesday, the FTI estimated the industrial sector had suffered flood damages of 6 billion baht ($178 million), and said automotive assembly plants had enough stock to continue production until October 12.
• So far 60 people have died in the floods, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday, with flooding in 28 provinces
(Reporting by Orathai Sriring, Panarat Thepgumpanat, Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by)
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