Skip to main content

Thailand's new PM meets Tesla chief Musk in New York

In this March 14, 2019 file photo, Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks before unveiling the Model Y at the company's design studio in Hawthorne, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) In this March 14, 2019 file photo, Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks before unveiling the Model Y at the company's design studio in Hawthorne, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
BANGKOK -

Thailand's new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Thursday he met with Tesla chief Elon Musk in New York, where they discussed the electric vehicle industry.

Thailand, Asia's fourth-largest automobile assembly hub, has been offering incentives to EV and battery makers, and tax cuts to local EV buyers, to remain a regional auto center.

Srettha, who is in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, said he spoke with Musk about EV manufacturer Tesla and his rocket and satellite company SpaceX, including its internet venture Starlink.

"We look forward to further discussions," Srettha posted on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Automakers with plants in Thailand include Toyota and Honda. The country produces about 1.5 million to 2 million vehicles annually, of which about half are exported.

EVs have been steadily gaining traction in Southeast Asia, a market dominated by Japanese carmakers.

EVs accounted for 6.4% of all passenger car sales in the region in the second quarter, up from 3.8% in the first quarter, Counterpoint Research data show.

Around half of all regional EV sales are from Thailand, followed by Vietnam and Indonesia, with Chinese carmakers like BYD leading by a wide margin. Tesla, also popular in Thailand, launched models in the growing market last year.

Southeast Asia accounted for less than 1% of Tesla's global sales, according to Counterpoint.

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Jane Merriman and Richard Chang)

YOUR FINANCES

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan dies at age 65

Shane MacGowan, the singer-songwriter and frontman of 'Celtic Punk' band The Pogues, best known for the Christmas ballad 'Fairytale of New York,' died Thursday, his family said. He was 65.

opinion

opinion Don Martin: With Trudeau resignation fever rising, a Conservative nightmare appears

With speculation rising that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will follow his father's footsteps in the snow to a pre-election resignation, political columnist Don Martin focuses on one Liberal cabinet minister who's emerging as leadership material -- and who stands out as a fresh-faced contrast to the often 'angry and abrasive' leader of the Conservatives.

Ontario doctors disciplined over Israel-Gaza protests

A number of doctors are facing scrutiny for publicizing their opinions on the Israel-Hamas war. Critics say expressing their political views could impact patient care, while others say that it is being used as an excuse for censorship.

Stay Connected