The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) has approved a 13.5 billion baht (USD 400 million) investment promotion application by Haier Appliance Manufacture (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a unit of China’s Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd., to set a factory that will produce annually six million smart air conditioners and bring extensive economic benefits.
Commenting on the development, Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of the BOI, said, “This project demonstrates Thailand’s attractiveness as a hub for the manufacturing of smart electrical appliances and smart electronics by important global companies. This factory will sell around 85% of its output in overseas markets, meaning it will increase Thai exports by an estimated 32 billion baht every year.”
As per BOI, the factory, to be located in Thailand’s Chonburi Province, will employ 3,250 people and have a production capacity of approximately three million units of smart air conditioners, and three million units of smart split air conditioners.
Smart air conditioners feature embedded operating systems and electronic components that can detect and receive information and can be remotely controlled via mobile phones. The investment, which includes the cost of land and working capital, is made through Haier’s Singapore unit.
