Chinese automaker Changan Automobile has begun exporting vehicles from its manufacturing plant in Thailand, marking a new step in the company’s overseas expansion and making it the latest Chinese carmaker to use the country as a regional export base.
Changan said its Rayong plant has shipped its first batch of locally produced Deepal S05 vehicles to Europe. Images released by the company showed an initial shipment of around 500 vehicles, though no further export details were disclosed.
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The move follows a broader trend among Chinese automakers establishing production hubs in Thailand to serve overseas markets. Earlier this year, BYD also began exporting vehicles from its Thai factory, shipping more than 900 units of the Dolphin electric hatchback to destinations including the United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium.
Construction of Changan’s Rayong facility began in November 2023 with a total investment of about 10 billion baht ($320 million). The plant has an initial annual production capacity of 100,000 vehicles, with plans to expand output to 200,000 units in later phases.
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Located in eastern Thailand’s Rayong province, a key automotive manufacturing hub, the facility joins operations run by other Chinese automakers such as BYD and GAC Motor. Changan said the factory officially began operations on May 16, when the first right-hand-drive Deepal S05 rolled off the production line.
The plant will manufacture vehicles under Changan’s core brand as well as its Deepal and Avatr sub-brands. The Deepal brand, launched in 2022, focuses on new energy vehicles, including battery-electric and extended-range electric models.
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In China, the Deepal S05 is offered in both battery-electric and extended-range variants, with prices starting from 116,900 yuan ($16,680). In Thailand, the model is priced from 799,000 baht ($25,740) after incentives, according to Changan Thailand.
The start of exports from Thailand highlights the country’s growing role as a manufacturing and export base for Chinese automakers seeking to expand globally amid intensifying competition and shifting trade dynamics.
