Gary Zhou 
Key Points
- 🇹🇭 Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of Thailand hinted at the possibility of a Tesla manufacturing facility in Thailand.
- 🤝 Prime Minister Thavisin met with Elon Musk during his trip to the United Nations General Assembly and discussed Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink.
- 💰 Thailand anticipates potential investments of up to $5 billion from companies like Tesla, Google, and Microsoft, with Tesla considering an EV manufacturing facility.
- 🚗 Tesla had already delivered Model 3 and Model Y units in Thailand, but they didn’t qualify for government EV subsidies as they were not built in the country.
- 🌏 Elon Musk has been engaging with political leaders in Southeast Asia, including discussions about a Tesla plant in Indonesia.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of Thailand teased a potential Tesla manufacturing facility in his country.
Last week, the Prime Minister of Thailand met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The pair talked about Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink.
“Met with Elon Musk and team during my trip to #UNGA in New York. We had a good conversation on Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink technology,” the Prime Minister said through a post on X. “I am impressed with the advance the group has made for humanity, and we share a common view of the future for a cleaner world. We look forward to further discussions. Look forward to more inspirational successes of the #EV and Space Exploration breakthrough – for not only Thais but also the global community.”
Now, the Prime Minister estimates Thailand may expect up to $5 billion in investments from companies including Tesla, Google, and Microsoft.
“Tesla would be looking into an EV manufacturing facility, Microsoft and Google are looking at data centers,” the Prime Minister reported Reuters.
The Prime Minister of Thailand did not clarify how much he estimates each company would invest in the Southeast Asian country. However, he seemed confident in his statement.
Tesla delivered its first Model 3 and Model Y units in Thailand earlier this year. Thailand did not impose import fees on Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles from Giga Shanghai in China. However, Tesla Thailand customers did not qualify for government EV subsidies because the Model Y and Model 3 were not built in the Southeast Asian country.
Elon Musk has met with a few political leaders from countries in Southeast Asia. In August 2023, Elon Musk met with Indonesian officials in San Francisco. It was a low-key meeting that lasted 2.5 hours, where the group reportedly discussed details about a Tesla plant in Indonesia.
