Thailand needs an additional 150,000 skilled workers in the automotive sector if it is to achieve its target of producing 2.5 million vehicles by the year 2015, media reports said Thursday. ( dpa )
Thavorn Chalassathien, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries' Auto-Parts Industry Club, called on the government to speed up human resource development plans for the automotive sector if its hopes to reach its goal of securing the kingdom's reputation as the "Detroit of the East."
Last year, Thailand manufactured 1.25 million vehicles, employing 300,000 workers, Thavorn told The Nation newspaper.
The country will need another 150,000 skilled workers in the sector, with highly qualified engineers comprising up to 20 per cent of the workforce, if the government is to achieve its goal of producing 2.5 million made-in-Thailand vehicles by the year 2015, warned Thavorn.