Ford suspends Thailand production amid floods

Ford shut down passenger vehicle production at AutoAlliance Thailand, the assembly plant it jointly operates with Mazda Motor Corp., from Oct. 19-22. The company will reassess whether to open again on Oct. 25, following scheduled downtime during a long-holiday weekend.

Truck production, which had been suspended earlier, remains offline.

While the plant is in an area of Rayong unaffected by flooding, a number of its suppliers in Ayutthaya province were hit by the rising waters, Ford spokesman Neal McCarthy said.

Massive flooding has swamped much of Thailand, including industrial heartland areas where many Japanese automakers and suppliers are located. Five Japanese automakers, including Mazda at AutoAlliance, have suspended operations there so far, Japanese media report.

General Motors says the flooding has not affected operations at its plant, also in Rayong.

“We are closely monitoring the supply of parts from local component makers who may be affected by this situation,” GM International Operations spokesman Jonathan Rose said.

Ford’s plant has annual capacity to build 275,000 vehicles. McCarthy declined to say how many units of production have been lost due to the flood disruptions.

The factory makes the Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 pickups, as well as the Ford Fiesta, Mazda2 and Mazda3.