14 October 2021
South East Asia has been one of the world’s economic bright spots in recent years, with favourable demographics and strong economic growth. The region is also a significant vehicle producer and large market for finished vehicles, taking early steps towards electrified and low emissions vehicles, particularly in public transportation.
This SMMT webinar looked at Thailand and Indonesia – the two largest vehicle producers and markets in the region. We were joined by speakers from the Thai Board of Investment and Department for International Trade, Indonesia.
Agenda:
- Welcome and Introduction – Matthew Smith, Senior International Manager, SMMT
- E-mobility development in Indonesia – Mr Efrizal Saputra for the Department for International Trade, Jakarta
- The automotive sector in Thailand – Mr Chanin Khaochan, Deputy Secretary General, Thai Board of Investment
- Q&A
Speaker bios
Mr Chanin Khaochan, Deputy Secretary General for Thailand Board of Investment
Mr. Chanin Khaochan, Deputy Secretary General (Executive, Higher Level), began his career at the Office of the Board of Investment in 1986. He had held important positions as follows:
– Economic Advisor (Investment) in Tokyo, Japan between 1995 and 1997
– Director of Regional Investment and Economic Center 2 (Phitsanulok) between 2004 and 2005
– Director of BUILD Unit between 2005 and 2011. He initiated the Subcon Thailand Exhibition in 2006 to create market opportunities for Thai industrial part manufacturers, especially to raise SMEs to be on par with international level. Presently, the exhibition has been organized annually in May
– Counselor (Investment) at the Regional Investment and Economic Center in Frankfurt, Federal Republic of Germany between 2011 and 2014
– Director of the Regional Investment & Economic Center 4 (Chonburi) between 2015 and 2017
– Director of Information and Communications Technology Center between 2017 and 2019
– Investment Advisor (Plan and Policy Analyst) between 2019 and 2020
Mr. Chanin Khaochan earned his Bachelor of Engineering from Chulalongkorn University and a certificate of completion for advanced training program from the National Defense College, Thailand (NDC60). In 2000, he was assigned as a Consultant on foreign investment influence in the Bangladesh Board of Investment.
Mr Efrizal Saputra, Trade and Investment Manager (Infrastructure) for the Department for International Trade in Jakarta, Indonesia
Efrizal is currently Trade and Investment Manager for Transport Infrastructure sector, at the Department for International Trade (DIT), based in British Embassy Jakarta. He joined DIT in 2019 and is responsible for supporting UK companies’ interests to involve in airport, railway, and electric vehicles projects in Indonesia, including providing advice on the best way to enter the market. Before DIT, Efrizal has worked for Cekindo Business International, a market entry consulting company for three years. As Business Consultant, he helped foreign investors to strategize the business expansion plan to Indonesia.
