From：Internet Info Agency 2026-07-30 10:29:26
Yapoi Yodmanee, founder and CEO of Thailand’s largest automotive parts manufacturer Aapico Hitech, stated that global automakers risk being eliminated from the market if they fail to forge deep collaborations with Chinese counterparts. Established in 1996, Aapico primarily produces chassis components, fuel tanks, and transmission systems. In 2025, the company reported revenue of THB 28.2 billion (approximately RMB 5.685 billion). It operates 52 subsidiaries and associate companies—32 in Thailand and 20 overseas—with international operations accounting for 47.6% of the group’s total revenue. Aapico entered the Chinese market in 2004 and, in 2023, acquired a 60% stake in its joint venture with Proton, a subsidiary of Geely, supplying components to the partnership. Yodmanee noted that thanks to its early entry and sustained deepening of cooperation with Chinese enterprises, Aapico currently enjoys a stronger position than many competitors. He observed that over the past three years, Chinese automakers have rapidly penetrated Thailand’s market—a segment long dominated by Japanese brands—leaving some Japanese manufacturers struggling to respond effectively. In the long run, he argued, the momentum of Chinese automakers is unstoppable, and survival for automakers from other countries hinges on forging deep partnerships with Chinese firms. He added that Chinese vehicle quality has improved significantly in recent years: while Chinese cars enjoyed little recognition among Thai consumers three years ago, their advanced electronics and intelligent systems are now widely embraced by younger users. Some consumers, after comparing Porsche models with similarly positioned Chinese vehicles, expressed surprise at the latter’s cutting-edge electronic features and prices just one-third of Porsche’s. Data shows that by 2025, Chinese automakers had captured 25% of the global market share—double their share a decade earlier and only one percentage point behind Japanese automakers, whose market share declined by four percentage points over the same period. In March this year, Honda reported its first-ever annual loss since going public, acknowledging that the business environment is changing rapidly and its outlook remains uncertain. Yodmanee predicts that the rapid advancement of China’s electric vehicle (EV) industry is accelerating a restructuring of the global auto sector, driving the emergence of a “new globalization” paradigm: smaller suppliers serve global OEMs, while traditional giants must recalibrate their strategies. He forecasts that in the future global automotive market, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles will account for roughly one-third of sales, with pure EVs and hybrid vehicles each making up another third. According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), global EV sales have grown by 3.5 million units annually for five consecutive years through 2025, representing 5% of the world’s total vehicle fleet. In Asia, Indonesia and Thailand have seen particularly notable growth in EV adoption. Yodmanee concluded that China’s automotive industry will emerge as the clear winner in this transformative phase, as it started its journey with electrification and thus aligns more closely with future industry trends.
