Chinese appliance maker Haier building plant in Thailand | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News - NHKニュース

Chinese home appliance maker Haier is building a factory in Thailand that will serve the Thai market and export products to neighboring countries. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday in the eastern province of Rayong.

Haier will invest about 150 million dollars in the factory. It's expected to produce 3 million AI-powered washing machines and other appliances annually.

Li Huagang, chairman and president of Haier Smart Home, said that factoring in integrated research, development, production and sales, the project will create more than 1,000 local jobs.

Sumet Tangprasert, governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, which is overseeing development of the industrial park that will house the plant, called the project "an important milestone" that will help strengthen "the already good relations between Thailand and the People's Republic of China."

Chinese companies are increasingly looking to Southeast Asia's growing consumer market to offset weak demand at home. Chinese maker Hisense is also building a factory in Thailand, to produce washing machines and other products.