EVAT (Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand)
Thai Delegation Visits China to Boost NEV and Smart Mobility Cooperation
By Paul
On March 9, 2026, Mr. Supakit Boonsiri, Director-General of the Office of Industrial Economics (OIE), together with Mr. Chalee Khansiri, Director of the International Industrial Economy Division, and Mr. Kriangkrai Wongpromrat, Director of the Automotive Institute (AAI), led a delegation from OIE, AAI, the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT), and related agencies on a visit to China. The trip aimed to strengthen cooperation on New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) and Smart Mobility under the project “The state of preparedness of the Lancang-Mekong region’s market adoption for new energy vehicles (NEVs) and smart mobility,” supported by the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund.
Visit to SAIC Motor R&D Innovation Headquarters
The delegation visited SAIC Motor R&D Innovation Headquarters, a global automotive R&D center of SAIC Motor, the parent company of MG. The center focuses on future vehicle technologies including engineering design, testing and certification, NEV powertrain development, smart vehicle technologies, and connected vehicles. The visit provided insights into China’s automotive innovation ecosystem, which can be applied to upgrade Thailand’s automotive and parts industry and the Lancang-Mekong subregion for the transition to EVs and smart mobility.
Study of Advanced Battery Technology at Qingtao Energy
The delegation also visited Qingtao (Kunshan) Energy Development Group Co., Ltd. in Jiangsu Province, a high-tech company specializing in solid-state battery R&D for EVs. Qingtao’s expertise covers battery technology R&D, production process development, EV application, and battery recycling, with numerous patents. Both sides exchanged views on battery technology trends, R&D collaboration, technology transfer, and battery supply chain development. This cooperation will help enhance the capabilities of Thailand’s automotive and parts industry and the Lancang-Mekong subregion to become a future production base for NEVs and smart mobility technologies.