Thailand needs another 50,000 automotive technicians and engineers within the next five years to make itself an automobile production center in Asia by 2010, Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit has said.

Thailand has successfully produced 1 million vehicles this year, displaying to the world its status as a world-class production base, Jungrungreangkit said, adding the country aims to manufacture two million cars in 2010.

"Recently, government bodies, particularly, the Industry and Education ministries, have been listening to the private sector's demand for new graduates and are aiming to produce enough labor in specific fields such as technicians and engineers to serve industrial sectors," he was quoted on Monday by the Bangkok Post as saying.

Toyota and Honda have established global training centers in Thailand, along with research and development centers that also serve their employees from other countries in Asia, according to Jungrungreangkit.

He said infrastructure such as water and electricity supply as well as efficient logistics systems must be provided to help the industry expand further.

The local auto industry is estimated to generate sales of 930 billion baht (22.14 billion US dollars) this year, including 400 billion baht (10 billion US dollars) from exports.

The industry's share of total industrial gross domestic product has been put at 16 percent, according to Praphad Phodhivorakhun, the chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).

Source: Xinhua