Honda has designated its Thailand facilities as its regional technology transfer centre for car manufacturing in other countries, reaffirming the company's commitment to making the country its regional auto manufacturing hub.

Honda's Automobile (Thailand) Co president Kenji Otaka said Honda's plant in Thailand has now been given "mother plant" status.

The country's second-largest car manufacturer started production last month at its second auto plant in Thailand, which the company describes as one of the world's most modern and environmentally friendly plants.

Mr Otaka said the company's facilities were now recognised as a regional production headquarters, sharing and transferring expertise for Honda manufacturing teams from other countries.

The Thailand team has been specially assigned to support Honda subsidiaries in Taiwan, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan and the Philippines.

Other Honda teams will visit the Ayutthaya plant to gain skills in all phases from the trial stage to mass production. Later, when facilities in other countries are ready to start manufacturing, the Thai team will provide technical support for preparing for mass production.

Thai technicians and engineers have already been appointed to support manufacturing of the new City and the 2009 Civic in the region.

The City was chosen as the first model for the new "mother plant" role as it was designed and developed in Thailand, where it also had its world premiere. The City is built in China, India and Malaysia as well as in Thailand

Mr Otaka said the central role assigned to Honda in Thailand bears witness to Honda's advanced technologies and manufacturing strength here, as well as to Thailand's skilled human resources, its excellent infrastructure and its network of auto suppliers.

"It truly puts the country on the international map as a world-class quality manufacturing base," he said.

Honda started production last month at a second auto plant, located next to its existing one. The 6.2-billion-baht expansion to Honda's facilities in Thailand underlines the significance of Thailand for Honda's strategic market and reflects growing domestic and export demand for Honda cars.Honda says its Thai facilities incorporate the best of the company's core competencies - advanced technology, skilled staff and proven strength in auto manufacturing. The company describes the facilities as on a par with Honda's other global plants in terms of design, layout and operational efficiency.

Annual production at the new plant of 120,000 units doubles Honda's automobile production capacity to 240,000 units. Models produced at both plants are Jazz, City, Civic, CR-V and Accord. Over 6,400 are employed at both facilities.

Pitak Pruittisarikorn, a director, said Honda was not worried about fallout from deepening global financial turmoil but would turn the crisis into an opportunity by using its additional production to develop product quality.

When Thailand faced a financial crisis in 1997, it was more severe than this one, but Honda did not lay off a single employee, instead reassigning staff for training, he said.