Haier's 10-Billion-Baht Thai Bet: The Making of an ASEAN Manufacturing Hub
In May 2026, Haier officially opened its first Thailand manufacturing facility — a full air conditioner factory with 500,000 unit annual capacity on 100 rai of land at WHA Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate 3 in Chonburi. The investment: 10 billion baht (~$285 million). The message: Thailand is becoming Southeast Asia’s manufacturing headquarters for Chinese industrial champions. Why Thailand? Thailand’s AC market maturity: Thailand is one of the top 5 AC markets in ASEAN by volume. It’s a stress-test market — if your AC works in Thai conditions, it works anywhere. ...