Geographical Study of the Dynamism of Automotive Industry in Thailand under the Value Added Policy

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K01134
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 04020:Human geography-related
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Une Yoshimi 金沢大学, 人文学系, 准教授 (40585056)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 自動車産業 / 産業集積 / 分散立地 / 生産システム / ジャスト・イン・タイム生産方式 / タイ / 日系企業

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Thailand Automobile Industry is clustered in and around the Bangkok metropolitan area. The location mechanism and production system of Japanese auto parts firms located in rural areas away from the agglomeration area are clarified as follows.
(1) In the northern, northeastern, and eastern regions of Thailand, there are many auto parts firms that manufacture a large number of small parts with relatively low transportation costs and low bulkiness. (2) Firms located in Northern Thailand, especially those located far from Bangkok, operate product warehouses in the Bangkok metropolitan area. These warehouses work as flexible parts supply functions in a just-in-time production system. (3) In the rural areas, relatively abundant low-cost production workers are available, but there is a shortage of staff and engineer class workers.

Free Research Field

経済地理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

自動車産業は，自動車組立工場へ納入する部品企業が物流や研究開発の円滑化を目的に自動車組立工場に近接立地することで集積地域を形成してきた。一方，低廉な労働費の追求や集積の外需不経済の回避などにより，企業は遠隔地や地方圏に工場を分散させる動きもみられる。しかし，日系企業が卓越するタイ自動車産業において，企業分散のメカニズムは既往研究において十分解明されておらず，本研究はこのことを明らかにした。日本企業のグローバル化が深化するなか，海外における企業立地のメカニズム，新興自動車産業生産国における産業立地の変容と地域経済への影響を考察する際の基礎的な状況を企業事例をもとに明らかにした。