Royal Enfield has announced announced the formation of its first wholly-owned subsidiary in Thailand. It is the company’s first CKD assembly plant outside India and will be operational by mid-2019.
Thailand was one of the first markets in Southeast Asia for Royal Enfield’s new Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 Twins, based on an all-new parallel twin engine platform. Since their unveiling in December 2018, the 650 Twins have already received over 700 bookings in Thailand, with over 100 motorcycles delivered till date. The 650 Twins were developed ground-up by teams at Royal Enfield’s technical centres in Chennai, India and Bruntingthorpe in the UK. The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 also won the prestigious Indian Motorcycle of the Year 2019.
“Ever since we commenced sales in Thailand three years ago, we have been absolutely delighted by the love we’ve received from riders here. Our customers in Thailand have discovered that our modern classics are brilliant for long rides on the highway while also being perfect to commute on in heavy traffic in the city. We are committed to focusing our energies on becoming part of the fabric of this country’s rich motorcycling culture, and our decision to start assembling our motorcycles in Thailand is a sign of Royal Enfield’s long-term commitment and growing confidence in the market. Thailand has become Royal Enfield’s third home after its origins in UK and success in India. The initial success of the 650 Twins in Thailand has proven that Royal Enfield is well poised to fill the gap in the mid-size segment. With a massive segment of commuters ready to upgrade and a robust long-distance, leisure riding culture in the country, Thailand offers huge headroom for growth for Royal Enfield. We believe that localising our operations in Thailand will allow us to serve our customers at a closer and more intimate level.’’