Aiming to accelerate its electric vehicle sales in Thailand against Chinese competitors like BYD, Tesla has announced plans to open a flagship store in a mall in eastern Bangkok as early as June. This initiative marks Tesla’s most significant move in the Thai market to date, reports Nikkei Asia.
The U.S. automaker is reportedly repurposing the site of a former Toyota Motor showroom, local media reports. The renovated five-story facility will serve not just as a showroom, but will also house a service center, parts warehouse, and fast-charging stations.
While a Tesla representative confirmed the development, they noted that further details would be shared in due course.
In December last year, Tesla launched online sales for its Model Y midsize sport utility vehicle and its Model 3 sedan in Thailand. Priced at approximately 1.96 million baht and 1.76 million baht ($56,500 and $50,700) respectively, these models carry a higher price tag than their Chinese counterparts, which retail for around 1 million baht.
“Tesla views Thailand as a proving ground for accelerating its expansion in Southeast Asia,” commented Kenichi Shimomura, a principal at Roland Berger.
According to Autolife Thailand, Model Y sales roughly doubled in March from the previous month to 1,034 units. This surge in sales earned the Model Y a 17% share of EV sales in Thailand. Moreover, the Model Y has become the second-best-selling electric vehicle in the country, outpacing earlier models from China’s SAIC Motor group and Great Wall Motor, but falling behind BYD’s Atto 3.
Already, prospective Tesla buyers can partake in test drives at a dealership located near the upcoming flagship store. Among them, Max, a Bangkok-based engineer and owner of two cars, including a Toyota Camry, stated his inclination towards replacing one of his cars with a Model Y, remarking, “I had decided that my first EV would be a Tesla.”
