Chinese auto brand BYD celebrated its Thailand factory's first anniversary on Monday, marking both its 90,000th New Energy Vehicle delivery and the first locally produced BYD Seal 5 model rolling off the production line.

Somruedee Tanphairoj, director-general of Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, attended the ceremony in Rayong Province, reaffirming the department's support for BYD. He emphasized that BYD's factory in Thailand has served as an exemplary success, validating Thailand's strategic focus on promoting the EV industry.

Over the past three years since its entry to Thailand, BYD has committed to providing local consumers with cutting-edge technology, premium services and superior products, said Liu Xueliang, general manager of BYD Asia-Pacific Auto Sales Division.

"In our Rayong factory, more than 90 percent of BYD's employees are local people. Also, we have practised our strategy of localization via disaster relief, such as deploying our vehicles in Northern Thailand that was suffered from flood," Liu said. "This collaboration fosters cultural integration, which also reflects the Thai-Chinese close bond."

Since beginning operations in July last year, BYD's Rayong factory, a global benchmark for intelligent manufacturing, has achieved fully localized production with an annual capacity of 150,000 units.

On Monday, the factory's 90,000th New Energy Vehicle, or NEV, a BYD Denza D9, was presented to the President of the Football Association of Thailand Nualphan Lamsam, symbolizing its role as a cultural bond between China and Thailand.

Monday's event also marked the roll out of BYD's first Thailand-made BYD Seal 5. As Thailand's first locally produced plug-in hybrid electric vehicle model, the SEAL 5 will enter full production at the Rayong factory, according to Liu.

yangwanli@chinadaily.com.cn