PUBLISHED : 17 Feb 2024 at 04:00
The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI) has launched three policies aimed at making Thailand the biggest EV production hub in Southeast Asia.
Minister Supamas Isarabhakdi outlined the policies: developing skilled workers, increasing EV usage, and supporting research and development.
“We are confident that these policies will play a crucial role in making Thailand the largest EV production hub in the Southeast Asian region and achieving the government’s goal of reducing vehicle emissions by 30% within the next five years,” she said.
Ms Supamas recognised some challenges.
“Thailand does not have a big enough workforce to join the EV industry, and this is a big problem,” she said.
“So we have to develop skills for people so that they can find work in this field,” she said.
Ms Supamas said that by 2030, the government aims to reduce carbon emissions by 30%.
To achieve the target, one of the measures is to replace petrol vehicles with EVs, which includes producing 725,000 electric cars and 675,000 electric motorcycles.
The production of EVs will create job opportunities, she said.
The MHESI has launched the “MHESI For EV” initiative, focusing on Electric Vehicle-Human Resource Development (EV-HRD), to train 150,000 people in EV-related skills within five years.
The ministry will also promote EV usage by encouraging all agencies under the MHESI to switch to electric vehicles and putting in place more charging stations.
About 30% of the MHESI’s vehicles will be electric within five years, making it more environmentally friendly, she said.
Additionally, the ministry will support EV innovation by investing in research and development to improve the EV industry’s competitiveness.