BANGKOK: General Motors (GM) will withdraw Chevrolet from Thailand by end-2020 and sell its Rayong vehicle plant to Great Wall Motors.

This move was part of GM's announcement that it would wind down sales, design and engineering operations in Australia and New Zealand and retire the Holden brand by 2021.

“I’ve often said that we will do the right thing, even when it’s hard, and this is one of those times,” said GM chairman and CEO Mary Barra in a statement.

“We are restructuring our international operations, focusing on markets where we have the right strategies to drive robust returns, and prioritizing global investments that will drive growth in the future of mobility, especially in the areas of EVs and AVs (electric and autonomous vehicles)."

GM had analysed the business case for the Rayong plant, and concluded that continued production was unsustainable due to low plant utilisation and forecast volumes.

Without domestic manufacturing, Chevrolet is unable compete in Thailand’s new-vehicle market.

GM said it would honour all warranties and continue to provide servicing and spare parts in Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand while local dealers will also continue to handle all recall and any safety-related issues.

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