It was in 2015, when RE announced their first dealership in Thailand. Today it was announced that Royal Enfield Thailand will now have a CKD assembly plant, a first for the bike manufacturer outside India. The wholly-owned subsidiary in the Asia Pacific region bears testimony to demand for RE motorcycles that’s warranted the need to have assembly plant outside of India. The Thai unit should begin operations by June 2019.
For Royal Enfield’s new Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 Twins, the company’s most recent launches in a bigger than before segment, Thailand was one of the first markets in Southeast Asia. Since launch of the parallel twin engine platform offerings, the 650 Twins have received more than 700 bookings in Thailand. To date, 100 motorcycles have already been delivered.
Siddhartha Lal, CEO, Royal Enfield, said, “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,” said Siddhartha.
“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.”
Vimal Sumbly, Head Business, APAC Region, Royal Enfield said, “Royal Enfield started with one store in Bangkok, which has been instrumental in helping us understand this market. We have an aggressive plan to expand our reach to about 15 standalone dealers and 25 authorized service centers by March 2020. The expanded reach will offer customers better accessibility and convenience in Bangkok and the Greater Bangkok area, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai.”
