Ford appears to be showing no signs of slowing down production in Thailand, after reportedly purchasing a neighbouring factory to where it builds the best-selling Ranger.
As reported by Nikkei Asia, Ford has purchased Suzuki’s Rayong factory for an undisclosed sum, and will be taking over the plant which most recently built the Swift hatchback for certain markets, not including Australia.
Previously capable of producing almost 60,000 cars, the factory only built 4400 vehicles in 2024, which was followed last year by Suzuki announcing it would end manufacturing in Thailand, with the 65,000 square metre factory – on 66 hectares of land – soon to be out of its hands.
The plant is one of many automotive factories in the Rayong province, such as those operated by GWM, BMW, Mazda and Ford, the latter pair of which also have a joint facility, operating under the AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT) name.
While this is home to the likes of the Mazda 2, 3, CX-3 and CX-30 as well as the Ranger, Ranger Super Duty and Everest, Ford’s newly purchased facility is situated next to the wholly-owned Ford Thailand Manufacturing (FTM) factory which solely builds the Ranger.
Both the AAT and FTM plants were given a $1.29 billion modernisation investment in 2021, coinciding with the then-impending launch of the new-generation Ranger and Everest.
Ford claims production capacity at its FTM site is 135,000 vehicles annually, compared to the combined capacity of 270,000 at AAT, though it’s not known whether this includes the aforementioned Mazda vehicles.
In Australia, sales of the Ranger and Everest have dipped since the latest generation models were introduced in 2022, however the ute has been the best-selling vehicle in Australia for the past three years, while the SUV was the fifth-most popular car overall in 2025.
Torquecafe contacted Ford Australia for comment on plans for the new Thailand site, with the brand remaining tight-lipped about its future.
“Ford Motor Company has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the former Suzuki manufacturing site in Rayong, Thailand. This acquisition supports Ford’s long-term regional growth strategy by expanding manufacturing footprint and enabling additional flexible capacity in the region,” a Ford Australia spokesperson said.
“The intent is to strengthen production capabilities and add flexible capacity, positioning Ford to meet future demand across diverse vehicle segments in the region.”
“We don’t have specific product news to share today. By acquiring this advanced facility, we are creating the flexible capacity needed to respond to future market demands, whatever they may be. This investment creates flexible capacity that will enable us to even better serve our customers in Thailand and throughout the region.”
Ford hasn’t hinted at any product expansions in the region, as the majority of its vehicles are made in Europe or North America for global markets, however recent reports have suggested the Chinese-market Ford Bronco New Energy will launch in Australia.
Last month, China-based car news outlet Wheelsboy made the claim in a review of the new SUV, which utilises the Bronco nameplate, but doesn’t use the Australian-designed, Ranger-based underpinnings of the North American 4×4.
Instead, it’s based on a completely different monocoque platform by joint venture with JMC, and is currently only available in China, where it is available either as an EV or a range-extender EV (with a petrol engine helping to charge its battery).
Should the Bronco New Energy be built at Ford’s newly acquired factory in Thailand, it would be a rare case of a Chinese joint venture-exclusive model later being available to the outside world.
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