Squeezed Out: Is Thailand’s “Detroit of the East” Losing the EV War to Vietnam?

BANGKOK – For fifty years, the automotive sector has been the crown jewel of Thai industry, accounting for roughly 10% of the nation’s GDP. But as the world pivots to Electric Vehicles (EVs), Thailand’s traditional dominance is being challenged by a leaner, faster neighbor.

While Thailand remains the region’s largest auto producer by volume, Vietnam is no longer just “catching up”—it is rewriting the rules of the game. Here is a breakdown of the specific sectors where Thailand’s industrial lead is under the most pressure.

The EV Revolution: VinFast Takes on the Big Three

Thailand’s strategy has been to attract Chinese EV giants (BYD, Great Wall Motor) to set up shop in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). However, Vietnam has something Thailand lacks: a national champion.

• Vietnam’s Advantage: VinFast has shown a “Silicon Valley” speed of execution. By vertically integrating battery production and software development within Vietnam, they have created a self-sustaining ecosystem. Vietnam’s exports of EVs to the US and Europe give them a global brand footprint that Thailand’s “assembly-for-others” model lacks.
• Thailand’s Risk: Thailand is heavily invested in Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) infrastructure. As brands like Honda and Suzuki scale back Thai production, the kingdom faces a “valley of death” where old jobs disappear faster than new EV jobs are created.

VinFast, Vietnam’s homegrown electric vehicle manufacturer, has rapidly gained international attention, positioning itself as a formidable competitor in the global EV market. This gives Vietnam a distinct advantage in fostering a strong EV ecosystem, as a national champion can drive domestic innovation, attract investments, and spearhead export growth. In contrast, Thailand’s reliance on foreign players, while beneficial for immediate economic gains, may limit the development of its own EV industry in the long term.

Electronics: High-End vs. Assembly

In the 1990s, Thailand was a global hub for Hard Disk Drives (HDDs). Today, that technology is legacy.

• The Shift: Vietnam has skipped the legacy stage and moved straight into semiconductors and high-end smartphones. With Samsung producing 50% of its global phones in Vietnam and Apple moving iPad and MacBook lines to Bac Giang, Vietnam’s electronics exports ($165B+) now dwarf Thailand’s ($48B).
• The Critical Gap: Vietnam is aggressively courting AI chip designers (Nvidia, Marvell). If Thailand cannot pivot from “part assembly” to “wafer testing and design,” it risks becoming a secondary player in the digital supply chain.

The “Cost-Competitiveness” Crunch

A comparison of the operational landscape for 2026:

Digital Services and the “Unicorn” Race

Thailand has a vibrant consumer market, but Vietnam is producing more “tech unicorns.” Vietnam’s software engineering pool is younger and significantly cheaper.

This has made Vietnam an attractive destination for tech startups and investors seeking innovation at a lower cost. Meanwhile, Thailand’s consumer market continues to thrive, driven by its strong tourism sector and growing middle class, positioning it as a hub for retail and lifestyle industries.

• The Threat: Bangkok is a regional hub for digital nomads, but Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are becoming the hubs for coding and R&D. Thailand’s aging population means a shrinking pool of developers, driving up wages and forcing Thai startups to outsource their tech teams to… Vietnam.

The Path Forward for Thailand

To avoid being eclipsed, analysts suggest Thailand must stop competing on labor costs and start competing on sophistication.

1. Green Energy Sovereignty: Thailand must lower industrial power costs by accelerating its own renewable transition.
2. Tier 1 EV Suppliers: Instead of just assembling cars, Thailand needs to incentivize the local production of power electronics and sensors.
3. Human Capital: Radical upskilling of the 40-year-old “automotive workforce” to handle digital manufacturing.

“The window is closing,” says a senior analyst at a Bangkok-based think tank. “Vietnam has the momentum of a startup; Thailand has the baggage of a legacy corporation. We need a ‘version 2.0’ of our industrial policy, and we need it this year.”

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