Tesla hiring business development manager in Thailand as EV demand rises

US EV giant Tesla has been stepping up recruitment procedure in Thailand as the Southeast's Asia automotive hub sees a surge in demand for electric vehicles. The company is looking to hire a business development manager and recruiters, as per its website. The job announcements come as the country faces high energy prices which in turn has increased demand for EVs along with support from government consumer incentives.

The company is advertising nearly 20 Bangkok-based jobs including a home charging developer on its website and the position of a charging infrastructure lead was also posted on its LinkedIn. Other vacancies were for vehicle technicians, customer service and a parts adviser.

However, Thailand is not expected to be a production site for Tesla for now, even though the country's government has been promoting sales of EVs and it is being speculated that the EV company might set up its official showrooms there.

Thailand is Asia's fourth-largest auto assembly and export hub for companies like Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co Ltd. The country sees production of about 1.5 million to 2 million vehicles annually, of which about half of which are exported.

The Thailand government is now targeting production of 725,000 EVs a year, or 30% of total vehicle output, by 2030. The country also offers many EVs made by Chinese automakers at affordable prices. Great Wall Motors launched its ORA Good Cat model at the annual motor show for 828,500 baht ($22,600). The Chinese manufacturer also plans to produce that model in Thailand in 2024.

Another Chinese automaker Hozon Auto last month unveiled the NETA V for 549,000 baht ($15,000), matching starting prices for traditional vehicles in Thailand. Meanwhile, Indonesian President Joko Widodo in August urged Tesla to manufacture its cars and batteries, in his country.