Bangkok International Motor Show organizer Mr. Peeraphong visits Japan for OAM

Osaka Auto Messe (OAM) 2024, held from 10-12 February 2024, attracted 211,738 visitors over three days, some of whom came from overseas involved in motor shows. We asked Mr. Peeraphong, a representative of Grand Prix, the organizer of the Bangkok Motor Show in Thailand, about the local custom car scene.

BIMS will have a new custom zone in 2024

Mr. Peeraphong Eamlumnow, whom we spoke to this time, runs Grand Prix International Public Company, which boasts a history in Thailand dating back to 1970. In addition to media businesses such as online media, print, and publishing, he is also an event organizer, managing local car manufacturer events, racing events, and the Bangkok International Motor Show in the Thai capital, Bangkok. The company is also an event organizer, organizing events such as the Bangkok International Motor Show in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand.

Mr. Pirapon has established a new booth for customized cars at the Bangkok Motor Show in 2024, in addition to new models from various manufacturers. He plans to display a wide variety of vehicles, including supercars, classic cars, and campervans, so he came to check out what kind of event the OAM will be.

The 2024 Bangkok International Motor Show is scheduled to run from 27 March to 7 April and is a mammoth event, with 1.62 million visitors in 2023, as it is not only a chance to see many brands of vehicles in one place, but also has the aspect of a new car sales event.

Isuzu is by far the most popular custom vehicle base in Thailand, where pickups are popular

In Thailand, where car fever is so high, about one million new cars are sold annually, but half of these are commercial vehicles represented by pick-up trucks, and cars are still considered to be luxury items. Many people use motorbikes (2 million motorbikes are sold annually) to get around, but cars are still very popular in Thailand with its tropical climate.

It is said that Japanese cars still have a high share of the local market and are often chosen as a base for customization, but due to high tariffs on Japanese-made parts, parts developed by local manufacturers are popular. However, TEIN and others are manufactured locally in Thailand, and these parts seem to have become a coveted item for local users.

In Thailand, pick-up trucks are still the most popular, and it is not unusual for them to be used as the basis for tuning. This is not only because of their ease of use, but also because most pick-up trucks have a front-engine rear-drive layout, and depending on the tuning, they can enjoy driving like an FR sports car.

Isuzu vehicles in particular are becoming popular due to their ease of tuning, but in recent years, local subsidiaries of Toyota and Mitsubishi have begun to join forces with local shops to offer tuning services, and he said that the era of Isuzu dominance is changing.

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When asked about their impressions of walking around the OAM venue, they analyzed the layout, which took into account visitor flow lines and made it easy to see even when the hall was crowded, and that the outside of the hall was wide enough to make it easy to move around. As for the vehicles on display, Thai people also like to decorate their cars, but they found Osaka’s unique style interesting, and there may come a day soon when they will be able to see ‘Osaka-style’ customized cars in Thailand.

■ Bangkok International Motor Show
https://www.motorshow.in.th/en/home-en/

translated by DeepL