GM suspends construction of Thai diesel engine plant

General Motors (GM) has suspended construction of a US$450 million diesel engine plant in Thailand, as the company struggles in the face of a global demand slowdown. The plant’s original completion date is 2009, with a production capacity of 100,000 units. The delay is a further blow to the Thai automotive industry, which is reeling from declining domestic sales made worse by the deepening political unrest in the country and by falling export demand. (December 6, 2008)