Toyota will commence production of the Prius in Thailand, marking the first mass production of the hybrid outside of Japan. Toyota currently produces the Prius at its main plant in central Japan and will start producing the Prius at an existing plant in Thailand in late November. The rise of the yen against the dollar has promted Japanese manufacturers to consider shifting production elsewhere. The Thai plant is located about 110 kilometres southeast of Bangkok and has a capacity to produce 200,000 units a year. Toyota will make an unspecified number of Prius cars at the Thai plant to satisfy local Thai demand.
