Mitsubishi Motors Thailand Pushes Forward in Its Efforts to Restore Ecological Balance Through Mitsubishi Motors Foundation, Celebrating Its 60th Anniversary as it Joins Hands with Royal Forestry and TGO Authorities to Restore Forests in Chon Buri

Chon Buri - September 9, 2021: Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Motors Thailand Foundation (MMTF) have organized a reforestation project on 20 rai of land in the Ang Kraphong Community Forest, Bo Thong District, Chon Buri. Led by Mr. Morikazu Chokki (5^th from the right), Chairman of the Board of Directors at Mitsubishi Motors Thailand and Chairman of MMTF, the opening event was joined by honorable attendees Mr. Kiatchai Maitriwong (3^rd from the right), Executive Director of Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO), Acting Sub-Lieutenant Sarawut Kornjiracharoen (2^nd from the right), District Chief of Bo Thong District, and Mr. Aoot Chaotawee (4^th from the right), representative of Royal Forestry Department (RFD). The activity was arranged under the “60 Rai Reforestation” Project, which Mitsubishi Motors Thailand has initiated to be part of an environmentally-conscious community while continuing to innovate in order to help Thailand sustainably grow and develop, as it has been dedicated to do in the last 60 years of operating in the country.

Mr. Morikazu Chokki, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Mitsubishi Motors Thailand and Chairman of MMTF said, “Mitsubishi Motors Thailand thanks the people of Thailand for the endless support it has received throughout its 60 years of operating in the country. To continue its operations with a community-focused and environmentally-conscious mind, in tandem with the drive to develop Thailand’s automotive industry for sustainable economic growth, the company thus established the “Mitsubishi Motors Thailand Foundation (MMTF)” as a non-profit organization. The objective of the foundation is to help develop our society through the three key pillars, being the Environment, Health, and Education and Morality. The MMTF demonstrates Mitsubishi Motors Thailand’s long-term commitment and dedication to contributing and growing with the Thai society.”

“This reforestation activity is an environmental effort that the company values with the utmost importance, along with its continual efforts to support sustainable development and growth in the economic sector. The “60 Rai Reforestation” project is thus a collaborative effort among 4 parties which are Mitsubishi Motors Thailand, Mitsubishi Motors Thailand Foundation (MMTF), Royal Forestry Department (RFD) and Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO). The event carried out today serves as the first step of the 60 Rai Reforestation project, where various trees will be planted, namely Makha, Siamese Rosewood, Ironwood, Hairy Keruing, Malva Nut Trees, and Mahogany, amounting to 20 rai in total at Ang Kraphong Community forest. We hope that this activity will play a part to help raise environmental awareness in the community, for us to better care for our forests as they help decrease the effects of global warming. Aside from today’s event, the company also has plans to arrange another reforestation initiative for 40 rai in Sa Kaeo province.”, added Mr. Chokki.

Mr. Aoot Chaotawee, representative of Royal Forestry Department (RFD), said, “Thailand currently has a total of 102,484,072.71 rai of forest area, accounting for 31.68% of the total land in the country. As per the National Forest Policy, forest areas must cover at least 40% of Thailand’s land. Hence, efforts to preserve the country’s forest areas by reaching the policy’s requirement have been focused on increasing the amount of planted forests and community forests. Such efforts include encouraging people to establish more planted forests around their local or other permitted areas. Thus, as the RFD is the main body in terms of managing and organizing the country’s forests, it aims for such efforts to be comprehensive and supported by both the private and public sector, where both parties will lend a hand to help with reforestation initiatives. The objective is to create a genuine sense of care and consciousness for the preservation of our forests among these parties.”

“For this reforestation project, the RFD gladly renders its knowledge and consultation, from the planting to the maintenance stage for optimum tree growth, as well as choosing the right trees to plant for each location. Most of the plants include valuable varieties, such as Makha, Siamese Rosewood, Ironwood, Yang Naa, Paduak, and Acacia mangium. As such, when these plants grow, surrounding communities may make multiple uses of the materials from them, including involving them in their livelihoods to increase income in local households. Other varieties are also edible, such as Phai Tong, Sadao, Thai copper pods and Sator, which means the plants can be kept for household use as well as commercial use by the local communities.”, added Mr. Aoot.

Mr. Kiatchai Maitriwong, Executive Director of the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO), stated, “the TGO and the RFD have collaborated to introduce the Community Forest Support Project to Reduce Global Warming, in order to encourage the private sector to play an active role in saving and replenishing our forests, by emphasizing the Low Emission Support Scheme (LESS). This is a mechanism that increases awareness for the reduction of greenhouse gases and commends those who successfully find ways to decrease or completely remove greenhouse gas emissions. The support we have received today as Mitsubishi Motors Thailand and the MMTF took part in the reforestation efforts to increase green areas in the country serves as a remarkable effort from the private sector to help decrease global warming, so that all of us may live better lives now and in the future. Most importantly, this added forest land will become an important area for greenhouse gas removal, which will both decrease and mitigate the effects of the current global warming for us all.”

The Ang Kraphong Community Forest Project is located in Village No. 3, Kasetsuwan Sub-district, Bo Thong District, Chon Buri. The total area spans 323 rai, 1 ngan, and 80 square wa. It was established as a community forest in 2006 on the national reserve forest. The forest area was originally significantly worn out, and the RFD consequently started restoration projects in 2020 with the Ang Kraphong Community Forest Committee as the forest rehabilitator. The efforts were carried out by 5 members of community forest networks from the eastern region and from the private sector. The forest is a drainage basin which transfers water to the Rachalothorn Reservoir in Ko Chan District. Local communities’ lifestyles partially centralize around this phenomenon, as they collect mushrooms, leaves, and local fruits for consumption. Furthermore, the community forest is home to a vast array of wildlife, such as wild boars, monkeys, squirrels, birds, civets, and palm civets. Therefore, the forest’s restoration and replanting of natural resources are imperative to the lives of the communities which surround it, as well as the wildlife which call the forest home. The state of the forest is also crucial to the well-being of those living in city areas and the industrial sector, particularly those that use water from the Rachalothorn Reservoir.

Previously, employees of Mitsubishi Motors Thailand joined in on a mangrove forest reforestation project with local communities at Baan Laem Chabang Community, Chon Buri, in September 2020, by planting and growing the trees to ready them for the location. The efforts also included preserving water resources and general surroundings in the community.

“From now, Mitsubishi Motors Thailand will continue to implement more green activities to raise environmental consciousness within the organization, community, and the country to pursue our commitment to a clean environment and sustainable society. It is considered one of our core directions to run our business in Thailand”, concluded Mr. Chokki.

About Mitsubishi Motors Thailand (MMTh)

Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd., the largest plant in the MMC group and an export hub to more than 120 countries, is one of Thailand’s leading automotive manufacturers committed to produce and sell a range of vehicles that are eco-friendly, high in quality, performance, safety, comfort, technology and customer satisfaction. In 2018 MMTh celebrated a total production of five million units, and officially opened Education Academy in Pathum Thani. MMTh’s current range of vehicles includes MITSUBISHI TRITON, MITSUBISHI PAJERO SPORT, MITSUBISHI ATTRAGE, MITSUBISHI MIRAGE, MITSUBISHI XPANDER, MITSUBISHI XPANDER CROSS and MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV. To ensure the highest quality, MMTh uses its proving ground in Si Racha, Chonburi to assess products from design and prototype stages to pre-production and commercialization. This ensures customers take delivery of vehicles that are second-to-none in all aspects of quality.

• Please contact Mitsubishi dealers nationwide for more information and test driving, or contact Mitsubishi Call Center Tel. 02-079-9500 24 hours daily.
• Stay updated with Mitsubishi Motors Thailand;