This research focuses on the process of growth in the automobile industries in the ASEAN region. ASEAN is drawing attention both from the vantage point of its position as an automobile-producing region and as a potential automobile market. Thailand in particular has long treated automobile production as a national strategy, and this research puts considerable focus on Thailand's initiatives. Since 2012, the authors have been carrying out on-site surveys and have visited many of the suppliers that form the local automobile industry; this published research represents a summary of those findings. The fields of specialty of this study¿s respective authors differ, so analyses have been made from a range of vectors. In particular, the focus is on the supply chain in what is generally referred to as a keiretsu.

Munehiko Itoh is a Professor at the Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration (RIEB), Kobe University, Japan.

Atsumi Kato is a Professor of the Graduate School of Social Sciences, Hiroshima University.

Yasuhiko Haraguchi is a Professor of the Graduate School of Social Sciences, Hiroshima University.

Park Taehoon is a Professor of the Faculty of Commerce, Kansai University.

1 Study on Thailand's Automobile Industry Supply Chain.-  2 Review of Preceding Studies.- 3 Factors that Can Impact the Behavior of Manufacturing Employees in Japan, Thailand, and China.- 4 Localization Process of Japanese Automobile Companies in ASEAN - The role of Local Parts Development Division at Toyota.- 5 Supplier Development of Japanese Automotive Parts Suppliers -Purchasing strategy of Denso in ASEAN.- 6 Achieving Foreign Subsidiaries' Self-reliant Product Development in host countries Through Mold Localization -Case study of Nissan in China and Thailand.- 7 Discussion and Implications for the Future.