Mitsubishi's Laem Chabang plant in Thailand is the Japanese carmaker's largest manufacturing facility and export hub outside of its home country, with a production capacity of 390,000 units per year. We toured the place this week and got briefed about the impending introduction of the Mirage to the Philippine market.

Here are five facts we learned about the Laem Chabang plant:

1. Mitsubishi spent THB 16 billion (over P22 billion) for the construction of the Mirage's plant alone.

2. The plant's location, Laem Chabang, is also the home of the only port in Thailand that can handle the shipping of completely built-up vehicles for export to other countries. Hence, Mitsubishi's vehicles don't have to travel very far from the plant to be shipped elsewhere unlike in the case of other carmakers that are located in other parts of Thailand.

3. Most of Mitsubishi Motors Thailand's suppliers are located around the plant so procuring its supplies is never a problem for the company.

4. The pickup is really Thailand's best-selling vehicle, which is why of the 390,000 units Mitsubishi produces annually, the Strada accounts for nearly half of it with 185,000 units.

5. The plant also produces the engines for vehicles, with an annual capacity of 423,000 units. Of that number, 250,000 units are diesel engines for the Strada and the Montero Sport.

Photo by Patrick Everett Tadeo