WHAID lands Haier washing machine plant in Rayong

For Thailand, the investment matters because it adds jobs, supplier linkages and fresh evidence that the EEC can still attract large industrial projects despite a cautious global manufacturing backdrop. WHAID said the plant will create more than 1,000 local jobs and open the door for Thai parts makers and suppliers to plug into Haier’s international supply chain.

The deal also reinforces WHAID’s pitch that its industrial estates are ready for smart-factory manufacturing. The site is built with stable power, underground fiber-optic cabling, water and communications infrastructure, and zero-discharge water management, all of which are becoming more important as manufacturers automate production and try to cut installation time and speed products to market.

Haier’s decision to expand again with WHAID is likely to be read by investors as a vote of confidence in the developer’s EEC land bank and utility platform, as well as in Thailand’s BOI and EEC incentives. WHAID said the first phase of WHA ESIE 5 covers 3,400 rai and that a further 3,500 rai is planned for later expansion, giving it room to court more industrial tenants if the appliance maker’s move helps validate the estate.

The project is also part of a broader supply-chain shift in which major appliance brands continue to diversify production outside China and closer to export routes in Southeast Asia. With Haier already operating other production bases in WHA estates, the new washing machine plant extends a relationship that has lasted more than 20 years and underscores how industrial landlords are competing on infrastructure, logistics and ESG readiness as much as on land.