Bangkok--28 Sep--Image Impact Malaysia’s national car manufacturer, PROTON Holdings Bhd., announced plans in making its debut into the Thai auto market by appointing Phranakorn Auto Sales Co., Ltd. (PAS) as its authorized distributor in Thailand at a press conference today in Bangkok. “This is an extremely auspicious milestone for PROTON particularly since this year Malaysia and Thailand are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. Furthermore, with the implementation of ASEAN’s Free Trade Agreement, we foresee a promising future for the automobile industry in Thailand, especially in the economy car segment, which is being supported by the Thai government for economic and environmental reasons,” said Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, Managing Director of PROTON Holdings Bhd. Thawatchai Jungsanguanpornsuk, Managing Director of PAS, commented, “We are honored that PROTON has shown such confidence in us, and we are committed in doing our utmost to ensure that our partnership grows from strength to strength. As part of our plans to immediately expand PROTON’s reach, we are seeking qualified dealers not only in Bangkok, but also in upcountry areas to establish a reputable and professional dealer network throughout Thailand.” While Phranakorn Auto Sales is a subsidiary of PNA Group, a veteran automobile distributor of more than 50 years in the Thai market, which has 11 other companies under its umbrella, PROTON Holdings Berhad is the holding company for the Malaysian national car brand ‘PROTON’. Established in 1983 under the direction of the former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad, the company is listed on the Bursa Malaysia PROTON Holdings is currently exporting cars to the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Cyprus, Mauritius, Taiwan, Brunei, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as aggressively marketing its cars in several other countries around the world, including the Middle East. For further information, please contact Image Impact Ltd.: Tel: +66 (0) 2253 6809 — 12 Fax: +66 (0) 2253 6805 Khun Chutinun Guna-Tilaka Ext. 118 Email: [email protected] or Khun Patra Chatnilbandh Ext. 112 Email: [email protected]