Nissan to extend its ‘Honor the King’s Legacy’ Project to continue promoting the teachings of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej

BANGKOK, Thailand (May 8, 2018) – Nissan Motor Thailand will continue doing its part to carry on the legacy of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s in 2018 and beyond through its ‘Honor the King’s Legacy’ project.

In late 2017 and early 2018, Nissan Motor Thailand worked closely with ten highly qualified and unique individuals whose work and daily lives exemplify the late King Bhumibol’s legacy, dedication, hard work, talent, and wisdom shown during his long reign. Activities included creating artificial mineral licks for wildlife, solar panels that transform sunlight into electricity, connecting integrated circuits and cooking using bio-gas like local villagers do, and turning wood into wood vinegar.

A core goal of the project was to preserve, highlight and continue the teachings of the late King Bhumibol so that his wisdom is passed on to future generations by inspiring all participants and motivating them to encourage others to make our society and the world a better place to live.

That initiative ran for five months, bringing together journalists, unique individuals, and their local communities, along with Nissan employees and dealerships, across 10 trips that traversed 1,500 kilometers of the Kingdom to follow in the late King’s footsteps

All activities were designed to help ensure the late King Bhumibol’s philosophies and teachings continue to be passed on to future generations, and Nissan will continue doing its part to carry on the legacy of the great King as it extends the project into 2018 and beyond, said Antoine Barthes, President, Nissan Motor (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

“We are extremely proud of the small part that Nissan Thailand has played in supporting and ensuring the late King Bhumibol’s philosophies and teachings are passed on, so all Thai people not only remember their late monarch but also the wisdom and impact of his teachings and philosophies,” Barthes said.

“At the core of this project was identifying 10 unique individuals who had not just changed their personal and professional lives based on the teachings and wisdom of the king, but who also worked to promote and improve their local communities,” he said.

As a result of the success of the ‘Honor the King’s Legacy’ Project’s first ten trips, Nissan Motor Thailand plans to continue the project to ensure the legacy of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej is honored and celebrated going forward, Barthes said.

Nissan Motor Thailand also let some employees attend an ‘Honor the King’s Legacy’ event to experience the project and be inspired by these unique individuals. “Nissan Motor Thailand is a long-established Thai company that understands our employees are responsible for the company’s success,” he added.

On the one and two-day trips to nine provinces – Nakhon Nayok, Chiang Mai, Phetchaburi, Chiang Rai, Buriram, Sa Kaeo, Maha Sarakham, Ranong, and Bangkok – participants traveled in Nissan Navara, X-Trail, Note, Almera, and March vehicles equipped with the company’s innovative technologies.  The trips covered an aggregate 1,500 kilometers and participants visited 10 different locations, being exposed to .remarkable and powerful experiences, along with the King’s teachings, so that participants also saw how the chosen initiatives helped people in agriculture and related fields apply this knowledge and put it into practice to improve their daily business operations.

Pongpat Kaewpanao, Founder of Kaewpanao Organic Farm and a recipient of the prestigious ‘Young Smart Farmer’ recognition from the Department of Agricultural Extension, said: that “the ’Honor the King’s Legacy’ Project is great idea as it showed the current living situation of the community and the real lives of agriculturists to a larger audience, which helps agriculturists have a stable career.  The project also spread the late King Bhumibol’s sufficiency economy concept and how to apply it in daily life. Because a big company like Nissan brought journalists to Kaewpanao Organic Farm, it increased the community’s confidence in turning to sustainable farming.”

Sangdeaun Chailert, Co-Founder, Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, agreed. “I was glad Nissan recognized our hard work at the Elephant Nature Park, where we have truly followed the late King’s footsteps. We are honored Nissan took the initiative to continue King Bhumibol’s legacy and our community in recognizing the welfare of wildlife.”

About Nissan Motor (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Nissan was established in Japan since 1933 with the commitment to create Innovation that Excites for customer satisfaction. Nissan wants to improve quality of life for people in society by pursuing a goal of zero emission vehicles and zero fatalities on the road with “Nissan Intelligent Mobility”. The company plans to introduce autonomous drive vehicles across regions for safety and more enjoyable driving experience. Nissan started business in Thailand since 1952. Currently, the Nissan Group of Companies in Thailand has subsidiaries five companies, including two of the production bases, over than 190  showrooms and service centers nationwide network. Vehicle range cover all segments includes 10 models spanning the entry level Eco-Car, SUV, Premium Sedans and Pickup Trucks.

About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2016, the company sold 5.63 million vehicles globally, generating revenues of 11.72 trillion yen. In fiscal 2017, the company embarked on Nissan M.OV.E. to 2022, a six-year plan targeting a 30% increase in annualized revenues to 16.5 trillion yen by the end of fiscal 2022, along with cumulative free cash flow of 2.5 trillion yen. As part of Nissan M.OV.E. to 2022, the company plans to extend its leadership in electric vehicles, symbolized by the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, the Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has a global workforce of 247,500 and has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999. In 2016, Nissan acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is today the world’s largest automotive partnership, with combined annual sales of more than 10 million vehicles in calendar year 2017.

For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.