20 May 2010

Contingency plans for NZ company in Bangkok

5:44 pm on 20 May 2010

A New Zealand company with a factory near Bangkok says it is closely monitoring the chaos in the Thai capital.

A curfew remains in place in Bangkok and nearly a third of Thailand's provinces following clashes on Wednesday between Red Shirt protesters and troops in the capital.

Fisher and Paykel Appliances employs about 650 people at its facility in Rayong, an hour's drive from Bangkok.

Spokesperson Mat Orr says none of its workforce in Thailand, which includes about a dozen expatriates, lives in Bangkok.

Mr Orr says the company's priority is the safety of its staff and it has contingency plans in place but neither the factory nor the shipping port used by the company has experienced any disruption.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is continuing to advise people not to travel to Bangkok.