Honda cuts production in Thailand by 40%

Honda Motor said Friday it has cut production in its Thai plant by 40 percent, blaming a drop in demand, the day after the country's army chief seized power in a military coup.

"We have cut the volume of production to 60 percent of the plant's annual capacity of 300,000 units, as we forecast a fall in demand," a Honda spokeswoman told AFP.

"But this decision is not rooted in the political uncertainty in the country," she added.

Vowing to halt months of political bloodshed, coup makers led by the tough-talking army chief on Thursday declared a nationwide night-time curfew and ordered masses of rival demonstrators off the streets.

On Friday military leaders summoned more than 100 prominent figures from rival political camps.

Honda and its rival Toyota said they had been forced to close their factories at night in Thailand in order to comply with the curfew.