The ongoing flooding in Thailand has devastated the entire country, causing the capital city of Bangkok to be evacuated in several districts, and countless lives to be lost. The natural disaster has also severely impacted the nation’s economy, including the hard disk drive industry.
Over an estimated 30% of the world’s hard disk drives are manufactured in Thailand, notably from Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba and Hitachi. Sony themselves have manufacturing facilities in Ayutthaya, one of the hardest hit areas. The Ayutthaya plant produces primarily Sony camera products, but may also produce parts used in other Sony devices. Additionally, 70% of the world’s hard disk drive motors are produced by Japan’s Nidec Corp. in Thailand, who supplies all of the major hard disk manufacturers.
Analysts and computer manufacturers are predicting “supply constraints”, which will impact anything that includes a hard disk drive, including gaming consoles like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The disaster is already affecting hard disk prices, with a 50% jump within one week according to market research firm IHS – something that will likely impact both the HD consoles.
Please help support the victims of the tragedy by donating to help the affected areas.
