Starting from late 2024, Chinese EV maker NETA Auto began to experience a severe operational crisis across multiple markets. Amid significant financial stress at its parent company in China, NETA withdrew from Malaysia and Singapore, and Thailand became its last remaining overseas market.
Thailand is also a key expansion destination for many Chinese EV brands – we counted at least 18 Chinese brands having showrooms in the country.
However, even in Thailand, once its most successful venture abroad, sales plummeted, dealerships exited, staff resigned, and liquidity concerns escalated. It was in this context that Sun Baolong, then Executive Vice President of NETA Thailand, was appointed as General Manager.
What follows is an excerpt of his personal reflection, originally written in Chinese, translated here into English. Please note that the opinions expressed here are of the author, not of Momentum Works. The recounts are painful, deeply personal and at times bitter – we hope there are some useful lessons here for everyone.
Part 1: Rising to the Challenge
One afternoon in early December 2024, I received a call from NETA Auto’s headquarters. They informed me that I would immediately assume the role of General Manager of NETA Thailand, with the responsibility of stabilising operations and safeguarding the company’s most successful overseas market.
This move wasn’t entirely unexpected—I had already served as Executive VP for three months—but the pressure was still intense. The company had been in crisis for two months with no signs of improvement. I hesitated. But only for three seconds. That’s because I have a gambler’s instinct—not in the sense of gambling for luck, but the tendency to take a chance even when it comes with great risk. After all, opportunities like this don’t come easily.
Part 2: Transformation Through Painful Realisation
The following month was the most exhausting in my professional life. For the first time, I was directly responsible for all company operations—not just sales, but also production, finance, government relations, and media. It felt like a pupil suddenly thrown into high school. Many areas were completely new to me.
But that wasn’t the hardest part. The real challenge was that the company was already in a state of crisis and abnormal operations. Facing pressure from all sides, I struggled to adapt. Though we solved many problems, I felt completely drained. I had to go home and recharge.
Thankfully, with my family’s encouragement and the joyful laughter of my daughter, I returned to full strength within a week and felt even stronger than before. It seemed that one month of battle, plus one week of recovery, had transformed me.
Part 3: Mission, Responsibility, Belief—And the Thrill of Challenge
The following months were exhilarating. The difficulties we faced were beyond what most professionals will ever experience.
In one sentence: in a foreign land, with headquarters having collapsed and no longer able to offer support, we were already vulnerable but still had to help headquarters and our peers while doing everything we could to keep NETA Thailand alive and support our customers and dealers.
To keep NETA Thailand alive until the company turned around—that was our mission. It was tough, but we wanted to try.
Part 4: Pressure from All Sides—Painful, Yet Unforgettable
During this period, we have been subjected to every imaginable kind of pressure. On the customer side, disruptions in spare parts supply have made warranty claims difficult and caused significant delays in delivering pre-ordered vehicles. The disappointment, dissatisfaction, and harsh words from customers have felt like sharp knives piercing our hearts. We worked tirelessly to rebuild supply channels, only to encounter mistrust and inefficiencies with our Thai partners. Although the problem is close to being resolved, it has taken far too long and caused our customers too much pain. In the face of their frustration, all our efforts seem meaningless. For those of us in sales, it is particularly heartbreaking to witness more than 5,000 approved loan orders canceled within just six months due to vehicle shortages.
The pressure from our dealers is equally intense. They are constantly urging us for vehicle supply and the release of rebates. Time after time, their hopes have turned into disappointment. If there is anyone who wishes for the revival of our brand as much as we do, it is our dearest dealers. Many of them have chosen to stand by us through these difficult times. While some have withdrawn, there are still those who refuse to give up, continuing to wait with hope for the first light of dawn.
Our suppliers, whether in production or marketing, have gone through a journey from calmness to anxiety, and finally to despair. Many have chosen legal action to seek repayment, not out of hostility but from helplessness. Every day we must face suppliers coming to discuss payments. Though most remain civil, the fundamental principle that debts must be repaid weighs heavily on our minds. We understand that our repayment plans may not always materialize, but we still want to make every possible effort to try.
The government, as a neutral party, monitors us so closely that even whether I stay or leave has to be reported. We are doing our best to maintain the government’s trust and support.
The media, as a channel of spreading information, has at times been used maliciously by those eager to defame or exert pressure on us. As our company’s situation worsened, some individuals—either out of mischief or malice—began to spread false information, slander us, and even attack personal reputations. A Thai employee once told me that if I could read Thai, I might already be suffering from depression and have returned home.
Looking to the future, in order for headquarters to survive, our Thailand office, which is the only overseas branch capable of providing substantial support, carries the hopes of the entire organization. Much of what we’ve done hasn’t been to benefit the Thai entity itself, but to help headquarters stay afloat, even at the cost of exhausting all our own resources. After going through a grueling month-long negotiation and achieving what we believed was already the best possible result, we didn’t want to hear phrases like “not good enough” or “it needs to move faster.” All we hoped for was just a simple word of comfort—something as small as “thank you for your hard work.”
Among all the blows we’ve taken, the betrayal from within has been the most devastating to our morale. Perhaps we are not saints, but as the ones responsible for the company, we understand how important it is to protect the fundamental rights of our employees, especially in a country like Thailand where labor rights are strictly protected. I truly believe I’ve done everything within my capability. I did not let headquarters worry, nor did I compromise the rights of our Thai employees. Yet, some chose to ignore all our past efforts, latching onto rumors and speculation, sometimes even incited by others. They conspired internally and externally to fabricate new rumors. They left in groups, five or six at a time, hoping to cause a fatal blow to our operations. Though this “they” refers only to a portion of our team, the emotional damage they caused is immeasurable. This experience has reshaped my view of human nature. It has even made me doubt whether I can trust anyone again.
Beyond the workplace, pressure from family is even more direct. With already modest pay reduced by half, simply supporting a household becomes a challenge. After mortgage payments, there is almost nothing left. Ultimately, it is my closest family members who have paid the price for my ideals and convictions. Although they have never voiced any complaints, the weight of responsibility prevents me from feeling at ease—especially as I am thousands of miles away and unable to be with them.
The post Painful reflections of a Chinese EV player’s Thailand GM first appeared on The Low Down - Momentum Works.
