I'm looking for a set of OEM tail lights and I'm seeing supposed new OEM ones are coming from Thailand. Is that so? There's a few dealers out there selling OEM ones for around $100 each when I've seen them go for nearly twice that. I've been looking for a used OEM set but ones that look decent are asking $75 and more.
I have some aftermarket ones on my truck now and they're looking like crap.

 

no .. new OE were japan produced , either , Iki japan manufacturing inc or Koito japan manufacturing co, LTD

 

I bought a couple pairs of those Thai made first gen tail lights because they were very inexpensive back at that time. (Ebay)

They look very good out of the package, but after two or three years, they are nearly as faded as my thirty year old originals were.

I'm glad I bought a spare set.

 

I'll try to verify the lamp origin before ordering them. I'm concerned only because the last time I bought oil filters from the dealer and they were made in Thailand. I haven't tried buying any other parts from the dealer. The two timing belt kits I bought were OM Japanese parts but they were not from the dealer.

 

FWIW, I have one (inexpensive) Thailand-made tail light assembly, and after 4-5 years it looks good as new. (Though my truck is garaged.)

Before you try to figure out if a product is good or bad based solely on the country of manufacture, remember: In the first third (or so) of the 20th Century, "Made in Japan" was one of the worst pejoratives you could use. I guess people found out around 1941 that some Japanese-made products were pretty good.

 

The high quality Toyota can oil filters are made in Thailand.

Also, the first 22RE head gasket I bought was made in Japan. It was defective out of the box because of a bad spot on one of the fire rings. The replacement Toyota head gasket was made in Thailand, and looked exactly like the Toyota made in Japan head gasket. The Thailand made head gasket has been doing great for 4.5 years now.

 

I remember when made in Japan meant it was something cheap and/or substandard. This continued into the '70s. I recall when Chinese products started coming in around 1980. It was cheap and usually poor quality. There were improvements over time but a lot of their products are still crap, especially tools and auto parts. I just won't buy tools or auto parts nor much else that come from China. I only buy something Chinese, like a computer or some electronics, when it's the last resort.
I see a lot of Toyota "OEM" tail lamps on eBay from Thailand. I've also read a lot of counterfeit parts have been coming from Thailand or are made there. I'm just trying to be careful about what I'm trying to buy. I know the dealer won't sell a counterfeit part but I'm not always sure all these OEM discount parts vendors are really genuine dealers.