This article studies the role of the external knowledge sources supporting the automotive industry in Thailand. The external knowledge sources can be categorized into three groups, namely universities, government agencies, and private associations. The study was conducted through a series of interviews with the key decision makers involved in the development of linkages in each organization. The results show that the research and development linkage between the firms and other external knowledge sources is weak and lacks long-term commitment. From the human resource development perspective, the universities in Thailand face some limitations in customizing curricula to match the needs of the automotive industry due to rigid academic requirements and regulations issued by the higher education authority. For the government bodies to actively act as a middleman linking all parties together, the policies and regulations should be flexible enough to match industrial change. Policy recommendations have been proposed in the study to address the strategic issues for both agency and institutional context development. © 2012 Copyright Korean Society for Innovation Management and Economics (KOSIME).