Thai auto exports up in January, domestic sales down

By BERNAMA | 26 February 2015


BANGKOK: Thailand's automotive vehicle exports in January rose 14.09 per cent year-on-year to 92,440 units, boosted by increased exports to markets such as Europe, Australia as well as North, Central and South America.

In value terms, exports rose 10 per cent year-on-year to 41.151 billion baht, and total exports including of engines and auto spare parts increased by 5.84 per cent to 59.281 billion baht, said Surapong Paisitpatanapong, deputy chairman of the Automotive Industry Club of Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).

Meanwhile, the domestic sales volume in January fell 12.9 per cent to 59,669 units with the country's economy yet to fully recover, he said at the monthly press briefing on Tuesday.

Other contributing factors to the low sales included low prices of agricultural products, strict loan conditions from financial institutions and  private investment that had also yet to recover, he said.

Surapong said Thailand targets car and truck production this year of 1.2 million units for export and 950,000 units for the domestic market.

He said the total production in January increased by 2.22 per cent year-on-year to 166,260 units.

Production for export increased to 106,278 units, or 13.81 per cent higher, but production for domestic sale declined 13.4 per cent to 59,892 units.

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