Sagging Exports Take Shine Off Thai Domestic Sales

Thai vehicle sales and exports are racing in opposite directions with soaring domestic deliveries and plunging overseas shipments.

The Federation of Thai Industries automotive section says domestic light-vehicle sales in March rose 16.7% year-on-year to 84,801 units, helped by the launch of several new car models.

The car segment soared 40.9% to 33,482 units and pickup deliveries rose 15.8% to 35,826.

First-quarter sales were up 15.9% at 210,490 units.

However, the federation says March vehicle exports fell 3.1% year-on-year to 105,967 units, leaving the first-quarter result off 7.6% at 284,301.

Industry spokesman Surapong Paisitpatanapong tells the Bangkok Post newspaper the export drop resulted in part from a 54.1% dive in Middle East shipments to 10,192 vehicles. Exports to other Asian countries fell 7.3% to 26,274, but shipments to North America surged 143% to 9,197 units, with Central and South American demand rising 51.4% to 13,048.

The federation for now is maintaining its full-year export forecast of 1.2 million units, but Surapong says a revision is likely in July.

The industry also says March production fell 7.3% year-on-year to 178,798 units, pushed down by a 13.1% drop in pickup output to 103,775. This left year-to-date output off 4.2% at 485,555 units.

The March build left Thai plants at 58.4% of capacity.