Thai Sales, Output, Exports Hit High-Water Mark in July

Thailand’s auto industry roars back from natural disasters to set monthly records for sales, production and exports in July.

After last fall’s national flood disaster and the side effects of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, domestic sales for the month soared 80.6% to 131,646 units.

Toyota Thailand, which compiles national sales data for the industry, says passenger-car sales spiked 99.6% to 64,430 units, while commercial-vehicle deliveries accelerated 65.5% to 67,216.

Within the CV segment, 1-ton pickup-truck sales jumped 68.1% to 58,868 units.

Toyota Thailand Executive Vice President Wutthikorn Suriyachantananon says sales were boosted by the government’s first-car-buyer tax refund program, new-model launches and increased production to meet backed-up orders.

The record month boosted year-to-date sales 46.2% to 738,169 units. Car deliveries increased 42.6% to 321,940, while CV volumes rose 49.1% to 416,229 compared with a year ago.

The government’s National News Bureau also reports auto makers set records for production and exports for July.

It quotes Federation of Thai Industries automotive industry spokesman Surapong Paisitpatanapong as saying exports rose 25.1% year-on-year to 94,838 units, the highest number since 1998. After seven months, overseas sales were up 15.7% compared with like-2011, to 551,707.

The surge in domestic sales and exports came as the industry raised production 44.5% in July to a record 212,727 units. Output in the first seven months of the year climbed 32.6% to 1.27 million.

Wutthikorn says while Thailand’s export sector has been affected by the economic problems in Europe, this has not hurt the local auto industry and he expects the spectacular results to continue through the year.

“With capacity increased, the industry can deliver even more vehicles,” he says in a statement. “Until the end of the year, we expect the market to continue to grow.”

Toyota maintained its dominance, leading July sales and seeing a 73.1% year-on-year gain to 48,460 units, good for a 36.8% market share. Honda followed, with deliveries spiking 186.8% from its flood-forced plant closure a year ago to 20,508. Isuzu was third, up 39.0% to 16,700.

The car segment saw Toyota jumping 76.1% to 21,860 units last month, compared with year-ago, with Honda rising 195.6% to 20,150 and Nissan ahead 57.0% to 6,532.

Toyota sales in the CV segment grew 70.7% to 26,600 units, with Isuzu second, up 39.0% to 16,700, and Mitsubishi, increasing 48.1% to 7,887.

Within the CV segment, Toyota led 1-ton pickup sales, rising 75.8% to 24,650 units, followed by Isuzu, up 35.7% to 14,852. The small pickups comprised all of Mitsubishi’s CV deliveries.

Through the first seven months, Toyota’s sales climbed 57.2% to 289,705 units, with Isuzu up 23.9% to 114,024 and Honda rising 28.6% to 68,817 units.

Within this, Toyota car deliveries grew 42.8% to 127,345 units, while Honda advanced 34.7% to 67,087 and Nissan improved 74.2% to 48,802.

Year-to-date CV deliveries showed Toyota gaining 70.7% to 162,360 units, with Isuzu rising 23.9% to 114,024 and Mitsubishi ahead 43.1% to 50,856.

Toyota led the important 1-ton pickup segment after seven months, with sales jumping 74.8% to 150,107 units. Isuzu followed, up 23.8% to 103,991, ahead of Mitsubishi, rising 43.1% to 50,856.

Chevrolet also benefited from the rejuvenated Thai market, with its July sales soaring 124.5% to 6,148 units, good for a 7-month result up 114.3% to 38,435.

Ford sales climbed 87.1% over July 2011 to 5,678 units for a year-to-date total up 51.6% to 27,047.