Thailand Automobile Industry

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) has revealed that a record 256,581 automobiles were produced in the country last month - the highest since car production began in 1961, reports the Thai News Agency. This represents a year-on-year increase of 982.85% and a 1.75% increase from the month before. FTI spokesman Surapong Paisitpattanapong cited high demand after last year’s massive floods as a contributing factor.

161,768 of this record production number were sold in the country and the rest were exported, said Surapong. The spokesman also revealed that in the first 11 months of this year, Thailand’s auto production for domestic and export markets totalled 1.29 million and 941,351 units respectively.

Total Thai vehicle production is projected to hit some 2.45 million units by the end of the year, 2.5 million units next year and three million units by 2017, allowing the Kingdom to become one of the ten largest car producing nations in the world, added Surapong.