Auto production target cut to 2 million: FTI

 

While domestic sale has plunged this year, exports are also hit by uncertainties in the Middle East as well as the widespred of Ebola, said Surapong Paisitpattanapong, spokesman for the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) Automotive Industry Club.

"Domestic sale in the last month of the year may pick up thanks to the motor expo, but exports should remain unchanged. Export-oriented production should at best stay unchanged from last year's level," he said.

Under the revised target of 2 million units, 900,000 units are earmarked for the domestic market and the rest for exports. 

Last year, Thailand produced 2.45 million vehicles: 1.33 million for the domestic market and 1.12 million for exports.

The output is now expected to recover slightly to 2.2-2.3 million units next year, with 1 million units earmarked for domestic sale. Civil servant salary hike should be a positive factory for domestic sale, Surapong said. 

A combined number of 719,171 vehicles were sold in Thailand in the first 10 months of this year, showing a 36 per cent decrease from the same period last year. Meanwhile, 932,365 vehicles were exported, showing a 1.25 per cent drop from the same period last year. However, the export value rose by 3.08 per cent from the same period last year.