Auto sale in March at record high

 According to the data compiled by Toyota Motor Thailand, of total, passenger cars accounted for 40,305 units which represented a 3.3 per cent decrease from the same period last year. However, commercial vehicles which include one-tonne pickups showed a 36.7 per cent increase on year to 70,168 units. One-tonne pickups alone showed  a 40 per cent increase to 61,737 units.
 Vudhigorn Suriyachantananont, vice president of Toyota Motor Thailand, attributed the improvement to brisk demand and automakers' success in boosting production capacity.
 Importantly, the passenger car segment showed a decrease, as Honda Automobile (Thailand), the biggest player in the segment, has not yet resumed normal production. Its flood-affected facility in Ayutthaya was just re-opened late March.
 Thanks to the March performance, the quarterly sale volume is also the highest in history with the combined number of 279,272 units. This represented a 17 per cent increase from the same period last year. While the commercial segment expanded 33.5 per cent on year, the passenger car segment declined by 4.6 per cent.
 Vudhigorn attributed that to the economic recovery and high demand to new models.
 "Sale would remain robust in April, thanks to higher orders filed at the Bangkok International Motor Show, the launch of new models, and automakers' success in resuming normal operations. This would ensure delivery of more vehicles. Aside, the government's first-car buyer policy also boosts the market activities," he said.