Bangkok Int'l Motor Show 2014 set from March 26-April 6

BANGKOK, March 5 (TNA) - International visitors are welcome to the 35th Bangkok International Motor Show 2014, set to be held at the IMPACT Trade and Exhibition Centre in Muang Thong Thani on the outskirts of Bangkok from March 26-April 6. Chaturon Komolmitr, Senior Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Grangpi International Co., Ltd., told journalists on Wednesday that auto sale volumes at the 12-day fair are expected around 37,000–38,000 units, compared to 48,023 units last year, caused by impacts from persistent domestic political protests since late last year and a slowdown in the national economy subsequently. Chaturon pointed out that the domestic political tension has made people to become reluctant to spend money and car dealers will, thus, launch more promotional campaigns to boost their auto sale volumes and revenues. Chaturon assessed that total car sale volumes in Thailand this year should reach 1.2 million units, out of the country's total automobile production of about 2.5 million units, in line with an earlier projection made by the Federation of Thai Industries’ Automotive Industry Club. Meanwhile, the Thai Ministry of Finance's Customs Department reported that its collected tax revenue stood below its target by 20 per cent during the first quarter of the 2014 fiscal year, or from October 1-December 31, 2013, also caused by impacts from the prolonged domestic political demonstrations. Customs Department Director-General Rakop Srisupaat cautioned if the domestic political turbulence continued throughout this year, his department's tax revenue would also fall below its target, at 131 billion baht, by about 20 per cent on the condition that the government would invest over 2.5 trillion baht on mega infrastructure development and water management projects and the local private sector has kept expanding its investment projects. But the Thai Retailers Association projected that the retail business in the country could grow by 6–7 per cent this year, after protesters of the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) have moved to a single site at Lumpini public park in Bangkok and more foreign tourists should, thus, visit Thailand in the coming months. (TNA)