Local auto sales estimated at 750,000 units next year

BANGKOK, Dec 9 (TNA) -- Honda expects 750,000 automobiles will be sold in the country in 2016, factoring in increased excise tax. Pitak Pruittisarikorn, chief operating officer of Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co, told a seminar on the outlook of Thailand's automotive industry in 2016 that the local sales this year were estimated at 780,000 units because consumers were hurriedly buying 15,000 vehicles to avoid the increase in the excise on automobiles next year. He said the actual sales of this year thus stood at about 765,000 vehicles. He forecast the local sales would stand at 750,000 units next year, saying the economic situation of the country would be similar to that of this year. Despite the upcoming excise tax increase, economic stimulus measures of the government would give more money to middle-class people and the local automotive market should grow faster than the national economy, Mr Pitak said. Pornchai Trakulwaranont, vice minister of industry, said that next year the Thai economy would be recovering, the manufacturing production index would rise by 2-3% and automobile production would increase by at least 10% to about 2.16 million vehicles. (TNA)