New car models cushion Thailand's total vehicle sale

BANGKOK, March 22 (TNA) - The Federation of Thai Industries (FDI) reports that the country's total sale of vehicles rose 19.9 per cent year-on-year in February 2017 and 19.5 per cent from a month earlier, thanks to the introduction of new car models since the beginning of this year. FTI Vice Chairman Surapong Paisitpattanapong, who is also Spokesman of FTI's Automotive Industry Club, told journalists of the update on Wednesday. The spokesman elaborated that overall domestic auto sales last month stood at 68,435 units, most of which were sedans accounting for a 59.8 per cent year-on-year increase, followed by pick-up trucks and trucks accounting for 15 per cent and 12.3 per cent year-on-year increase respectively. The spokesman attributed the increase in domestic vehicle sales to the recovering Thai economy, which also cushioned the accumulated domestic auto sales during the first two months of this year to 125,689 units, a 15.4 per cent increase from the corresponding period of last year. The spokesman said Thailand's auto production during the first two months of this year, meanwhile, totaled 306,757 units, a 2.33 per cent drop from the corresponding period of last year. According to the spokesman, Thailand's exports of completed automobiles totaled 178,334 units during the January-February 2017 period, a 10.13 per cent drop from the corresponding period of last year. (TNA)