Thailand's auto production and sales keep growing

BANGKOK, February 21 (TNA) - The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) says that the country's automobile production and sales have keep expanding, thanks to a large number of purchase orders late last year. Surapong Paisitpatanapong, Spokesman of the FTI's Automobile Industry Club, told reporters that Thailand's auto production rose to 236,000 units last month, a 67.95 per cent year-on-year surge, comprising 104,000 cars and 127,600 one-ton pickup trucks. Surapong acknowledged that auto sales last month also exceeded 125,800 units, a 63.36 per cent jump from the same period last year, thanks to the deliveries of many automobiles ordered last year, although the sales dropped by 13.04 per cent from last December. The spokesman reported that auto exports last month nearly reached 86,700 units and soared by 61.78 per cent from January 2012. According to the spokesman, Thailand's auto production over the next three months should amount to 664,700 units, an about 31 per cent year-on-year increase; while the country's overall auto production this year should reach about 2.55 million units, an increase by 96,200 units or 3.92 per cent year-on-year, with about 1.1 million units to be exported and 1.45 million units to be sold on the domestic market. (TNA)