Published on October 18, 2005

Carmakers churned out 710,889 vehicles in the first eight months of 2005, 126,495 more than the same period in 2004.

The 21.6-per-cent growth puts the industry on target to easily produce more than one million vehicles this year. And yet again the pick-up dominated both production and sales.

“The star is still the one-tonne pick-up truck, with production of 514,332 units,” said Surapong Paisitpattanapong, spokesman for the Automotive Industry Club of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).

The industry produced 179,523 passenger cars, equivalent to 25.5 per cent of total vehicle production.

But production was down 11.5 per cent year-on-year due to lower domestic sales. Breaking down the passenger car segment, the industry produced:

l91,807 passenger cars with engine capacities from 1,201-1,500cc, down 10 per cent.

l57,988 passenger cars with engine capacities from 1,501-1,800cc, up 0.8 per cent.

l8,960 passenger cars with engine capacities from 1,801-2,0000cc, down 52.6 per cent.

l17,133 passenger cars with engine capacities from 2,001-2,500cc, down 12.1 per cent.

l3,612 passenger cars with engine capacities from 2,501-3,000cc, down 26.8 per cent.

l23 passenger cars with engine capacities from 3,001cc and more, down 39.5 per cent.

The industry also produced 531,119 pick-ups, equivalent to 74.7 per cent of total production, and up 39.4 per cent year-on-year due to increased domestic sales and export growth. Breaking down the truck segment, the industry produced:

l856 pick-ups weighing less than one tonne, down 58.1 per cent.

l514,332 one-tonne pick-ups, up 40.9 per cent.

l287,822 single-cab trucks, up 21.2 per cent

l191,837 double-cab pick-ups, up 57.9 per cent.

l34,673 PPVs, up 470 per cent.

l4,998 trucks under five tonnes, up 29.3 per cent.

l3,392 trucks weighing five to 10 tonnes, up 44.2 per cent.

l7,541 trucks weighing more than 10 tonnes, down 5.5 per cent.

Exports of completely built-up automobiles in the first eight months grew 29.4 per cent to 269,512 units. The exports, which accounted for 37.9 per cent of automobile production, were valued at Bt125.8 billion, up 36.2 per cent from the same period last year.

Engine exports surged 110 per cent to Bt5.5 billion, exports of vehicle components increased 84.5 per cent to Bt50.4 billion, and automotive spare-parts exports roared 38.9 per cent to Bt2.5 billion.

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