The vehicles are ambulances with basic life-support equipment, airport limousines, natural-gas-fuelled cars, and natural-gas-fuelled buses, managing director Sompong Phaoenchoke said yesterday.

"The company wants to add more variety of modified vehicles in response to high demand from a new group of customers," Sompong said, adding that Thai Rung targeted sales growing to Bt2 billion next year, an annual increase of 30 per cent.

Sompong said the company's sales of modified vehicles this year would fall short of the target of 3,000 units predicted early in the year. The company has so far recorded sales of 1,300 to 1,500 units.

The main reasons for the shortfall are high fuel prices and intense competition from rivals.

Moreover, he said, the company had expected to sell up to 2,500 taxis this year, but sales to date are only 400. This is because the higher price of diesel has pushed additional costs on to taxi drivers.

In addition, Thai Rung is preparing to expand its auto-parts production line due to the dramatic growth of Thai vehicle exports.

The company is also engaged in automotive product research and development, design and development of stamping dies and assembly jigs, the manufacture of pressed metal automotive parts, and vehicle assembly.

Watcharapong Thongrung

The Nation