Cars are seen stuck in traffic in Bangkok, Thailand, September 12, 2018. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's domestic car sales surged 93.07% in April from a year earlier, coming off a very low base last year when the country was in a strict lockdown to fight a coronavirus outbreak, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) said on Thursday.

 

But sales dropped to 58,132 cars last month, when a third, more severe wave of infections struck Thailand, from 74,295 cars sold in March.

 

Thailand is a regional vehicle production and export base for the world's top carmakers.

 

"Our domestic sales target of 750,000 cars this year is still possible, but the outbreak must not continue for a long time," Surapong Paisitpattanapong, a spokesman of the FTI's automotive industry division, told a briefing.

 

In April, car exports surged 160.16% year-on-year to 52,880 vehicles, helped by a low base last year and higher global demand, and are likely to beat a target this year, he said.

 

The FTI's car production target this year of 1.5 million units, half of which for export, could still be exceeded, Surapong said, adding global outbreaks and a microchip shortage for car production remained negative factors, however.

 

In the January-April period, domestic sales rose 9.6% year-on-year to 252,269 vehicles while car exports increased 14.9% to 310,988 units, the FTI said.

 

(Reporting by Orathai Sriring, Satawasin Staporncharnchai and Kitiphong Thaichareon; Editing by Martin Petty)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-05-20

 

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Well I know I helped the stats by buying my new vehicle in April.  Every bit helps, especially after the car show, I am sure they sold many vehicles.

Just what we need , more cars on the road. It would be nice if they learned how to drive first.

Looking forward to scooping a near new bargain once the live-for-today mob wake up to the world tomorrow, and can't make the repayments.