Thailand’s car sales contracted in September by 4.1pc to 77,433 units according to data provided by Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).
Car sales in Thailand have been negative for 16 consecutive months. Demand was low even prior to COVID-19 and the pandemic exacerbated it.
From the prior month, sales in September rose by 12.4pc on the back of easing lockdown restriction and government aid in form of relief measures. Furthermore, the launch of new car models has improved demand to an extent. In August, car sales were down 12.1pc from the year prior.
The country is planning to build a strong market for electric vehicles and reports suggested that several projects from private and public sectors are rolling in which indicates good demand for EVs. In March, the state announced EV roadmap for manufacturing 1.2mn units in a decade. Chinese car manufacturer Great Wall Motors has announced plans to strengthen EV production in Thailand.