Thailand's auto production ticks down 0.44 pct in April

BANGKOK, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's auto production dropped 0.44 percent year-on-year in April as weaker domestic demand weighed on output amid shipping disruptions to the Middle East, data from the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) showed on Monday.

Automakers produced 103,794 vehicles in Thailand last month, according to the FTI.

The decline was primarily driven by a 1.70-percent dip in output for the domestic market, as the combined output of passenger cars, both fuel-powered and electric, fell 16.77 percent in April from the same period last year, said FTI Automotive Industry Club spokesperson Surapong Paisitpattanapong.

For the first four months of 2026, auto production climbed 4 percent over the previous year to 473,545 units, buoyed by a strong expansion in pure-battery and hybrid electric vehicles (EVs), Surapong told a news conference.

Domestic auto sales rose 2.54 percent year-on-year to 48,394 units in April, reflecting the delivery of EVs, which accounted for more than half of total bookings during the recent Bangkok International Motor Show, amid sharply rising fuel prices linked to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, Surapong said.

The Southeast Asian country's finished car exports fell 8.43 percent from the year before to 60,190 units in April, as the Middle East conflict reduced shipments to the regional markets by 91.76 percent year-on-year, he noted. Enditem