BANGKOK: Thailand's auto production dropped in September as flooding disrupted parts suppliers and forced several assembly plants to halt temporarily, data from the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) showed on Tuesday (Oct 27).
Automakers produced 120,319 vehicles in Thailand last month, down 6.08 per cent from a year earlier, reversing from a 10.93-per cent gain in August, according to the FTI.
The federation attributed the decline to supply chain disruptions, particularly for internal-combustion-engine (ICE) vehicles, which require more parts during manufacturing.
Output of fuel-powered passenger cars fell 27.78 percent in September, despite 55.20 per cent growth in pure electric vehicle (EV) production.
For the first nine months of 2026, auto production inched up 0.39 per cent over the same period last year to 1,080,030 units, said FTI Automotive Industry Club spokesperson Surapong Paisitpattanapong.
Domestic auto sales rose 14.28 per cent year-on-year to 55,255 units in September, driven by deliveries of passenger battery EVs, which rose 80.13 per cent and accounted for 29.69 per cent of all vehicle sales, Surapong told a news conference.
Meanwhile, sales of passenger ICE cars dropped 14.50 per cent, making up 14.07 per cent of total sales, Surapong said.
The South-East Asian nation's finished car exports increased 4.55 per cent from a year earlier to 89,972 units in September, even with shipments to the Middle East falling 30.60 per cent due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the spokesperson said.
The group kept its 2026 production target at 1.45 million vehicles, including 900,000 for export and 550,000 for the domestic market, noting that manufacturers planned to speed up production to make up lost output. - Xinhua
