BANGKOK (Reuters) – Car production in Thailand rose 16.48% in May from a year earlier to 150,532 units, as a shortage of microchips eased, the Federation of Thai Industries said on Thursday.
Domestic car sales increased 0.55% in May year-on-year to 65,088 cars, after April’s 6.14% drop, said Surapong Paisitpattanapong, a spokesperson for FTI’s automotive industry division.
Trucks sales, however, contracted due to tighter auto loans, he added.
In April, car production dipped 0.13% year-on-year.
Thailand is a regional vehicle production and export base for some of the world’s top car makers, including Toyota and Honda.
(Reporting by Orathai Sriring and Satawasin Staporncharnchai; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor)
