In March 2025, Thailand experienced a slight year-on-year reduction in domestic car sales, dropping by 0.54% to 55,793 units. This was an improvement over the previous month, which saw a 6.68% decline. The softer decrease was largely driven by robust demand during the Bangkok International Motor Show 2025, where over 70,000 vehicles were booked. Conversely, car production saw a year-on-year decline of 6.09%, with a total of 129,909 units produced, though this was a slower drop compared to the 13.62% decrease noted in the prior month. This reduction in production was significantly influenced by a sharp 70% decline in truck manufacturing, a consequence of the country's weak economic conditions and more stringent auto loan criteria.
Surapong Paisitpattanapong, the spokesperson for the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), indicated that Thailand might not meet its 2025 car production target of 1.5 million units. As the largest automotive production hub in Southeast Asia and a crucial export base for international automakers like Toyota and Honda, Thailand reported a 14.91% fall in exports for March 2025, deepening from the 8.34% decline observed in February.
