BANGKOK, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's auto production rose for the first time in three months in September, driven by major expansion in electric vehicles (EV), data from the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) showed on Wednesday.
Thai auto manufacturers produced 128,104 vehicles last month, up 4.77 percent from a year earlier, rebounding from a 6.11 percent drop in August, according to the FTI.
The increase was mainly attributed to the local manufacturing of EVs to offset earlier imports under the government's tax reduction and subsidy, along with a surge in pickup passenger vehicle (PPV) production, said FTI Automotive Industry Club spokesperson Surapong Paisitpattanapong.
For the first nine months of 2025, auto production fell 4.63 percent over the previous year to 1,075,801 units, weighed down by the discontinuation of certain fuel-powered passenger car models, Surapong told a news conference.
Pickup truck sales remained on the decline due to stricter loan approvals from financial institutions amid a sluggish economy and high cost of living, he said.
The Southeast Asian country's finished car exports grew 7.23 percent from a year earlier to 86,056 units in September, owing to significant growth in shipments of hybrid EVs and PPVs, he noted. ■
