BANGKOK, Aug. 25 — Thailand’s auto production picked up in July, driven by domestic electric vehicle (EV) output due to rising fuel costs alongside higher exports, data from the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) showed on Tuesday.
Automakers produced 117,383 vehicles in Thailand last month, up 6.12 percent from a year earlier, rebounding from a 7.55 percent drop in June, according to the FTI. The upturn was attributed to increases in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and pure EV output despite a notable fall in fuel-powered passenger vehicles amid elevated global oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict. Meanwhile, overall pickup truck production continued to decline in line with domestic sales.
However, EV pickup truck output for both domestic sales and exports increased 686.36 percent to 346 units. For the first seven months of 2026, auto production edged down 0.09 percent over the same period last year to 834,595 units as fuel-powered passenger cars slumped 34.49 percent, consistent with a shrinking market share, said FTI Automotive Industry Club spokesperson Surapong Paisitpattanapong.
Domestic auto sales advanced 20.07 percent year on year to 59,196 units in July, reflecting higher deliveries of passenger EVs, which rose 122.08 percent and accounted for 35.46 percent of total sales, Surapong told a news conference. At the same time, sales of passenger cars with internal combustion engines decreased 34.58 percent, making up 12.76 percent of total sales, he said.
The Southeast Asian nation’s finished car exports climbed 2.39 percent from the year before to 74,169 units in July, fueled by shipments to the Australian and Oceania markets, he noted.
