Thailand Car Sales Slow in November

Domestic car sales in Thailand surged 39.07% year-on-year to a near three-year high of 75,121 units in December 2025, from a 20.65% gain in the previous month, according to the Federation of Thai Industries. The increase was primarily driven by strong demand for electric vehicles amid the conclusion of the EV 3.0 incentive program. Overall, 2025 sales grew 8.47% to reach 621,166 units. Meanwhile, car production rose 8.56% yoy to 113,855 units in December, as manufacturers increased EV output to compensate for earlier imports under the government’s incentives. Despite this, total vehicle production for 2025 fell 0.9% to around 1.46 million units. Looking ahead to 2026, the federation forecasts a 3% rise in output to 1.5 million units, with 550,000 for the domestic market and the rest for export. Thailand’s car exports grew 11.29% yoy to 84,963 units in December, boosted by a continued robust increase in shipments of hybrid EVs. However, full-year exports fell 8.19% to 935,750 units.

Domestic car sales in Thailand rose 20.65% year-on-year to 51,046 units in November 2025, slowing from a 24.78% increase in October, according to the Federation of Thai Industries. Still, it marked the eighth consecutive month of annual growth, driven by strong demand amid rising consumer confidence and year-end promotional campaigns. Car production grew 11.06% year-on-year to 130,222 units, signaling a steady recovery in Thailand’s auto manufacturing sector. However, challenges remain, as passenger internal combustion engine vehicle sales saw the steepest decline over the first eleven months due to the discontinued production of certain export models. Meanwhile, Thailand's car exports saw an annual decline of 12.2%. Looking ahead, industry officials remain cautiously optimistic. Total vehicle production so far suggests the country is on track to meet its 2025 target of 1.45 million units, though achieving the export goal of 950,000 units remains uncertain.

Domestic car sales in Thailand surged 24.78% year-on-year to 47,032 units in October 2025, accelerating from a 23.82% increase in September, according to the Federation of Thai Industries. This marked the seventh consecutive month of growth and the strongest pace in this sequence, primarily driven by passenger car sales, which exceeded 31,000 units. In contrast, pick-up truck sales fell 7.45% to 10,084 units, although BEV pick-up trucks made their market debut with 38 units sold, and PPV sales jumped 40.76%. For the first ten months of the year, total domestic car sales grew 3.92% to 495,001 units. Meanwhile, car production rose 14.17% year-on-year to 135,685 units, a sharp increase from a 5.92% gain in September, driven by passenger cars (+17.94% to 55,997 units) and BEVs (+1,265% to 9,393 units). Thailand, Southeast Asia’s largest automotive manufacturing hub and a key export base for global automakers, saw vehicle exports decline 5.86% year-on-year to 82,603 units.