Vehicle Output Falls 16% in Thailand

Thailand's auto industry made 164,300 vehicles in September compared with 195,600 in the same month in 2013, according to the Federation of Thai Industries.

The 16% drop marked the 15th consecutive month of year-on-year shrinkage as a weak domestic market and declining exports hurt demand.

The federation says output vehicles for domestic sale and export fell 24% and 9%, respectively, in September. Car manufacturing plunged 27% to 64,300 units. Production of light-duty pickup trucks slipped 4% to 98,100 vehicles.

The industry trade group expects a 4% increase in year-on-year output in the fourth quarter of 2014. But it now expects full-year production to drop 15% to 2.1 million units, a decline of 100,000 vehicles from its earlier forecast.