Thai's truck exports up

Thai's truck exports up

BANGKOK (DPA): Thailand exported 14,023 one-ton pickup trucks in 1996, a 41 per cent increase over 1995 exports, but motorcycle exports were down 22 per cent, industry sources said yesterday.

Total exports of pickups, motorcycles and automobile parts and components earned the country a total of 12.9 billion baht (US$516 million) in foreign exchange, up 18 per cent over 1995 export revenues, according to figures compiled by the Federation of Thai Industries Automobile Industry Club.

With annual domestic sales of almost 600,000 vehicles, Thailand's is the largest market for automobiles in Southeast Asia. One-ton pickups usually account for 50 per cent of domestic sales.

Thailand's motorcycle assembly industry, once the world's third largest producer, has fared less well in the export market. Last year the country exported 199,371 units, down 22 per cent from 1995.