Thai auto exports plummeted by nearly 50 percent year-on-year in July as overseas demand continued to decline, an industry group said Tuesday. The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) said vehicle shipments fell by 48.68 percent year-on-year to 36,555 units.
"Exports dropped in every market, including the Middle East, which had been gaining earlier this year," said Surapong Paisitpatpong, a spokesman for the FTI's auto sector. The value of shipments plunged by 46.74 percent from the same period last year to 17.4 billion baht (511.8 million dollars), the FTI said. However exports in July were up by 3.25 percent from previous month, it said. In first seven months of this year, Thailand exported 271,339 units - a fall of 40.65 percent from the same period in 2008.