Exports sink 41% this year

       The number of Thai-built automobiles exported in the first seven months of this year fell 40.65% year-on-year to 271,339 units, while their value sank 39.5% to 125.68 billion baht, said the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).
       "The global financial crisis still has an effect on the Thai economy and auto exports - despite overseas orders beginning to climb but remaining small,"said Surapong Phaisitpattanapong, a spokesman for FTI's automobile industry club.
       Vehicle exports in July plunged 48.7%year-on-year to 36,555 units, while edging up 3.25% from the previous month. The value of last month's vehicle exports dropped 46.7% from July 2008 to 17.36 billion baht.
       Local auto production from January to July fell 44.8% year-on-year to 464,068 units:149,416 cars (a 37.6% fall yearon-year) and 307,030 pickup trucks (down 47.96%).
       In the same period,263,768 vehicles were produced for export (a 42.65% yearon-year drop) and 200,300 were manufactured for the domestic market (down 47.46%).
       Motorcycle production in the first seven months skidded 43.5% year-onyear to 1.09 million units. Motorcycle exports slipped 68.8% to 285,929 units worth 11.3 billion, a decline of 27.37%.