The automotive industry in Thailand has shown robust growth in spite of the political turmoil. It has been successful in retaining its position as the “Detroit of Asia.” Thai car sales increased 53% from 2009, further proving true that it is indeed Southeast Asia’s biggest car market.
The remarkable growth is due in part to the reduction in excise duties for small passenger cars. This reduced the price of cars and the added advantage of credit availability was instrumental in increasing demand.
In Thailand, both the passenger car market and pickup truck market are led by Isuzu and Toyota, together holding around 65% of the vehicle market. Other contenders in the field are Mitsubishi, Nissan, Chevrolet, Ford and Mazda.
Ford Motor faced problems in Europe and North America few years back driving it to expand its operations in Asia. The all-new Ford Fiesta is a globally successful car, designed in Europe, manufactured in Thailand. Its’ official launch in the Thai market began in September 2010.