BANGKOK, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's auto production continued to contract in March but at a slower pace due to higher output of electric vehicles (EV) for the domestic market, data from the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) showed on Tuesday.

Thai auto manufacturers produced 129,909 vehicles last month, down 6.09 percent from a year earlier and easing from a 13.62 percent decline in February, mainly owing to a major fall in trucks and fuel-powered passenger cars, according to the FTI.

For the first quarter of 2025, auto production slumped 14.88 percent over the previous year to 352,499 units, despite significant growth in plug-in hybrid and pure EVs, said FTI Automotive Industry Club spokesperson Surapong Paisitpattanapong.

Domestic auto sales dipped 0.54 percent year-on-year to 55,798 units in March as sales of pickup trucks dropped amid tightened lending practices among financial institutions, high household debt, and a slowing economy, Surapong told a news conference.

The Southeast Asian country's finished car exports plunged 14.91 percent from a year earlier to 80,914 units in March, attributed to model changes for certain passenger vehicles and stricter carbon emission regulations in some markets, Surapong said. ■