Thailand’s Automobile Sales in H1 2026

In the first half of 2026, automotive sales in Thailand recovered to 347,000 units, a 14.6% increase year-over-year (YoY). This growth was driven by a surge in battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales in January, fueled by last-minute demand ahead of the expiration of the government’s EV 3.0 subsidy package. Following this initial spike, sales in May and June also posted YoY gains, supported by new model launches. However, the recovery was not uniform across all automakers; Chinese brands accounted for the vast majority of this growth, while most Japanese brands continued to see declines. Amid persistently stringent auto loan screening standards, Chinese products priced below their Japanese competitors effectively captured market demand.