Thailand’s Bangkok International Motor Show recorded a 27.5 per cent rise in orders, with Toyota leading sales, while traditional cars still dominated despite electric vehicles gaining pace, its organiser said on Monday (Apr 8).

Orders for 53,438 cars and 5,173 motorcycles were booked during the event held from March 27 to April 7, Grand Prix International said in a statement.

EVs accounted for about 32.8 per cent of the car orders, the company said, following a 21.5 per cent share at the previous event.

Toyota received orders for 8,540 cars, followed by China’s BYD with 5,345 cars, according to Grand Prix.

“Electric vehicles from China caught people’s attention,” the company said.

Chinese carmakers were in the spotlight amid the growing challenge to Japanese auto giants that have long dominated Thailand’s vehicle market.

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Chinese automakers have committed to invest more than US$1.44 billion in production facilities in Southeast Asia’s largest auto manufacturing hub. Thailand is looking to convert about 30 per cent of its annual vehicle production into EVs by 2030.

The expansion by Chinese EV makers in Thailand comes against the backdrop of intensifying competition at home, where carmakers are racing to cut prices. REUTERS