[BANGKOK] Domestic car sales in Thailand shrank for a 16th straight month in September, down 4.1 per cent from a year earlier to 77,433 vehicles as the coronavirus outbreak hurt demand, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) said on Monday.

But sales rose 12.4 per cent from August, helped by easing virus restrictions, government relief measures and launches of new car models, it said.

In August, car sales dropped 12.1 per cent from a year earlier.

Thailand is a regional vehicle production and export base for the world's top automobile manufacturers.

REUTERS