BANGKOK, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's auto production slumped in May, driven by lower output of export-oriented passenger cars and pickup trucks despite robust domestic sales, data from the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) showed on Monday.

Staff members work at the electric vehicle (EV) factory of China's carmaker GAC Aion in Rayong province, Thailand on July 17, 2024. (Photo: Xinhua)

Automakers produced 114,214 vehicles in Thailand last month, down 17.94 percent from a year earlier, according to the FTI.

The May figure marks the first time that production for domestic sales exceeded that for export, which was affected by the conflict in the Middle East, the country's third-largest automobile market, the FTI said in a statement.

For the first five months of 2026, auto production dipped 1.13 percent over the previous year to 587,759 units, mainly due to a notable contraction in fuel-powered passenger cars, said FTI Automotive Industry Club spokesperson Surapong Paisitpattanapong.

Domestic auto sales climbed 10.6 percent year-on-year to 57,765 units in May, reflecting higher deliveries of electric passenger cars and sport utility vehicles in response to rising fuel prices caused by the regional geopolitical tensions, Surapong told a news conference.

Despite that, Surapong said pickup truck sales grew only 0.21 percent over the same period last year, owing to stricter lending standards by financial institutions amid a slowing domestic economy and high household debt, which weakened consumer purchasing power.

The Southeast Asian nation's finished car exports plunged 26.69 percent from the year before to 59,434 units in May, as shipments to key markets dropped, partially hampered by tighter carbon-emission regulations, he noted.