Slight drop in car bookings at motor show

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Booking for vehicles during the 12-day auto exhibition in Bangkok reached 40,000 units, about 30 percent lower than the original prediction, the event organizer said on Sunday.

The Bangkok International Motor Show, one of Thailand’s most-visited auto events, started on March 27 and ended April 7.

Organizing chairman Prachin Iamlamnao described the total booking of 40,000 units as satisfactory given the fact that 57,000 cars were reserved by buyers in the previous motor show last year, as first-time car buyers took advantage of the government’s first car buyer tax refund policy.

It was originally predicted that the show would garner at least 60,000 reserved units. The 34th motor show attracted 1.7 million visitors, slightly lower than the forecast of 1.9 million people.

Prachin said the next motor show will place more emphasis on hybrid and electric vehicles which will be on the rising trend for Thailand.

He predicted sales of hybrid cars in Thailand to grow annually to 20 percent of total car purchases within the next five years.