BANGKOK, Jan 9 — Sales of big motorcycles and motorbikes in Thailand in 2015 are expected to grow some 20 per cent, almost the same as last year, according to Suchart Arunsaengroj, director of AP Honda, distributor of Honda motorcycles in Thailand.
Mr Suchart said sales of big bikes with 400cc and larger costing from Bt200,000 to more than Bt300,000 continued to rise in Thailand.
In 2014, sales of big bikes totaled about 16,000 units, up some 20 per cent from the previous year.
It is expected that sales this year would grow approximately 20 per cent.
He said the continued boom of big bike sales is in contrast to standard motorcycle sales, which contracted 15 per cent.
Positive factors which helped push bikes sales are their prices–on a downward trend after several Japanese, Chinese and European manufacturing plants have opened factories for domestic and overseas sales in the kingdom while import tariffs declined to 16 per cent last year from 60 per cent before.
The tariffs are projected to further decline to 11 per cent this year and to zero in 2017.
Also, installment purchases helped intending big bike buyers to easily own them.
Mr Suchart added that the general scenario for motorcycles in Thailand is expected to become difficult in the near future due to statistics suggestion a near market saturation, that there is one motorcycle for every three persons.
