BANGKOK, April 25 (Reuters) - Thailand's domestic car sales rose 12.1 percent to 95,082 cars in March from a year earlier, boosted by Bangkok Motor Show and improving public and private investment, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) said on Wednesday.
The FTI has forecast domestic car sales of 900,000 vehicles this year after a 13.4 percent jump in 2017, which was the first annual increase in five years.
Annual domestic car sales contracted during 2013-2016, following the end of a government car subsidy scheme in 2012, when sales surged 81 percent.
In March, car exports increased 4.7 percent year-on-year to 110,946 vehicles. The FTI forecasts car exports at 1.1 million this year after 1.14 million cars exported last year.
Thailand is a regional vehicle production and export base for the world's top carmakers. The auto industry accounts for about 12 percent of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.
Thai monthly domestic car/truck sales from the FTI Change y/y pct Vehicles Mar +12.1 95,082 Feb +10.3 75,466 Jan +16.2 66,513 Dec +20.1 104,302 Nov +20.6 78,082 Oct +13.1 68,551 Sep +21.9 77,592 (Reporting by Kitiphong Thaichareon Writing by Orathai Sriring; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)