Mitsubishi's auto market share in Thailand is still healthy this year despite disasters in both Japan and Thailand.

The Japanese automaker usually sells 5,000 to 6,000 vehicles per month, but the massive flood in Thailand cut sales to 3,700 units in October. For the first 10 months of the year, sales totalled 56,409 units, up 88% from the same period of 2010.

By category, the company said it sold 34,714 Triton pickup trucks and 15,378 Pajero Sport passenger pickup vehicles, up 103% and 77% respectively.

Sales for passenger cars _ Lancer CNG and Lancer EX _ decreased 5% to 6,317 units, while the Space Wagon multi-purpose vehicle stopped production recently.

"Our passenger-car market share has dwindled because Mitsubishi has no cars that qualify for the government's first-car tax break scheme," said Mitsubishi Motors Thailand president Nobuyuki Murahashi.

Mitsubishi expects to finish the year with sales of 67,000 vehicles, up 70% from 2010 and an 8.5% market share.

The company will introduce its Mirage eco-car at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month, and Thailand is the global production base for the vehicle.

Mitsubishi's two assembly plants at Laem Chabang in Chon Buri were not inundated, but production was halted from October 13 because its parts suppliers in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani were flooded.

Both plants resumed production on November 14 after successfully securing parts elsewhere.

Based on total vehicle sales of 42,873 in October and projections for even lower sales this month, Mr. Murahashi expects the market will only sell 794,000 units this year, 2% higher than 2010.

The company has also reaffirmed its ties to Thailand and has no plans to relocate its production base.

Kasikorn Research Center has predicted automobile production would shrink 7-10% year-on-year to between 1.48 million and 1.53 million, while local sales would range from 795,000 to 825,000 units. Exports will dip 11-15% year-on-year to between 765,000 and 795,000.