Thailand is set to maintain its position as the so-called 'Detroit of Asia', as it is expected to beat all existing production records to manufacture an estimated 1.7 million cars by the year-end.

Thailand is now ranked as the 14th largest auto producer in the world, according to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI)'s Automotive Industry Club. Club chairman Suparat Sirisuwannangkul made the observation at a seminar held by FTI, the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and Siam Commercial Bank.

Of the 1.7 million automobiles, 750,000 are for domestic sale and the rest - 950,000 vehicles - are for export. He said the original target of the number of cars produced in the country was set at 1.6 million, but actual production might reach 1.8 million units.

About 990,000 vehicles were manufactured in Thailand last year.

In 2010, Thailand already produced about 1.2 million vehicles in the first nine months. Among them, 556,000 units were for local sale and 664,000 units were for export.

In 2011, it is forecast that Thailand's auto production will likely increase by 10 per cent, implying that about 800,000 automobiles will be sold locally and about one million will be exported.

The value of automotive exports and spare parts accounted for THB 430 billion (US$ 14.4 billion) in the first nine months, exceeded only by computers and electronics. This value is expected to exceed THB 510 billion by the year-end.

Mr. Suparat said Thailand's strength in car manufacturing is that the country is a base to assemble pick-up trucks and spare parts, with markets large enough to support the industry and to produce automobiles at cheaper prices. Also, Thailand has good infrastructure and its government has a long-term policy to support auto production.

However, he said the country still depends on the technology of other countries and lacks a skilled workforce.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the FTI Automotive Industry Club Surapong Paisitpattanapong said about 100,000 more of eco-cars will be manufactured next year. For the past seven to eight months, he said, Thailand was able to produce more automobiles, accounting for 51 per cent of the total number of vehicles manufactured in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The volume of vehicle production in Thailand counts for around 11 per cent, or THB 9 trillion, of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).