Car exports in July were at a record high with 94,838 units, up 25.11 per cent on last July and 0.12 per cent on June, Surapong Paisitpattanapong, spokesman for the Automotive Industry Club at the Federation of Thai Industries, said on Friday.

The car exports value totalled 46.34 billion baht, an increase of 37.02 per cent on July 2011, he said.

“It was the highest car export figure since 1998, because the car makers are able to produce a larger number of  cars for export,” Mr Surapong said.

Car exports over the first seven months of the year (Jan-July) were up from the same period last year by15.73 per cent to stand at 551,707 units, with a total value of 263.42 billion baht, up 25.32 per cent, he said.

In July, vehicle production t also hit a record high of 212,727 units, up 44.48 per cent on July 2011 and an increase of 3.47 per cent on June. Car output over the first seven months of the year totalled 1.27 million units, up 32.63 per cent from the same period last year, said the spokesman.

Domestic car sales were at a historic high of 131,646 units, up 80.6 per cent on last July and an increase of 6.6 per cent on June, he added.