BANGKOK — Car production in Thailand fell 16.19 percent in May from a year earlier to 126,161 units, mainly due to lower production of pickup trucks, the Federation of Thai Industries said on Tuesday.

The figure compared with April's 11.02-percent year-on-year drop.

In the January-May period, car production declined 16.88 percent from a year earlier to 644,951 units, it said.

The federation has said car production has been down mainly because of lower pickup truck output, reflecting weaker demand as banks have tightened auto lending due to high household debt.

Domestic car sales declined 23.38 percent in May from a year earlier, after a drop of 21.49 percent year on year in April, the federation said.

Thailand is Southeast Asia's biggest autos production center and an export base for some of the world's top carmakers, including Toyota and Honda, with pickup trucks among the key vehicles manufactured.

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