More than 132,000 orders were placed at the 2026 Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS), organizers Grand Prix International PCL (GPI) announced.
Jaturont Komolmis, vice chairman of the organizing committee, said that despite current unfavorable economic factors, the BIMS still maintains its role in supporting and promoting the Thai automobile industry.
An increasing number of electric vehicles are being purchased, with Chinese brands dominating the market. Japanese brands like Honda and Mazda have also joined the EV race with new electric models at this year’s show.
According to figures provided by GPI, a record 132,951 orders were placed at the two-week long event this year.
However, the high number of orders (and pre-orders) placed may not truly represent actual car sales. Strict financing requirements means that a high percentage of applications are rejected each year.
“The rejection rate is as high as 37 per cent for some brand,” said a car salesman who requested anonymity. Some brands are also alleged of including nationwide orders in their reports.
Nevertheless, according to the report Chinese automaker BYD received 17,354 orders to beat, for the first time, all-time champion Toyota that received 15,750 orders.
Toyota was the only Japanese brand in the top 10 with Chinese brands taking third to ninth places. They include Omoda & Jaecoo (15,088), MG (10,537), Deepal (and Nevo) 8,573, Geely (7,811), Chery (7,509), GWM (6,819) and GAC (6,287).
Honda was 10th with 5,907 orders followed by Mazda (4,889), Mitsubishi (4,178) and Isuzu (3,568).
Luxury brands also enjoyed positive customer response, with Mercedes-Benz receiving 2,111 orders thanks to its Bt2.29-million CLA Electric model, followed by BMW (1,001), MINI (422), Lexus (141), Porsche (112), Audi (76), Maserati (12), Jeep (9), Aston Martin (2) and Rolls-Royce (2).
“A key highlight of this year’s event us the expansion of the EV sector, with leading automakers from both Asia and Europe launching new technologies and innovations providing consumers with more diverse choices,” he said.
“Meanwhile, ICE vehicles continue to attract interest, particularly in the SUV and pickup truck segments that meet real-world usage requirements.”
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