Hanoi, Feb. 18 -- The decline in domestic automobile consumption and its drop to 5th place in Southeast Asia can be attributed to both external and internal factors, according to industry insiders.

The Association of Southeast Asian Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAF) reported that Indonesia took the lead in car sales with more than 1 million units in 2023, down 4% over the same period last year. Malaysia was in second with 799,731 units, an increase of 10.9% compared to 2022, meanwhile Thailand came in third with 775,780 units, a decrease of 8.7% compared to 2022.

The Philippines stood fourth with 429,807 cars, an increase of 21.9% compared to 2022. Vietnam dropped to fifth with 301,989 cars, down 25.4% compared to the figure of...