KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 28 — Thailand and Malaysia’s decline in national output is affecting the South-east Asian automobile market, Nikkei Asian Review said in its report today.

The report said that the double-digit contractions, essentially a decline in national output as measured by a nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), had affected October sales of new automobiles in six South-east Asia’s major economies by 0.3 per cent, the first decline in seven months.

It said South-east Asia produced 271,094 vehicles, with only Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore recording increase in sales.

Nikkei Asian Review said that Thailand’s sales fell 11 per cent on the year for the first time in three months in October, owing to sombre mood in the wake of the nation’ monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

It said that major events, such as the new year’s countdown has also been cancelled, slowing a broad range of consumption.

The report said that automobile sales in Malaysia, which is going through an economic slowdown, slipped by 14 per cent to 47,879 vehicles, falling for a 10th consecutive month.

However, the agency reported that the automobile sales for the entire year is still likely to remain positive.

"For the 10 months through October, the region’s sales have increased 4 per cent on the year to 2,601,914 vehicles.  Sales for the full year are likely to remain positive despite the Thai slowdown.”