Nissan Motor Co. and Mazda Motor Corp. are projecting they will acquire bigger slices of the Thai vehicle market this year on the back of a gradual rebound expected in local car sales.

Thai auto sales remain in the doldrums since surging to 1.43 million vehicles in 2012, when a first-time car buyer plan was launched by the government. That plan offered a tax incentive committing participants to own vehicles for at least five years.

The Federation of Thai Industries has officially reported that domestic auto sales totaled 768,788 vehicles last year, down 3.9 percent from 2015, but said it anticipates 800,000 vehicles this year, helped by the government's capital injection.