Thailand is preparing new rules requiring major ride-hailing and delivery apps to justify service fee increases, after regulators found that some platforms’ charges had risen by as much as 400% over five years.
The Trade Competition Commission of Thailand (TCCT) is scheduled to open a public consultation on the proposed rules today, October 21, with the regulations expected to take effect in December if approved.
According to Thai PBS, which reported the proposal yesterday, October 20, the changes would require operators to disclose how their fees are calculated and explain proposed increases before introducing them.
TCCT Commissioner Police Lieutenant General Pittaya Siriraksa said the regulator had become increasingly concerned about platform commissions, commonly known as GP fees, which are deducted from payments to restaurants, merchants and other service providers.
He revealed that some operators had raised their fees by up to 400% over the past five years, while complaints submitted to the commission had increased by nearly 40%.
Restaurants and delivery riders have also raised concerns about unexpected additional charges, being required to use transport services linked to particular platforms and pressure to participate in promotional campaigns.
For smaller businesses that depend on these applications to reach customers, changing platforms or rejecting unfavourable conditions can be difficult.
In late August, the TCCT ordered a six-month suspension of fee increases covering six major operators across the e-commerce and ride-hailing sectors. The restriction is scheduled to remain in place until February 2027.
However, the commission said some companies had still not provided complete information about their fee structures, despite requests for supporting documents.
The new proposal would introduce clearer requirements for reviewing fee adjustments, particularly among operators with substantial market influence.
The planned regulations would not introduce a fixed cap on platform fees. Instead, companies would have to provide transparent explanations for their pricing and changes to their charges, according to The Nation.
The consultation is expected to run until November 20, followed by further consideration of the draft on November 23.
If the process proceeds as planned, the rules could be signed in early December and come into force by December 18, following publication in the Royal Gazette.
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- Taxi apps get scorecard system as licence rule bites
- Ride-hailing apps given one month to improve safety standards
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