Thailand's competition regulator is preparing rules for ride-hailing and on-demand delivery platforms, covering commissions, trading terms, algorithms and safety standards. The Trade Competition Commission of Thailand (TCCT) is accepting public comments until August 31, with requirements expected by the end of September 2026. Warawan Chitaroon, a TCCT member, chaired the first 2026 meeting of a subcommittee developing competition guidelines and an action plan for the app-based ride-hailing market. It approved in principle a document titled "Standard Service Requirements for the Digital Platform Ecosystem for Ride-Hailing and On-Demand Delivery Services". The proposed requirements are intended to become a formal industry code of practice. They cover ride-hailing, food delivery and parcel-delivery platforms, extending beyond the food-delivery guidance introduced by the regulator in late 2020. Complaints and market concentration Warawan said food delivery grew rapidly after the Covid-19 pandemic, but restaurants and delivery riders have increasingly reported problems in their dealings with platforms. The TCCT's 2020 guidelines addressed potentially unfair trade practices between food-delivery operators and restaurants. From their taking effect in December 2020 to August 2026, the Office of the Trade Competition Commission received only 17 complaints involving food-delivery platforms. The regulator expects complaints to increase as the market expands and consumer behaviour changes. Thailand's app-based ride-hailing market was worth about 45 billion baht in 2025 and is forecast to exceed 49 billion baht by 2029, with more than 400,000 drivers now working in the sector. Several major operators have left Thailand over the past three years, leaving ride-hailing and delivery markets dominated by two large platforms - a duopoly, according to the commission. Fees, algorithms and service standards The TCCT has flagged GP commissions, advertising charges and promotional fees as possible competition concerns. The proposed standards would also address exclusive-dealing terms that limit a business's ability to use rival services, and rate-parity conditions requiring the same prices across all sales channels. Other issues include platform algorithms, including compulsory "batching", where riders collect from two restaurants and deliver to two destinations for lower payment per trip. The regulator also cited job allocation favouring higher-status drivers or riders, GPS calculations that differ from routes actually travelled, and misleading "dark patterns" in app interfaces. The rules could also cover self-preferencing, where a platform displays or ranks its own products or services ahead of competitors. They would require safety standards for vehicles and drivers, identity checks for service providers, clear service information and retention of computer traffic data for law-enforcement use where needed. The regulator has also highlighted different cost burdens for legally registered public taxis and private vehicles working through apps. Public taxis face strict legal requirements, while private vehicles may operate under different costs and obligations, potentially creating unequal competition. Comments can be submitted through www.tcct.or.th or by email to
[email protected] until August 31. Picture courtesy of The Nation Join the discussion? 22 August 2026
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