Platform Fees in Thailand: TCCT Draft Rules for Ride-Hailing and Delivery

What Is the New Draft on Platform Fees in Thailand?

The draft is a TCCT notification issued under the Trade Competition Act B.E. 2560 (2017). The Commission approved it on 19 October 2026 and published it for comment on 21 October 2026. It targets fee structures in two markets: ride-hailing for public transport and on-demand delivery, which includes food delivery and quick commerce.

According to the TCCT, the aim is transparency rather than price control. The Commission has stated that it does not intend to fix commission or GP rates. Instead, it wants platforms to explain how each fee is calculated and why it changes. Thai press reports cite complaints from riders and restaurants about repeated GP increases as the trigger for the draft.

Which Platforms Would the Rules Cover?

The draft would apply only to larger operators. Smaller platforms and new entrants fall outside it, so that they can continue to compete. The draft sorts covered platforms into two groups, and each group faces a different level of supervision when it raises fees.

Group membership turns on the relevant market. A platform could hold market power in food delivery but not in ride-hailing. Each business line therefore needs its own assessment.

Which Platform Fees in Thailand Fall Within the Draft?

The draft defines service fees broadly. Thai reports list service fees, other benefits, revenue shares and waiting fees among the charges covered. The definition also reaches advertising and promotional expenses and any other consideration charged to users, whether they are consumers, drivers, riders or merchants.

A wide definition matters for compliance. A platform cannot keep a headline commission flat and move the increase into a marketing levy or a waiting charge. Every charge that users pay for access to the platform would sit inside the same rules.

What Would the Cost and Disclosure Rules Require?

Under the draft, service fees must rest on necessary costs, described as “used and useful” costs, plus an appropriate return for the service. Covered platforms would also have to disclose every fee and the fee structure clearly. Users must be able to see each item on the bill.

The draft sets out four disclosure duties:

1. Itemised fees. Each fee and the structure behind it must be shown clearly and separately.
2. Reasonable and transparent charges. Fees must not be confusing or burdensome for users to understand.
3. A right to challenge. Users must be able to review their charges and dispute incorrect ones.
4. Justified partner fees. A fee charged to a trading partner, such as a restaurant or merchant, needs a lawful basis linked to benefits that users receive. The platform must explain that basis, including the costs and any monetary or non-monetary benefits.

How Would Platform Fees in Thailand Be Raised Under the Draft?

The draft creates two procedures for fee increases. Both require a pricing policy with a written justification and an impact assessment. The difference lies in timing and in whether the TCCT must approve the change before it takes effect.

Operators with market power

An operator with market power must notify users and the TCCT at least 90 days before the new fee applies. The notice must come with the pricing policy and a preliminary impact assessment. If the TCCT takes no action within 30 days after the increase takes effect, it is deemed to have no concerns.

Operators with market dominance

A dominant operator must apply to the TCCT for approval at least 180 days before the new fee applies. The TCCT then has 180 days to approve the increase, make recommendations or raise concerns. If it does not act within that period, approval is deemed granted. Review periods stop running while the information submitted is incomplete and resume once the file is complete.

What Enforcement Powers Would the TCCT Have?

The draft links its fee rules to Section 60 of the Trade Competition Act. Under the draft, the TCCT may order a platform in writing to suspend, cease or modify a fee increase. That order may be made within 120 days from the date on which the increased fee is collected, or is proposed to be collected.

The TCCT has already used Section 60 in this sector. In late August 2026, it ordered six large platform operators to suspend fee increases for six months, until February 2027. Thai reports also state that the Commission intends to apply Section 60 to large e-commerce marketplaces whose GP charges rose repeatedly.

What Is the Status of the Draft?

The notification is a draft. The TCCT opened a 30-day public hearing on 21 October 2026. The Commission has announced that it will review the comments in late November 2026 and aims to publish the final notification in the Royal Gazette in December 2026. The final text may differ from the draft, and the rules bind platforms only once the notification is published and in force.

Platform operators, merchants and driver groups may submit comments during the hearing period.

What the Draft Means for Platforms, Merchants and Investors

The draft shifts the compliance burden from price levels to process. A covered platform would need cost records that support each fee, a documented pricing policy, and a calendar that allows 90 or 180 days before any increase. Product and commercial teams would have to fix fee changes at least 90 or 180 days before launch.

For merchants and restaurants, the draft offers new tools. They could request an explanation of each charge and challenge incorrect items. For investors assessing a platform business in Thailand, fee flexibility becomes a regulated variable. Market share in each service line, and therefore the supervision tier, would belong in any due diligence review.

The draft also sits alongside other platform rules. Operators remain subject to the Royal Decree on digital platform services under the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) and to the TCCT guidelines on unfair trade practices. A fee change may therefore need review under more than one framework.

Frequently Asked Questions

Preparing for Platform Fees in Thailand Under the New Rules

The TCCT draft would turn platform fees in Thailand into a regulated process: cost-based fees, itemised bills, and notice or approval before any increase. Platforms with at least a 10% share should map their fees against the draft now and consider a submission during the hearing. For the wider framework, see our guides to digital platform competition law in Thailand and ETDA platform obligations. Our contract team reviews merchant, rider and platform terms. TCCT announcements are published on the Office of the Trade Competition Commission website, and the Act is available from the Office of the Council of State.