You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

December 26, 2025

Thailand Extends Compliance Deadline for Ride-Sharing Platforms

Subscribe to Updates

Thailand has granted ride-sharing platforms additional time to comply with new regulatory requirements, extending the compliance deadline to March 31, 2026 (replacing the previous deadline of October 2, 2025). The postponement was made official on December 18, 2025, when Thailand’s Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) published the second Notification Regarding Supervision of Ride-Hailing Platforms Classified as High-Impact Digital Platform Services under the Royal Decree on Digital Platform Service Businesses.

The notification provides additional time for ride-sharing platforms and drivers to transition to full regulatory compliance. The extension replaces the effective date provision of the earlier notification and applies specifically to ride-hailing activities.

Background

The postponement responds to feedback from operators and driver groups regarding challenges converting private vehicles into legally registered public vehicles, including complex registration procedures, high compliance costs, and operational delays. The Department of Land Transport (DLT) is concurrently reforming its vehicle registration and driver verification processes to streamline operations. Given these issues, the Electronic Transactions Committee has deferred enforcement to provide an adjustment period for operators and drivers to meet compliance requirements.

Ongoing Obligations

While the effective date has been deferred, the substantive obligations imposed on ride-sharing platforms remain fully intact. Operators must continue preparing to comply with the additional duties applicable to high-impact digital platform services, beyond the general requirements under the digital platform services framework.

Operators are expected to use the extended transition period to finalize operational and compliance readiness ahead of enforcement on March 31, 2026. Key focus areas include:

  • Integration with DLT vehicle-registration systems
  • Deployment of robust driver and passenger identity verification mechanisms
  • Updates to platform terms of service, driver-onboarding standards, and internal operational policies
  • Preparation for ETDA reporting obligations and future audit and review processes

Next Steps

While the postponement replaces the previous effective date with the new March 31, 2026, deadline, operators should anticipate increased regulatory scrutiny as the revised effective date approaches and proactively align their operations with the strengthened regulatory framework.

Related Professionals

Industries

Automotive

Technology

Location

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

January 9, 2026
Thailand continues to advance its legal and regulatory framework for the technology sector, with several key laws undergoing review and proposed amendments. These developments reflect Thailand’s broader efforts to ensure that its regulatory landscape keeps pace with rapid technological change and aligns more closely with international standards and best practices. The following are key legal developments and proposed legislative reforms in 2026 that are expected to impact businesses operating in the technology sector and the broader Thai business landscape. Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019) Following the full enforcement of Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) in June 2022, businesses and practitioners have identified practical implementation challenges and interpretative issues. These challenges were reflected in an effectiveness assessment conducted by the Personal Data Protection Committee (PDPC) in late 2024. The PDPC published a set of principles for public consultation to identify issues and directions for potential amendments to the PDPA. Key issues: Emerging issues include clarifying the definitions of “data controller,” “data processor,” and “criminal record”; revisiting the scope of sensitive personal data to better reflect Thailand’s context; proposing amendments to the hierarchy of legal bases to avoid misconceptions of consent as the default legal basis; and clarifying the required level of expressiveness for explicit consent, as well as rules for collecting personal data from other sources. Current status: The first round of public consultation has concluded. Next steps: The proposed amendments are proceeding to a revised draft following the consultation outcomes. Cybersecurity Act B.E. 2562 (2019) Thailand is moving forward with proposed amendments to enhance the effectiveness of its national cybersecurity framework, as evolving digital technologies bring new risks such as misinformation, system intrusions, and attacks on critical infrastructure, making cybersecurity a national priority. Key issues: The amendments aim to clarify and strengthen
Read More
January 8, 2026
Thailand’s Digital Government Development Agency (DGA) has proposed new standards that would require government agencies to select cloud services exclusively from a preapproved shortlist of providers. The draft Digital Government Standards re: Cloud Service Provider Standards aims to strengthen procurement confidence and reduce risks associated with selecting cloud service providers that do not meet the required standards. A public hearing period on these standards concluded on December 27, 2025. The DGA will now review submitted comments and consider revising the standards accordingly. Shortlisted Cloud Service Provider Tiers The draft standards establish three tiers of cloud service providers based on their assessed service capability levels, core qualifications, and certifications. The DGA sets qualification requirements for each tier, and it is at the discretion of each agency to select the tier of cloud service provider that best suits its operational needs, as follows: Tier 1 cloud service providers are suitable for providing services involving disclosable official data. Tier 2 cloud service providers are suitable for handling official data and protected data, such as personal data, which requires a high-security public cloud (e.g., virtual private cloud). Tier 3 cloud service providers are suitable for providing services to agencies with specific regulatory and security requirements that handle highly protected data, such as the national security system. These providers must offer sovereign or hybrid cloud as stipulated by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. All tiers of cloud service providers must be legal entities incorporated under Thai law and can be authorized distributors of offshore cloud service providers. However, each tier will be subject to different requirements, including infrastructure obligations. Government agencies are encouraged to select a cloud service provider appropriate for their intended use. For example, if a government agency intends to procure cloud services for operating applications that process personal data,
Read More
January 8, 2026
Thailand has enacted comprehensive sexual harassment legislation that significantly expands criminal penalties and creates new compliance obligations for online platform operators. The Act Amending the Penal Code (No. 30) B.E. 2568 (2025), enacted on December 29, 2025, and taking effect the following day, introduces a comprehensive definition of sexual harassment, establishes new criminal offenses with graduated penalties, and imposes content removal obligations on social media platforms and computer system service providers. The amendment, which establishes a comprehensive framework for addressing sexual harassment in both physical and digital environments, significantly expands legal exposure for online service operators. It also grants courts authority to order takedowns of violating data accessible to the public. Definition of Sexual Harassment The law introduces “sexual harassment” as a distinct statutory concept covering physical conduct, verbal conduct, sounds, gestures, expressions, postures, communications, surveillance, stalking, and acts committed through computer systems or electronic devices. Conduct qualifies as sexual harassment when it is sexual in nature and likely to cause the victim distress, annoyance, embarrassment, humiliation, fear, or a sense of sexual insecurity. Criminal Offenses and Penalties The amended Penal Code establishes graduated penalties based on the severity and context of the harassment—including enhanced penalties for public or online conduct. For instance: Basic sexual harassment is punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of up to THB 20,000, or both. Continuous or repeated harassment that prevents normal life escalates penalties to imprisonment for up to two years, a fine of up to THB 40,000, or both. Critically for online operators, harassment committed in public places, in the presence of the public, or through computer systems accessible to the general public triggers imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of up to THB 60,000, or both. Acts of harassment committed by supervisors, employers, or others
Read More
January 6, 2026
On December 30, 2025, Thailand’s Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) notified digital marketplace operators of a consolidated list of “high‑risk products” that are subject to strict monitoring on digital platforms. The list was jointly prepared by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to guide platform compliance in the initial phase of implementation of the Electronic Transaction Committee’s Notification on Other Measures for Marketplace for Goods with Specific Characteristics under Section 18(2) of the 2022 Royal Decree on Digital Platform Businesses Requiring Notification B.E.2568 (2025). The notice is addressed to operators of digital platform services that function as product marketplaces with specific characteristics laid out in the notification. The ETDA states that the TISI and the FDA are closely monitoring the high‑risk product categories on digital platforms, and the published list serves as the baseline reference for platform screening during the initial phase of the notification’s implementation. High‑Risk Product List The list aggregates categories of products that are illegal to sell online or are otherwise tightly regulated under Thai law, with an emphasis on health-related products, controlled substances, medical devices, and a wide range of industrial products that require certification or compliance with specified Thai Industrial Standards, as detailed below. Prohibited and tightly controlled health products. This includes all categories of modern medicines subject to control other than general household remedies; all categories of controlled herbal products except for over-the-counter herbal products; narcotics; psychotropic substances; and medical devices requiring use in medical facilities or a physician’s prescription. Selected industrial products requiring heightened controls. The list highlights dozens of TISI-regulated items commonly sold online. Examples include pacifiers, rice cookers, electrical wire, food wrap film, crayons, washing machines and dryers, air conditioners, electric cookers and air fryers, water heaters, microwave ovens, LED luminaires, hair dryers
Read More