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​ 

August 31, 2020
A recent notification from the Bank of Thailand (BOT) has introduced new know-your-customer (KYC) guidelines for e-money businesses, updating the country’s regulatory regime to accommodate the greater variety of e-money services that have come into the market. The new regulations better differentiate between the types of risk relating to each product, and are expected to help e-money service providers overcome difficulties in identifying their customers.
Read More
July 30, 2020
On July 17, 2020, Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) issued a notification in the Government Gazette setting out the minimum security standards for personal data under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). This MDES notification is effective from July 18, 2020, to May 31, 2021.
Read More
July 17, 2020
Lawyers from Tilleke & Gibbins have contributed to the new online edition of Digital Business in Thailand: Overview, a Q&A-style guide from Thomson Reuters Practical Law that provides detailed answers on the regulatory environment surrounding the activities of online businesses and electronic business activities. The Thailand overview, which is one of 37 such guides to jurisdictions worldwide, discusses the following main issues:
Read More
July 7, 2020
The rise of global digital economies has introduced uncertainties and exposed many loopholes in our existing tax system, with the most significant issues being the difficulties in collecting tax from those conducting digital activities without a physical presence in a jurisdiction. Thailand has long considered reforming its traditional tax system to better cover the digital economy and digital transactions, believing that foreign companies engaged in the same transactions in Thailand as local companies should also pay tax to the country.
Read More