New rules for app ride-hailing in Thailand to start March 31

If you have ever used a ride-hailing app and wondered, “What checks has this driver gone through?”, the answer is about to become clearer.

From March 31, 2026, the new law will begin to be enforced in practice, no longer just as an announcement on paper.

At ETDA LIVE EP.1, representatives from ETDA and the Department of Land Transport sat down to discuss the direction of “Ride Sharing” services, or app-based ride-hailing.

PostToday has broken it down in simple terms for everyone to understand.

Ride Sharing refers to a passenger transport service provided through an application that matches passengers with drivers via a digital system.

It is not a metered taxi and not a passenger van service.

The model became familiar during the COVID-19 period and grew rapidly, but until now, there has been no clear legal framework to support it.

This is the first time Thailand is introducing a legal framework specifically for it.

Drivers need a public driving licence, not just the ability to drive

This is the most important part of the new rules.

Drivers who accept jobs through platforms must hold a public driving licence, which is different from an ordinary private driving licence.

To obtain a public driving licence, drivers must pass checks and meet various conditions, including the following.

Public motorcycle drivers must be at least 20 years old, while public car drivers must be at least 22 years old.

Cars to be registered as Ry. 18 (the registration category for cars used in app-based public passenger services) must be no more than nine years old, while motorcycles to be registered as Ry.17 (the registration category for motorcycles used in app-based public passenger services) must have an engine capacity of 50–125cc.

Criminal background checks.

Yutthana Mowong, head of the transport technical group at Bangkok Land Transport Office Area 5 under the Department of Land Transport, said:

“A public driving licence is not just a piece of paper. It is tied to checks on a driver’s background. That is something passengers should be able to feel confident about.”

Vehicles must be re-registered, with no more use of private registration plates for passenger jobs

One of the core elements of the new measures is the requirement that vehicles used to provide services through platforms must have a clear legal status as defined by the Department of Land Transport.

Motorcycles used to carry passengers through platforms must be registered as Ry. 17, the category for motorcycles used in app-based public passenger services.

Cars must be registered as Ry. 18, the category for cars used in app-based public passenger services.

These registrations are not simply about changing a number or switching a registration category.

They show that the vehicle has properly entered the public service system in line with the required conditions and standards.

The key issue here is practical protection for all parties.

Once a vehicle is used as a for-hire or public service vehicle, it must come under rules on vehicle condition, insurance and inspections that reflect its actual use.

This reduces the risk of a vehicle being used under the wrong category and helps reduce disputes over protection when an accident occurs.

Thakoon Kaewsai, a legal officer and acting head of Legal and Regulations Group 1 at the Legal Bureau of the Department of Land Transport, said:

“Changing the registration is not about adding a burden. It is about ensuring that everyone is genuinely protected when an incident occurs.”

Platforms must verify drivers, not just act as job-matching middlemen

The new rules require platforms to take greater responsibility. Passenger transport services are no longer arranged offline as before, but through digital systems.

Digital platforms must therefore play a greater role in checks and accountability.

They can no longer function merely as middlemen passing on jobs.

They must have mechanisms to confirm that drivers on the system have the required qualifications, that vehicles used for the service are lawful, and that the service meets standards that genuinely give passengers confidence.

Under the new rules, platforms will have to carry out several checks.

They must verify key details relating to drivers and vehicles, including public driving licences and registration in the correct vehicle category.

They must provide information on pick-up and drop-off points, as well as fares.

They must also have channels for complaints and problem resolution.

Suphachitra Laowattanapinyo, a senior executive in ETDA’s policy and regulatory criteria division, said:

“The goal is not to tighten control. It is to organise the system so that platforms, drivers and passengers all operate under the same fair standards.”

If a platform fails to follow the prescribed criteria, fails to carry out checks, fails to suspend services, or allows drivers who do not fully meet the qualifications to continue accepting jobs, this could lead to legal proceedings.

Measures range from orders to correct deficiencies and orders prohibiting business operations, to the withdrawal of the business notification if non-compliance continues beyond the specified period.

The maximum penalty under the law is up to one year in prison, a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both, including withdrawal of the business notification.

March 31 is not a “ban” day, but the day screening gets serious

From March 31, 2026, when the Ride Sharing notification takes effect, if a driver still does not hold a public driving licence or has not registered a vehicle correctly as Ry. 17 or Ry. 18, the platform must suspend that driver from providing the service, or stop assigning jobs, until the documents and status have been fully corrected.

This mechanism is not a “permanent ban”, but a “temporary suspension from receiving jobs” designed to enforce shared standards.

Once drivers complete the required steps, they can return to the system and continue taking jobs as normal.

On the other hand, if officials find services being provided improperly, that information will enter a joint review process and be passed to the relevant platform to support a temporary suspension as well.

This means oversight will become more systematic, rather than each side acting separately.

What if the vehicle is still under finance?

In practice, the issue drivers are most concerned about is restrictions relating to vehicles and documentation, particularly in cases where a vehicle is still being paid off through a finance company.

The Department of Land Transport has made it clear that a financed vehicle can still be registered, but the driver must have a letter of authorisation and the original vehicle registration book from the finance company.

As for the engine-capacity limit for motorcycles, the current rule is that motorcycles registered as public motorcycles through an app must not exceed 125cc.

The Department of Land Transport has not overlooked this issue and has proposed amending the ministerial regulation to raise the ceiling to no more than 250cc.

The proposal is still under policy-level consideration.

Until the amended law takes effect, however, the current limit remains no more than 125cc.

Meanwhile, the burden of commercial insurance premiums, seen as too high, especially for cars that must be registered as public service vehicles, has become an obstacle to joining the system.

Discussions are therefore underway with insurance regulators and relevant business sectors to design insurance products that are better suited to how vehicles in the ride-sharing system are actually used, without creating an unnecessary burden while still providing adequate protection for passengers.