DBD probes Gokoo, Feixiang and E-Gets over nominee risks and licences, vowing action after finding two Thai firms and one foreign company
Thailand's Commerce Ministry is investigating three Chinese-linked delivery apps—Gokoo, Feixiang, and E-Gets—over concerns about their ownership and legal compliance.
The probe focuses on whether the companies are using Thai "nominee" shareholders to circumvent the Foreign Business Act of 1999.
Authorities are examining the ownership structures of Gokoo and Feixiang, which are registered as Thai-majority companies, and E-Gets, which is registered as a foreign entity.
The investigation was prompted by the platforms' focus on serving Chinese tourists and residents, which has raised broader concerns about fair competition and regulation in Thailand's platform economy.
Commerce Ministry has launched a deeper inspection of three Chinese-linked food delivery and digital service platforms, as concerns grow over foreign ownership structures, nominee arrangements and fair competition in the country’s fast-changing platform economy.
The Department of Business Development (DBD) is examining Gokoo, Feixiang and E-Gets, three platforms providing food ordering and other services in Thailand, with a strong focus on Chinese tourists and Chinese residents who may face language barriers when using Thai delivery apps.
Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, director-general of the DBD, said the department had moved quickly after reports emerged about the platforms’ operations. The agency is now checking whether their business models comply with the Foreign Business Act of 1999 and other relevant laws.
Three platforms under closer scrutiny
Initial checks found that all three operators are registered as companies, but their ownership structures differ.
Gokoo Online Co Ltd, operator of the Gokoo application, was registered on September 21, 2020, with registered capital of 30 million baht. Thai shareholders hold 80% of the company, giving it the status of a Thai juristic person.
The Fly Holding (Thailand) Co Ltd, operator of Feixiang, was registered on September 1, 2021, with registered capital of 25 million baht. Thai shareholders hold 51%, meaning it is also registered as a Thai juristic person.
Both companies operate as online marketplaces for goods or services through electronic media and internet-based networks. However, the DBD’s preliminary review found that some Thai shareholders are linked to other companies, including as directors or shareholders in four other firms involving foreign joint investment.
E-Gets classified as foreign juristic person
The third company, E-Gets Technology (Thailand) Co Ltd, operator of E-Gets, was registered on August 3, 2023, with registered capital of 20 million baht.
The company is 90% owned by a Cambodian juristic person, meaning it is classified as a foreign juristic person under the Foreign Business Act of 1999. Its business covers e-commerce and digital platform services for ordering, selling and delivering consumer goods and related products.
The DBD’s inspection found that E-Gets Technology (Thailand) has received an investment promotion certificate from the Board of Investment for digital platform development services. It has also received a Foreign Business Certificate.
The DBD is now working with relevant agencies to investigate the source of investment funds, management authority, company-signing powers and relationships among shareholders.
The purpose is to determine whether any Thai shareholders are acting as nominees for foreign investors or whether any platform is operating in a way that requires permission under foreign business laws.
For the two companies registered as Thai juristic persons, authorities will examine whether Thai nationals are holding shares or acting on behalf of foreigners to avoid foreign business licensing requirements.
If wrongdoing is found, offenders could face up to three years in prison, fines of 100,000 to 1 million baht, and daily fines of 10,000 to 50,000 baht until the violation is corrected.
For foreign juristic persons, the inspection will focus on whether the business has obtained the required permission under the Foreign Business Act. Operating a restricted business without permission carries a fine of 100,000 to 1 million baht, plus daily fines of 10,000 to 50,000 baht.
Chinese-language services raise wider questions
The platforms being reviewed provide digital services aimed largely at Chinese-speaking customers in Thailand.
Their services include food ordering, consumer goods, and other related services, while their systems use Chinese as a main language and connect with several forms of electronic payment.
The issue has attracted wider public attention because Chinese-linked lifestyle platforms have expanded beyond food delivery into broader services for Chinese communities in Thailand, raising questions over regulation, ownership, foreign capital and rider networks.
Authorities promise fair treatment during probe
The DBD said it would continue monitoring the platforms closely to prevent possible damage to Thai entrepreneurs, the wider economy and fair competition.
However, the department also stressed that while the investigation is ongoing, the businesses must be treated as not having breached the law until the findings are complete.
Poonpong said the investigation forms part of government and Commerce Ministry policy to prevent the use of Thai nominees by foreign investors and to stop business operations that may violate the Foreign Business Act.
He said lawful investment could bring benefits, including job creation for delivery riders. But if investigators find nominee arrangements, unlicensed foreign business activity or other legal violations, the department will take strict legal action and coordinate with other agencies to expand the probe.
Foreign investment welcome if transparent
The Commerce Ministry’s message is not that foreign digital platforms are unwelcome, but that their operations must be transparent and lawful.
The DBD said it would continue monitoring higher-risk businesses while supporting foreign investment that is properly structured, legally compliant and beneficial to Thailand’s economy.
For Thailand’s delivery and digital-service market, the investigation signals a tougher regulatory approach at a time when overseas-linked platforms are becoming more visible in tourist areas and communities with large foreign populations.
The immediate test for authorities will be whether the probe can clearly separate legitimate investment from nominee structures, while protecting fair competition for Thai businesses and workers.
