Digital minister slows platform bill and rethinks fees charged to businesses

Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob has ordered a review of Thailand’s draft Digital Platform Economy Act, saying its original approach, modelled on European Union legislation, would be too stringent for the country.

Chaichanok said work on the bill had not stopped, but officials had been instructed to slow the process and adjust its direction to find an appropriate balance for Thailand.

The ministry will also have to consult several agencies, including the Finance Ministry and the Commerce Ministry, before finalising the legislation.

“The platform law is still being worked on. It has not been stopped,” he said. “We originally based it on EU law, but I instructed officials to slow down and revise it because it was too strict. We need to find the right balance for Thailand.”

The Digital Economy and Society Ministry had previously aimed to complete its consideration of the bill before forwarding it to the Council of State for legal review.

The draft would then be submitted to the Cabinet and, if approved, introduced in the House of Representatives during the parliamentary session. The ministry had earlier expected that process to reach Parliament in about September 2026, although the review has placed that timetable in doubt.

Ministry reviews total fees charged by platforms

Chaichanok said the ministry was considering several approaches to regulating digital platforms.

Any review of platform charges should not focus only on the so-called GP fee, or platform commission, because a platform could lower that particular charge while increasing other fees.

The ministry is therefore studying the total take rate, meaning the combined proportion of revenue deducted through all charges imposed by a platform.

Officials are also examining regulatory and commercial models used overseas, including India’s Open Network for Digital Commerce, or ONDC, and China’s approach of introducing legislation and establishing a dedicated body to supervise platforms.

Another option under consideration is the creation of a central system bringing together marketplaces that voluntarily agree to operate under common rules.

The government could offer incentives to encourage participation. Should the system successfully attract a significant number of businesses and compliant platforms, it could provide an alternative way to strengthen their collective bargaining power alongside legislation and voluntary cooperation from major operators.

“If it works effectively and brings businesses or responsible platforms together in one place, it would at least give us another option and greater bargaining power when seeking cooperation,” Chaichanok said. “We are therefore pursuing every possible approach.”

Dedicated platform regulator remains under study

The possible establishment of a specialised agency to supervise digital platforms also remains under consideration.

Chaichanok said the ministry was examining the model announced by China as part of its assessment.

The original version of Thailand’s draft legislation had already included a proposal to establish a working group, although the planned mechanism was not as strict as the Chinese approach.

He stressed that studying a dedicated regulator did not mean other options would be abandoned. Several measures could be pursued simultaneously.

Grab meeting focused on business and technology

Chaichanok also discussed his meeting with Anthony Tan, chief executive and co-founder of Singapore-based Grab Holdings.

He said Grab had not asked the government to relax regulations. Most of the discussion focused on its performance, previous cooperation and measures intended to assist and create opportunities for drivers and business operators.

As a ride-sharing platform, Grab plays a significant role in food delivery and public transport services, generating income for drivers and expanding commercial opportunities for restaurants nationwide.

The company told the minister that about 10 million transactions under the Thai Chuay Thai programme had been conducted through its platform during the past few months.

Grab also presented proposals to use artificial intelligence to support merchants and riders in areas including marketing, financial accounting and the management of raw materials and supplies.

Chaichanok expressed interest in possible technology sharing, but said he wanted to examine further details and see how the systems worked in practice.

Grab also expressed an interest in participating in Thai Tiew Thai Plus, proposing that riders could be included in transport-discount measures.

The government is considering whether the proposal would be feasible, including the structure of the system and the processes required for verification and identity checks.

Fee rules to apply across the industry

Chaichanok said the GP fee had not been discussed during his meeting with Grab because the issue was already being considered with platforms in a separate forum.

Any decisions on platform charges or related regulations would be discussed across the industry rather than with individual companies, he said.

The government wants to avoid designing rules that would give one operator an advantage or place another at a disadvantage.

TikTok invites Thai officials to inspect Singapore systems

In separate discussions with TikTok, the two sides exchanged views on cooperation against scammers, the use of artificial intelligence to monitor content and know-your-customer, or KYC, procedures.

TikTok invited Thai representatives to inspect its systems in Singapore after Chaichanok raised questions about identity verification for people opening accounts that were not registered as merchants.

He also asked about the use of AI to examine and monitor different types of accounts.

Chaichanok said that should he be unable to travel to Singapore personally, he might send a ministry team to study the systems instead.