Delivery apps and online marketplaces may soon have to justify every fee. Will anyone actually pay less?

If you sell on an online marketplace, run a restaurant that lives on delivery apps, or simply order dinner through your phone most nights, Thailand's competition watchdog wants to change the rules behind the prices you see. The Trade Competition Commission of Thailand (TCCT) has opened a public consultation, running from 4 November to 3 December 2026, on two drafts aimed at ride-hailing, on-demand delivery and e-commerce platforms.

The government has been careful to say what the drafts do not do. They do not set a single cap on commissions, and they do not mean fees will fall straight away. They are also not yet in force. What they would do is make platforms explain their fees, give long notice before raising them, and stop punishing sellers who choose a rival delivery company.

Two drafts, two different targets

What changes for online sellers?

For anyone running a small shop on a marketplace, the e-commerce draft is the bigger deal. Sellers and buyers would be free to choose their courier, including the seller's own delivery or an outside firm, as long as it meets safety and tracking standards. Platforms could not lower a shop's search ranking, raise its fees, remove a quality badge, drop it from promotions or slow its payouts because it uses a different carrier.

Delivery options would also have to be shown fairly at checkout, with price, delivery time and key conditions, and no default choice quietly steering buyers to the platform's own logistics arm. If a default is needed, the rules behind it must be published and buyers must be able to change it easily.

Why the push now? The Bangkok Post reports that commission records show one large marketplace raising its fees 10 times since 2022, a cumulative increase of 433%, and another seven times, totalling 367%. A TCCT commissioner told the paper that commission rates of up to 30% charged to merchants were the kind of practice that warranted scrutiny.

And for restaurants, riders and app users?

The ride-hailing and delivery guidelines would apply to every platform in the category, not only the biggest. Fees would have to be set out in writing in advance, with the method of calculation, and any increase would need a reasonable justification and at least 90 days' written notice. Users facing a rise would have the option to accept it, negotiate, or leave without a penalty.

The draft also targets so-called dark patterns: pre-ticked options, hidden fees, prices that creep up at checkout and fake countdowns or scarcity warnings. Platforms would have to label sponsored listings, explain the principles behind search rankings and job allocation, and let users take their data, such as ratings and sales history, with them.

Will it actually make anything cheaper?

Not necessarily, and the government says as much. The aim is fair competition and transparency rather than price control, so the clearest gains are predictability and choice: knowing what you pay for, getting three months' warning of a rise, and being able to pick a cheaper courier without being buried in search results. Whether that feeds through to lower prices for diners and shoppers will depend on how platforms respond.

The industry is pushing back. The Thai Digital Platform Trade Association has asked the commission to clarify whether it is targeting fee structures or actual commission rates, and has warned that advance notice of changes could limit flexibility. The Bangkok Post also reported that two major food delivery operators were said to be considering legal action; the commission says it is prepared to defend its authority under the Trade Competition Act. After the consultation the drafts go back to the commission, with an announcement targeted before the New Year.