The Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) has published its regulatory roadmap for 2026 under the Royal Decree on Digital Platform Service Businesses B.E. 2565 (2022), setting out the compliance priorities and forthcoming obligations that both domestic and foreign platform operators will face over the coming months.
For businesses operating online marketplaces, social commerce platforms, ride-sharing applications, or any digital intermediary serving users in Thailand, the roadmap represents a significant step beyond initial registration requirements. This article outlines the key developments and their practical implications.
A Summary of the Regulatory Framework
For the first time, the Royal Decree has brought digital platform operators within a formal supervisory perimeter. The framework requires covered operators to notify the ETDA before starting operations in Thailand, and to submit annual reports disclosing information about their business, users, fee structures, and complaint handling.
Notification thresholds apply to operators with annual gross revenue from Thai platform services exceeding THB 50 million (for legal entities) or THB 1.8 million (for individuals), or with more than 5,000 monthly active users in Thailand. Notably, the framework has extraterritorial reach: foreign operators serving Thai users through Thai language interfaces, Thai Baht transactions, or Thai-facing support channels fall within scope and must appoint a local coordinator to liaise with the ETDA.
Three Pillars of the 2026 Agenda
ETDA’s 2026 priorities are framed around three principles: practicable, verifiable, and shared responsibility. In practice, this translates into three regulatory focus areas.
Product and Service Standards
Online marketplace platforms face the most immediate obligations. A notification under Section 18(2) of the Royal Decree came into force on 31 December 2025, designating 21 marketplace platforms subject to enhanced compliance duties. These include:
- Merchant and product verification before and during listing;
- Notice-and-takedown procedures for substandard or non-compliant products;
- Coordination with the Food and Drug Administration and the Thai Industrial Standards Institute for inspection and enforcement procedures.
For the broader online retail market, the ETDA is developing a separate notification specifically targeting social commerce platforms operating via social media channels with integrated sales functionality. Sellers and advertisers on these platforms are expected to face risk-based identity verification requirements once the rules are finalised.
Ride-sharing platforms are also within scope, with compliance deadlines extended to 31 March 2026 to allow time for driver registration under the Department of Land Transport’s Driver Verify system. The ETDA continues to work with multiple agencies on insurance frameworks, engine capacity parameters, and fee structures.
Platforms facilitating the sale of high-risk products, including firearms, SIM boxes, and e-cigarettes, are expected to participate in a self-regulatory framework covering verification, screening, alerts, and suspension procedures, ahead of any future mandatory rules.
Fair Competition and Fee Transparency
A significant development alongside the ETDA roadmap is the introduction of competition guidelines for digital platforms. In March 2026, the Trade Competition Commission of Thailand (TCCT) published Guidelines on Multi-Sided Platforms and E-Commerce Businesses, which entered into force on 25 March 2026. These guidelines, issued under the Trade Competition Act B.E. 2560, address unfair trade practices, abuse of market power, and anti-competitive conduct in digital ecosystems, including algorithmic pricing, tying and bundling, and data-driven exclusionary behaviour.
Moreover, the ETDA is conducting a review of e-commerce platform fee structures to assess cost transparency and minimum returns for sellers. Draft guidelines are expected to be presented to the Joint Committee under the Royal Decree. The TCCT has been separately designated as the primary regulator for logistics services on digital platforms, with the ETDA monitoring the consumer impact.
For platform operators, this dual-track approach means compliance analysis must now extend beyond registration and data obligations to encompass commercial design, algorithmic systems, and participant relationships.
Online Fraud Prevention
The ETDA has also released a draft notification requiring social media platforms to implement risk-based identity verification for sellers and advertisers. The draft is issued under the framework established by Thailand’s cybercrime prevention emergency decree (the “mule account” decree) and would apply enhanced verification in circumstances including:
- Where an advertiser or seller has accumulated a history of user complaints;
- Where prior violations of platform terms of service have been recorded;
- Where other risk indicators prescribed by the ETDA are present.
Data retention obligations are also expected to be introduced alongside the verification requirements. If finalised in its current form, the notification would take effect 180 days after publication in the Royal Thai Government Gazette.
Implications for Platform Operators
The ETDA’s 2026 agenda reflects a broader regulatory philosophy: digital platforms exercising market influence are expected to govern their ecosystems actively, not passively. Compliance is no longer centred solely on registration and annual reporting but extends to product governance, seller and advertiser verification, and proactive fraud prevention.
Operators should assess the following as a matter of priority:
- Whether they qualify as a designated online marketplace under the December 2025 notification, and whether notice-and-takedown systems are currently in place;
- Whether social commerce features, such as in-app storefronts, seller listings, or checkout functionality, would bring them within the scope of the forthcoming social commerce notification;
- Whether their annual revenue or user base thresholds require notification to the ETDA, particularly if operating from outside Thailand;
- Whether their fee structures, ranking algorithms, or commercial arrangements with sellers could attract scrutiny under the new TCCT competition guidelines.
Foreign operators should pay particular attention to the ETDA’s extraterritorial reach. Operating a Thai-language interface, accepting Thai Baht, or maintaining Thai-based customer support, without having notified the ETDA, can expose overseas operators to regulatory risk and reputational consequences.
For legal advice on digital platform compliance, ETDA notification requirements, or regulatory strategy in Thailand’s technology and e-commerce sectors, please contact our Technology, Crypto, and Web3 team at [email protected].
This article is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
