Uber cars still running in Thailand despite yesterday’s ban

One day after Uber was ordered to halt operations in Thailand, Tech in Asia has confirmed that the UberX and UberBlack services are still up and running in the capital, Bangkok.

Thailand’s Department of Land Transport said that drivers who use personal vehicles for commercial use – which applies to Uber – could be fined THB 2,000 baht (US$60). Authorities seem to have left it to police to enforce this, despite the fact that the unmarked cars are difficult to identify as an Uber vehicle. Unless police start ordering Ubers, that is.

Uber seems to be exploiting this grey area by still running in Bangkok today. The following screenshot from 12:57pm Bangkok time shows Uber cars still available in the Thai capital:

We’ve contacted Uber executives in Thailand and Hong Kong and will update if they respond.

The Thailand ruling does not apply to taxi apps, such as EasyTaxi and GrabTaxi, that utilize licensed cabs.

History of flouting bans

Uber has flouted bans in other areas before, such as in August in Berlin. Six weeks later, Uber modified its budget UberPop service in Germany’s capital so that it’s effectively a ride-sharing service from which drivers derive no profit. However, the situation is still not fully resolved.

Uber was also outlawed in Spain earlier this week. In India, the service has been banned in two cities so far following the tragic case of a rape allegedly perpetrated by an Uber driver in Delhi.

Just one week after Uber raised US$1.2 million in venture capital funding for “substantial investments” in Asia, the American company is facing a growing number of significant roadblocks.

See: GrabTaxi raises a record-breaking $250 million, plans to leave other regional players in the dust