Thailand issues new ecommerce competition guidelines

Thailand’s Trade Competition Commission has issued ecommerce platform guidelines effective March 25, 2026, outlining how it will assess unfair trade and anti-competitive conduct by digital marketplaces.

The regulator said the guidance explains its approach under the Trade Competition Act B.E. 2560 (2017) for platforms and related businesses such as sellers, logistics, ads, and payment providers.

On pricing, it flagged practices including matching rivals’ platform fees in ways that suggest coordinated moves, charging different fees without reasonable justification, and imposing or changing costs that create excessive burdens without adequate notice.

On non-pricing conduct, it cited limiting product visibility through algorithms, self-preferencing the platform’s own services, forcing sellers to use designated delivery options, and using partner data to gain an advantage.

The commission said enforcement will be case by case, and violations can lead to criminal penalties and administrative fines.

🔗 Source: Nation Thailand

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Why even non-dominant platforms should track Thailand’s new guidance

The guidance reaches beyond platforms with formal market dominance. Under Thailand’s Trade Competition Act B.E. 2560 (2017), dominance means at least a 50% market share plus THB 1 billion in annual turnover 1.
Regulators may step in when a platform has “superior bargaining power” over sellers who rely on it. That can trigger scrutiny at a lower bar than formal dominance 1.
The scope spans multi-sided digital platform services such as e-commerce marketplaces, app stores, delivery ecosystems, plus other intermediation services that connect business users with consumers 1.
Breaches can lead to administrative fines up to 10% of annual revenue. Severe cases can also bring imprisonment up to two years and/or additional fines 1.

Thailand’s approach fits a wider push to regulate digital platforms

The draft follows patterns already seen in the EU’s Digital Markets Act (a European Union law aimed at curbing anti-competitive conduct by large online “gatekeeper” platforms) and India’s proposed Digital Competition Bill (a proposed law to set rules for major digital platforms) 1.
The regulator is issuing more specific guidance before disputes arise. The text spells out expectations for contracts, algorithms, plus commercial programs 1.
Enforcement is still likely to happen case by case under Thailand’s Trade Competition Act. Firms may need to avoid treating the guidance as one uniform “global standard” across jurisdictions 1.
Multinational operators can fold Thailand compliance work into existing platform-neutrality programs. This can reduce one-off local fixes 1.