Online Sellers Demand Action Against Platform's Transport Monopoly

Online merchants are demanding that Thailand's Trade Competition Commission (TCCC) take action against major e-commerce platforms over alleged shipping monopolies, saying that despite new regulations, enforcement has been lacking and putting livelihoods at risk. Small merchants report facing rising costs at a time when consumer spending remains fragile—sales growth has stalled while platform fees and service charges keep climbing, eroding already thin profit margins. Shipping restrictions remain a major complaint, with many vendors unable to switch carriers or manage delivery costs, leaving them stuck with underperforming services even though the TCCC introduced digital platform guidelines on March 25, 2026, explicitly forbidding anti-competitive practices and vendor exploitation.

On August 4, 2026, lawyer Anuanchai Chaiyedej filed a petition with the TCCC requesting enforcement action, arguing that platform shipping-lock behavior violates the new competition guidelines. However, market conditions suggest little has changed—platforms continue restricting shipper choices to a single provider, and requests to switch carriers are often rejected or made deliberately difficult, forcing vendors to absorb poor service quality and damage to their businesses. Meanwhile, capable shipping companies are also suffering from lost volume, and industry figures warn that ongoing layoffs in the transport sector could harm the broader economy if the situation persists.

The impact extends beyond merchants to consumers, merchants note, since higher vendor costs translate into higher retail prices or thinner discounts. Lawyer Chaiyedej emphasizes that the real test is enforcement effectiveness—if complaints continue about shipping restrictions and rising fees, trust in fair e-commerce competition will erode further. The petition was received by Theerawat Tipratana, deputy secretary-general of the TCCC.