Thailand’s Trade Competition Commission (TCCT) has introduced new guidelines for e-commerce platforms, setting out standards on pricing and business conduct aimed at curbing unfair trade practices and preventing market dominance in the country’s fast-growing digital economy.

The “e-commerce platform guidelines”, which took effect on March 25, 2026, outline how authorities will assess conduct that could distort competition or disadvantage trading partners, including sellers, logistics providers, payment firms and digital advertisers operating on such platforms, according to local media.

TCCT Secretary-General Visanu Vongsinsirikul said the guidelines provide clarity on how the regulator will interpret provisions under the Trade Competition Act B.E. 2560 (2017), particularly in relation to multi-sided digital platforms that facilitate the buying and selling of goods and services.

The framework focuses on two broad areas: pricing conduct and non-pricing commercial behaviour. On pricing, the commission highlighted practices that may be deemed anti-competitive, including parallel fee-setting among platforms and unjustified price discrimination between sellers offering similar goods or services.

Authorities will assess such cases based on factors such as business size, sales volume and commercial rationale.

The guidelines also caution against excessive fees or cost burdens imposed on trading partners, as well as sudden changes to fee structures without adequate notice.

On non-pricing conduct, the TCCT flagged several practices that could restrict fair competition.

These include limiting the visibility of certain sellers through algorithms, giving preferential placement to a platform’s own products or affiliated sellers, and requiring merchants to use designated logistics or service providers.

The regulator also warned against the misuse of partner data, such as leveraging proprietary data from sellers to benefit a platform’s own competing business.

The TCCT said enforcement will be carried out on a case-by-case basis, taking into account contractual arrangements and the broader legal context.

Conduct found to significantly restrict competition or harm market fairness could constitute an offence under Thai competition law, potentially leading to administrative penalties or criminal sanctions.

The commission added that it will continue engaging with industry players to improve understanding of the guidelines and support compliance. The move comes as Thailand seeks to strengthen oversight of its digital economy while ensuring a level playing field for businesses operating on e-commerce platforms.

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