On 25 May 2021, the Cabinet has approved a draft Ministerial Regulation Concerning an Electronically Private Hire Car with Driver Not Exceeding 7 Passengers No. .. B.E. …. (“Draft Ministerial Regulation”) as proposed by the Ministry of Transport. The Draft Ministerial Regulation will be referred to the Council of State for further consideration.

The Objectives

Once enacted, the Draft Ministerial Regulation allows an individual passenger car carrying not exceeding 7 passengers booked through an electronic platform to be a legally private hire car with a driver. It will accommodate modern livelihoods which will allow more choices for consumers, more economic fostering, and more competition for an existing private hire car with driver form (i.e. taxi). It will also extend authorities’ power to control its services. 

Main Points of the Draft Ministerial Regulation

The Definition Provisions:

1. “A private hire car through electronic platforms” means a private hire car resulting from registering a passenger car as a private hire car. Its hiring is done through an electronic platform.
2. “A private hire car” is a passenger car on a hire carrying not exceeding 7 passengers through an electronic platform.

Types of Cars

1. There are 3 types of private hire car allowed for registration considering their sizes, i.e. small, medium, and large. Each individual person can register 1 car. The criteria for the cars’ sizes will be in this Draft Ministerial Regulation once finalized.
2. Any passenger car to be registered as a private hire car has to be a 4 doors sedan, a panel van, an SUV car, a van, or other types of cars to be specified by a notification of the Department of Land Transport.
3. The private hire car will have and be booked through an electronic platform approved by the Department of Land Transport. In addition, the car must:
   • Display a sign showing the private hire car through electronic platforms status;
   • Have a color that matches the car’s registration; and
   • Not be in use for longer than 9 years from the registration date.
4. The car registered as a private hire car will keep the same plate, but the registrar will change the type of registration on its registration handbook.
5. The private hire car will have its checkup under the procedures and prescriptions to be stipulated by this Draft Ministerial Regulation once finalized. The private hire car and its driver must be clean and hygienic. Nothing in the private hire car can cause the consumers any inconvenience or safety concerns.

Fare Rates:

1. For small and medium size private hire car:
   • The charge for the first 2 kilometers must not exceed 50 THB and not exceeding 12 THB for each additional kilometer;
   • In case that the car cannot move/commute in normal circumstances, the chargeable rate cannot exceed 3 THB for each minute; and
   • The platform cannot additionally charge more than 50 THB, and the maximum of other added charges by the platform must not exceed 200 THB.  
2. For Large private hire car,
   • The charge for the first 2 kilometers must not exceed 200 THB and not exceeding 50 THB for each additional kilometer;
   • In case that the car cannot move/commute in normal circumstances, the chargeable rate cannot exceed 10 THB for each minute; and
   • The platform cannot charge more than 100 THB additionally, and the maximum of other added charges must not exceed 200 THB. 

Details of the fare rate will be as stipulated by further orders of the Minister of Transport.