Thailand Mandates Public Vehicle Driving License for Ride-Hailing App Drivers by End of September

The Thai government has once again emphasized that all drivers operating through ride-hailing applications must obtain a public vehicle driving license by September 30. This measure aims to enhance service quality and safety in the ride-hailing sector. The Department of Land Transport under the Ministry of Transport is urging all drivers to comply with the legal requirement by the stipulated deadline. In response to this regulatory push, there has been a significant surge in applications for public vehicle driving licenses. Statistics from January to August 2024 show a substantial increase in new license issuances for car ride-hailing drivers. The average monthly number of new licenses rose from 2,915 before the cooperation agreement (January-June) to 8,499 after the agreement (July-August), an increase of 191.6%, nearly tripling the previous rate, bringing the cumulative total to 162,310. A similar trend is observed for motorcycle ride-hailing drivers, with a 255.4% increase from an average of 2,271 per month to 8,072, accumulating to 183,415 licenses. To accommodate this demand, the Department of Land Transport will offer special weekend services for public vehicle driving license applications and renewals on Saturday, September 26, at the Bangkok Area 5 Land Transport Office. This special service is exclusively for drivers who have completed the mandatory e-Learning pre-training. The government spokesperson underscored that the public vehicle driving license is a crucial legal document for anyone working in public transportation, including ride-hailing app drivers. Failure to comply with this regulation could result in legal penalties and prevent drivers from operating on ride-hailing platforms.