The meeting was held at Phuket Provincial Hall on Monday (Jan 26), chaired by Phuket Governor Nirat Pongsitthaworn.
Also attending were Phuket Provincial Palad (Chief Administration Officer) Rungruang Thimabut, Chief of the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) Adcha Buachan, and representatives from relevant government agencies, along with operators of digital ride-hailing platforms.
The main focus of the meeting was the continued presence of unlicensed ride-hailing vehicles ‒ commonly referred to by officials as ‘black plate’ vehicles ‒ operating through mobile applications in Phuket.
Governor Nirat said the province is moving to ensure that all vehicles providing ride-hailing services comply strictly with regulations set by the Department of Land Transport (DLT), as well as guidelines issued by the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) governing digital platform businesses.
Under the proposed measures, ride-hailing platforms will be required to remove unregistered vehicles from their systems and reorganise services so that only legally registered public transport vehicles are permitted to accept jobs in Phuket.
Officials said the measures are intended to bring order to the transport sector, protect lawful operators and ensure passenger safety, particularly as tourism demand continues to rise.
Phuket officials will also consider measures to assist drivers affected by the enforcement, including those seeking to transition into legal operation. A dedicated working group is to be established to develop comprehensive solutions that balance the interests of platform operators, drivers and the public.
However, officials have yet to announce a clear timeline for implementation or detail what support measures may be offered to drivers currently unable to register their vehicles.
APPEAL
The meeting comes amid growing pressure from app-based drivers themselves, with a group of ride-hailing drivers in Phuket recently submitting a formal letter to the governor requesting a review of restrictions on electronic vehicle registration certificates, known as R.Y.18.
The group said the recovery of Phuket’s tourism sector has sharply increased demand for ride-hailing services, while limitations on R.Y.18 registrations have restricted the number of vehicles able to operate legally.
The drivers said many operators who wish to comply with the law are being “severely affected” by the current registration closures, particularly following the strict enforcement of regulations under the Royal Decree on Platform Business Operations B.E.2565, which is set to take effect in B.E.2568.
They argued that enforcement has intensified at a time when demand from tourists and residents continues to grow, leaving drivers caught between legal requirements and limited registration availability.
CRACKDOWN
The renewed discussions also follow a major island-wide crackdown on illegal taxi operations earlier this month.
As previously reported, the Department of Land Transport has moved to prohibit taxis and ride-hailing vehicles registered outside Phuket from operating in the province, following the arrest of 162 illegal taxi drivers during a four-day enforcement operation between Jan 13-16.
That operation saw police, transport and local administration officials establish 11 checkpoints across Phuket, including in Phuket Old Town, Patong, Kathu, Chalong, Wichit, Kamala, Tha Chatchai, Karon, Sakhu, Thalang and Cherng Talay. A major checkpoint was also set up at Phuket International Airport under the responsibility of Sakhu Police.
Governor Nirat previously confirmed the operation was jointly conducted by Phuket Police, the PLTO and local administrative officials as part of ongoing efforts to suppress illegal transport services and protect lawful operators.
Separately, Thalang District officials reported that around 500 vehicles were inspected in the airport area between Jan 13-17, with drivers warned to strictly comply with transport laws.
Against this backdrop, the Phuket Provincial Office confirmed it had forwarded complaints from the Provincial Electronic Taxi Association to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society over disputes between local taxi drivers and illegally operating ride-hailing vehicles.
In response, the ministry instructed ETDA to review the matter and propose regulatory measures within its authority. ETDA subsequently requested cooperation from the DLT to ensure strict enforcement and appropriate legal action.
Following a joint meeting with the DLT and digital platform operators, ETDA instructed platforms to block unregistered vehicles ‒ including private cars and motorcycles not registered for public transport use ‒ from accepting jobs in Phuket, and to prohibit vehicles registered in other provinces from operating through applications on the island.
ETDA has also ordered ride-hailing platforms to submit monthly reports on job allocation and service usage in Phuket, starting from January 2026, to support ongoing monitoring and regulation.
Provincial officials said the combined enforcement and regulatory efforts are aimed at restoring fair competition, reducing conflict between operators and safeguarding Phuket’s reputation as a regulated and tourist-friendly destination.