Four Giants Join Forces to Foster Balanced and Fair Competition, Launching the TDPA Mission: Thai Digital Platform Trade Association

Major digital platform groups Lazada, Shopee, LINE MAN Wongnai, and Grab announced the establishment of the “Thai Digital Platform Trade Association” or TDPA officially, serving as a “mediator” among platforms, government, and all stakeholders amid the rapid growth of Thailand's digital economy.

Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Thamakan Supathanarungsi, President of the Thai Digital Platform Trade Association (TDPA) revealed that establishing the TDPA marks a significant milestone for Thailand's digital industry, as the digital economy is no longer just a business sector but has become essential infrastructure and a key growth driver, currently accounting for about 10% of GDP with a continuing growth trend.

The e-Conomy SEA 2025 report by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company stated that Thailand's digital economy value in 2025 is 1.73 trillion baht, growing 16% from the previous year, ranking second in ASEAN. E-commerce remains the market's largest segment, followed by online transportation, food delivery services, and digital media—all sectors where TDPA member platforms play significant roles.

Given these trends, digital platform leaders recognize the importance of uniting to set direction and drive Thailand's platform economy towards sustainable international standards. They believe precise regulation aligned with global standards is crucial to building trust and elevating the Thai platform economy's long-term stable growth.

TDPA's mission will focus on creating a trustworthy digital ecosystem linking service providers, consumers, and especially SMEs. It will serve as a bridge between government and business sectors to jointly develop balanced, transparent policies that promote open competition based on shared responsibility.

The Thai Digital Platform Trade Association has disclosed four core values that guide its operations, including

• neutrality and fair competition, promoting a level playing field that genuinely allows new platforms and SMEs to grow.
• objective-based regulation, collaborating with government to advance laws and policies that balance public interest effectively.
• transparency and trust, raising standards in data, security, and consumer protection to foster confidence in the digital ecosystem.
• promotion of digital skills and access to opportunities, supporting Thai businesses transitioning to the digital economy and developing essential skills for modern entrepreneurs.

The association's founding saw Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Thamakan Supathanarungsi Lazada's Head of Government Relations, elected by regular members as the association's president for a two-year term before the next election. The association will open membership to new platforms registered in Thailand, not limited to e-commerce or food delivery but welcoming all platform types to ensure diverse industry perspectives, currently numbering over 200.

Despite competing in the market, the founding members share a vision that their platforms can support the association's main goals.

• Lazada sees e-commerce entering the era of “Confidence Commerce,” where trust between buyers and sellers is crucial. The platform aims to build transparent, secure systems and enhance merchants' digital skills, providing a marketplace that manages payments, logistics, and after-sales services to help SMEs compete with large brands.
• Shopee, operating in Thailand for over 11 years, views the success of small sellers expanding internationally as stemming from infrastructure development. The company is committed to developing tools and systems to simplify business for sellers.
• LINE MAN Wongnai, as a Thai-developed platform serving only Thailand, believes it can meet user needs down to the district level, supported by a technology team of over 600, enabling in-house innovation development.
• Grab aims to drive Southeast Asia's growth inclusively, supporting small businesses and drivers alike, leveraging technology and data to enhance economic opportunity access.

The collaboration of these four major platforms represents a constructive partnership to clarify policy and promote an industry-wide central mechanism. However, an important point to watch is that this consolidation may prompt closer government scrutiny regarding competition.

The next test will be to observe how rigorously TDPA enforces international standards and whether it will address issues affecting its own members. More importantly, it remains to be seen if it can balance “rapid growth” with “appropriate regulation.” Ultimately, the association's success will not be measured solely by market value but by its ability to translate growth into tangible benefits for Thai entrepreneurs and consumers broadly.

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