Sakolthee, a Democrat Party MP, urged the Ministry of Transport to accelerate compensation payments to taxi and motorcycle taxi drivers, expressing concern that delays could cause grassroots workers to turn to informal money lenders.
4 June 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Sakolthee Pattiyakul, a party-list Member of Parliament from the Democrat Party, raised the issue during a parliamentary session to send demands to the Ministry of Transport and the government, urging them to expedite implementation of the Cabinet resolution dated 11 April concerning measures to assist and compensate public transport drivers.
Mr. Sakolthee stated that after visiting communities and listening to citizens' concerns over recent days, he found that many registered taxi drivers and motorcycle taxi drivers who applied for assistance back in April have yet to receive any compensation, and the matter has gone quiet. According to the criteria, taxi drivers are entitled to 5,040 baht per vehicle, and motorcycle taxi drivers 840 baht per vehicle. These funds are urgently needed to support their cost of living. Continued delay in payments may force these labor groups to rely on illegal loans, worsening their debt problems. Additionally, Mr. Sakolthee highlighted four main policy gaps and limitations:
1. Unfairness among rented drivers: Currently, compensation for taxis goes to vehicle owners, not to the actual hired drivers who are truly affected.
2. Insufficient aid amount: The motorcycle taxi drivers, numbering over 120,000, receive only 840 baht each, which is too little to sustain their livelihood. He suggested the government consider increasing the amount.
3. Neglect of informal delivery riders: Approximately 300,000 to 400,000 informal delivery riders have been excluded from this round of measures. Although the government promised support by June, the issue remains unresolved.
4. Technological barriers: The registration system and app usage, including GPS, are complicated, making it difficult for older drivers to use and resulting in their unfortunate exclusion from the system.
“This policy compensates for losses only between 20 April and 31 May, just 42 days, while the hardship for these groups has lasted much longer. I would like to ask the Speaker to convey to the Ministry of Transport to expedite the process. If the government allocates a new loan package, I urge that funds be allocated to further assist these grassroots public transport workers.”