By 30 September, all drivers working through ride-hailing apps must have valid public driver’s licenses. Additional licensing services will be available this Saturday (26 Sep) at the Bangkok Transport Office Area 5 (Chatuchak) exclusively for those who have completed online training.
On 24 September 2026, Ms. Ploythele Laksamee Saengchan, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office, announced that the government, through the Department of Land Transport under the Ministry of Transport, is advancing the upgrade of services for app-based taxi drivers, mandating all drivers to obtain valid public driving licenses by 30 September 2026. A special after-hours service for obtaining or renewing public driving licenses will be available only on Saturday, 26 September 2026, from 08:30 to 15:30 at the Bangkok Transport Office Area 5 (Chatuchak). This service is exclusively for those who have completed the e-Learning course for obtaining or renewing a public driving license.
Ms. Ploythele further stated that since the government launched the policy to upgrade services for app-based taxi drivers requiring valid public driving licenses, there has been a significant increase in driver interest to obtain these licenses. Data from January to August 2026 show the following:
- Statistics for new public car driving licenses issued Before the cooperation agreement (January–June 2026), the average was 2,915 licenses per month; after the agreement (July–August 2026), the average rose to 8,499 licenses per month, an increase of 191.6%, nearly tripling, with a total of 162,310 licenses issued.
- Statistics for new public motorcycle driving licenses issued Before the cooperation agreement (January–June 2026), the average was 2,271 licenses per month; after the agreement (July–August 2026), the average increased to 8,072 licenses per month, a 255.4% increase, more than triple, with a total of 183,415 licenses issued.
The Deputy Government Spokesperson concluded by saying: “The public driving license is an essential legal document for anyone wishing to work as a public hire driver, including those providing app-based taxi services who must comply with the law regarding electronic registration of public hire vehicles. Failure to comply will result in legal penalties and will prevent drivers who have not registered from operating vehicles on those app platforms.”