Your Grab And LINE MAN Fees Went Up 400% In Five Years. Thailand Just Opened A Public Investigation.

🌡️ Weather: 26-33°C (79-91°F). TMD warns of heavy rain and flash floods through October 25. Bangkok expects thunderstorms over 60% of the area today.

🌫️ Air Quality: 40-86 (Good to Moderate). Wide range today. Check your neighborhood before heading out.

YOUR GRAB AND LINE MAN FEES WENT UP 400% IN FIVE YEARS. THAILAND JUST OPENED A PUBLIC INVESTIGATION.

The Trade Competition Commission of Thailand opened a public consultation on October 21 into delivery and ride-hailing app fees after regulators found that some platforms had raised their charges by as much as 400% over five years. TCCT Commissioner Pittaya Siriraksa said the regulator is increasingly concerned about GP fees, the commissions that platforms deduct from payments to restaurants, merchants and service providers. Complaints to the commission have increased by nearly 40%. Restaurants and delivery riders have also raised concerns about unexpected additional charges, being required to use transport services tied to specific platforms and pressure to join promotional campaigns that cut into their margins. For smaller restaurants that depend on these apps to reach customers, switching platforms or rejecting unfavorable terms is not a realistic option.

The proposed rules would not introduce a fixed cap on fees. Instead, companies would have to disclose how their fees are calculated and explain any proposed increases before introducing them. In late August, the TCCT ordered a six-month suspension of fee increases covering six major operators across e-commerce and ride-hailing. But some companies still have not provided complete information about their fee structures. The public consultation runs until November 20. If the process stays on schedule, the rules could be signed in early December and take effect by December 18. For anyone who orders food through an app in Bangkok, this is the story behind the number that keeps climbing on your receipt. Four hundred percent in five years. Someone is finally asking why.

Bottom line: 400% fee increase over five years. Complaints up nearly 40%. Six major operators already under a fee freeze. Public consultation open until November 20. New rules could take effect by December 18. They will not cap fees, but they will force platforms to explain what they are charging and why. If you have wondered why your delivery costs keep going up even when the restaurant is two kilometers away, regulators are now asking the same question.

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PRIME MINISTER ANUTIN JUST FILED A NARCOTICS BILL THAT WOULD TREAT ALL DRUG POSSESSION AS TRAFFICKING. IT IS MARKED URGENT.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul filed two bills on October 21 to amend the Narcotics Code and the Narcotics Cases Procedure Act, requesting that parliament treat them as urgent. The first bill would presume that all individuals caught in possession of illegal drugs are traffickers rather than users, effectively removing the automatic rehabilitation pathway for minor possession. It would also increase penalties for involving minors in drug offenses and close legal loopholes that defendants have used. The second bill would extend police detention of suspects from three days to seven days and give narcotics officers wider access to data relevant to drug investigations, including the power to remove online information that encourages drug abuse.

This is not Anutin's first attempt. When he was public health minister under Prayut, the accepted maximum for personal possession was 15 pills. A subsequent ministerial regulation dropped that to five pills. Anutin's new bill would go further: possession of any illegal drugs would automatically trigger the presumption that you are selling, not using. Trafficking charges in Thailand carry penalties of 4 to 15 years in prison depending on the substance and quantity, with large-scale trafficking still carrying the death penalty. Anutin referenced ongoing gun fights with drug runners at border areas and in Phetchaburi province as justification for the urgency. For anyone living in Thailand, especially in nightlife areas where drug enforcement is visible, the distinction between possession and trafficking is not academic. It is the difference between rehabilitation and a decade in prison.

Bottom line: Two bills. Marked urgent. All drug possession would be legally presumed as trafficking. Detention extended from three to seven days. Wider data access for police. If you thought Thailand's drug laws were already strict, this is a significant escalation. The bills are now with parliament.

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⚡ QUICK HITS

The nominee land hunt is now targeting specific properties in Chon Buri worth ฿800 million. The Bangkok Post reported on October 21 that investigators have zeroed in on properties in the Pattaya and Chon Buri area as part of the December deadline crackdown. This is no longer a general policy announcement. It is investigators looking at specific addresses. If you own property in the Chon Buri area through any nominee or company structure, the spotlight just landed on your province.

Suvarnabhumi Airport denied opening a passenger's checked luggage after tampering allegations went viral. A Facebook post on October 19 claimed a bag appeared to have been rummaged through on a flight to China. The airport investigated and released findings on October 21 saying security officers did not open the bag. This comes days after new baggage inspection rules took effect. Whether you believe the airport or the passenger, it is a reminder to use TSA-approved locks and photograph your packed bag before checking it.

Siam Amazing Park could reopen some rides by December after the owner turned down ฿10 billion in offers for the land. The iconic Bangkok amusement park closed for six months after severe flooding in September. More than ten potential buyers expressed interest in the property, but owner Chaiyawat Lueangamorlert publicly declined the offers on October 20. The park is no longer for sale. The focus has shifted entirely to repairing the facilities for a December reopening.

Thailand's foreign minister pushed back against China's kidnapping warning from Rome. Deputy PM Sihasak urged China to avoid causing panic, calling for cooperation instead of public warnings. The Chinese embassy issued its travel alert on October 16, and the diplomatic tone has shifted from reassurance to pushback over the past week.

🥞 SPOT OF THE DAY

RYOKU CAFE (SUKHUMVIT 35, PHROM PHONG)

Ryoku Cafe sits in a converted 50-year-old house at the end of a dead-end street off Sukhumvit 35, reworked into a minimalist glasshouse that feels more Kyoto suburb than central Bangkok. You will walk down the soi, question whether you are going the right way, and then find it. That is part of the charm. The cafe is built around Japanese souffle pancakes made from an Osaka recipe. They take about 20 minutes to prepare because the kitchen makes them to order, and they arrive at your table still wobbling. The menu stretches beyond pancakes into Eggs Benedict on Japanese buns, Salmon Smorrebrod, Poached Egg with Guacamole and Spaghetti Mentaiko with Grilled Shrimp. The drinks list runs Dirty Coffee, Hojicha Latte, Yuzu Coffee Cold Brew and a matcha range. Desserts include Red Velvet Cake, Chocolate Cake Lava and Mixed Berries Cheese Pie. The space is two stories of minimalist white decor, high ceilings, lush greenery and natural light pouring through the glass walls.

The 4.7-star rating across 2,027 Google reviews at ฿400-600 is the score of a place that has figured out exactly what it does and does it at a level that keeps people coming back. "Best Japanese fluffy pancakes in Bangkok yet," one reviewer wrote. Another noted "as you start walking down a dead end street you start to question if the cafe is really there. It is." When you want a brunch spot that makes you forget you are in a city of millions, Ryoku is the hidden gem that rewards the walk down the dead-end street. Opens 8AM.

→ Check their menu and find them here ←

Insider tip: The souffle pancakes take 20 minutes. Order them first, then your coffee. The Strawberry and Mascarpone pancakes and the Eggs Benedict on Japanese buns are the two dishes regulars come back for. Come on a weekday morning for quiet tables and natural light.

📍 28 Sukhumvit 35 Alley, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110
📞 092 772 6000
🕐 Open Daily 8AM to 9PM
⭐ 4.7 stars (2,027 Google reviews) | ฿400-600
🌐 facebook.com/ryokucafe

Always check opening times before heading out.

📅 WHAT'S ON

THIS WEEK

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER & BEYOND

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