Thailand – Thailand’s Department of Business Development (DBD) is investigating three food delivery applications serving Chinese communities to determine whether their operations comply with Thai law.
According to the Bangkok Post, concerns were raised on social media over Feixiang, Gokoo and E-Gets, which reportedly receive orders primarily from Chinese communities in Thailand. Allegations include possible links to unauthorised restaurants, the use of foreign riders, and other regulatory breaches.
DBD Director-General Poonpong Naiyanapakorn said initial checks show all three operators are registered in Thailand, with one classified as foreign-owned. The department is reviewing whether it has the required permits to operate. For the remaining two Thai-majority firms, authorities will examine whether local shareholdings reflect genuine investment, he said, as reported by the Bangkok Post. No timeline for the probe has been disclosed.
In a separate report, The Nation Thailand said one of the companies is considered foreign-owned under Thai law due to majority foreign shareholding and has not obtained the required operating permission, citing Poonpong.
He added that the two other firms, while structured as Thai entities, will be assessed for possible nominee arrangements if Thai shareholders are found to be acting on behalf of foreign investors.
Under Thailand’s Foreign Business Act, companies with at least 50% foreign ownership are treated as foreign entities and require approval for restricted activities. Poonpong said language use alone is not evidence of wrongdoing, and the investigation will focus on ownership structures and capital sources.
The DBD is also reviewing related hotels, restaurants and businesses in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang area that may be linked to the platforms, with more than 25 firms reportedly flagged for checks, according to The Nation Thailand.
If violations are confirmed, cases may be referred for legal action. Nominee-related offences under the Act carry penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment, fines of 100,000 to 1 million baht, or both, along with possible court-ordered dissolution of related arrangements.
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