Delivery riders in Thailand want equal benefits

Delivery riders in Thailand are calling on the government to provide them with equitable benefits similar to employees in other sectors. According to these riders, they often experience work hazards such as harassment and road accidents and do not receive adequate support or backup from their employers, including health insurance.

As independent contractors, delivery riders in Thailand are frequently classified as partners, and are not entitled to benefits typically provided to employees, such as health and vehicles insurance. This distinction places them at a disadvantage compared to traditional employees in other industries.

Politicians have expressed their opinions on the issue, with the Pheu Thai Party Policy Centre suggesting a protection law for informal employees like drivers. The Move Forward Party’s Think Forward Centre called for the formation of a rider labour union and called for a system to handle disputes between platforms and the drivers they employ. They also called for laws pertaining to working conditions, benefits, and wages to be updated.

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However, the Democratic Party offered a different perspective by focusing on vehicle safety, stating that there is no need for new laws, and suggested that the current laws should be reinterpreted to consider delivery riders as formal employees, not unprotected partners.