Rising Platform Fees Hammer Thailand’s Online Sellers

Bangkok Business News: Online Merchants Face Steep Fee Spike

In a sharp shift of marketplace economics, Thailand’s prominent e-commerce platforms have rolled out sweeping fee increases that threaten to squeeze profit margins for online sellers. In the most recent changes, TikTok Shop has introduced a Commerce Growth Fee of 5.35 % for electronics and 6.42 % for other product categories, capped at 199 baht per unit. Meanwhile, other platforms are also upping transaction, service, and infrastructure charges, forcing merchants to reevaluate their viability in the digital marketplace.

Platforms hike commissions and add new charges, pushing Thai internet merchants into cost crunch
Image Credit: AI-Generated

This Bangkok Business News report shows how these fee hikes are rippling through the online retail sector. Sellers that once relied on low commissions to compete are now warning that their margins are narrowing dangerously. Some fear these changes may even push smaller merchants out of the business entirely if costs rise faster than sales.

Where the Costs Are Rising

The extra charges are not limited to a single category. Across the board, platforms are layering new fees on top of existing commissions. For instance, the Commerce Growth Fee is being levied in addition to base commission rates. On top of that, platforms are enforcing infrastructure or “platform maintenance” fees per order. Some platforms are also applying differing rates based on product category, meaning sellers of electronics, beauty, clothing, or general merchandise may all face unique burdens.

One wrinkle: newer or lower-volume sellers may be exempt from certain fees. In TikTok Shop’s case, for merchants with fewer than 100 orders per month, the infrastructure fee is waived, though they still pay the growth fee.

Merchant Backlash and Market Power Concerns

Across the seller community, frustration is mounting. Many merchants feel that platforms are leveraging their dominant position to exert pressure on sellers—forcing them to absorb rising costs in order to stay visible in the marketplaces. Some complain that the platforms also mandate use of their own logistics services, cutting off flexibility.

Industry voices warn of a deeper imbalance. The platforms, once neutral intermediaries, are evolving into all-in-one institutions: handling payments, logistics, advertising, and data operations. As they expand into “buy now pay later,” e-wallets, and credit services, concerns are growing that traditional financial and retail sectors may be disrupted.

Officials of the Thai e-Commerce Association, cautions that unchecked expansion of platform powers risks undermining competition. Sellers are urged to reclaim control of their data and diversify sales channels.

Outlook for Thailand’s Digital Marketplace

The timing is especially painful: global and local economic pressures are softening consumer demand, and many small sellers are already operating on thin margins. With each fee layer added, the calculus of staying in business becomes harder. Some sellers may shift toward direct-to-consumer channels or social commerce instead of staying tethered to dominant platforms.

In effect, the platforms are testing how much load sellers can bear before they capitulate or collapse. The next few quarters may reveal whether fees stabilize or intensify further—and whether merchant resistance emerges strong enough to force a rollback or regulation of platform practices.

In light of these developments, it is clear that the “platform economy” is entering a new phase—one in which sellers must adapt swiftly or risk being sidelined by rising structural costs. The full impact remains to be seen, but the direction is unmistakable: power is tilting further toward platforms and away from individual vendors.

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