Long Hours and Limited Protection: The Reality of Platform Workers in Bo Win, Thailand

Long Hours and Limited Protection: The Reality of Platform Workers in Bo Win, Thailandby : Rony Robiansyah

IYCW ASPAC , 23 Jul 2026 , Seen 96

Bo Win, Chon Buri, Thailand | June 2026, amid limited access to decent employment and growing economic pressures, an increasing number of young people in Thailand are turning to digital platform work as a way to earn a living. In the industrial area of Bo Win, Chon Buri Province, ride-hailing and food delivery services such as Grab have become an important source of income for workers who struggle to secure stable employment or need additional earnings. While platform work offers flexibility, it also presents significant challenges, including unstable income, long working hours, and limited access to social protection.

These findings are based on discussions with members of the Grab Bo Win Riders community conducted during an International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) Asia-Pacific (ASPAC) field visit to Thailand. The discussions sought to better understand the daily realities of online drivers and identify the challenges they face in securing decent work, adequate social protection, and safe working conditions within the platform economy.

The conversations revealed that the difficulties experienced by online drivers extend far beyond income insecurity. Participants described long working hours, intense competition, limited access to social protection, and weak bargaining power as persistent challenges that continue to shape their working conditions and overall well-being.

Long Working Hours to Earn a Living

One of the most common concerns raised during the discussions was the number of hours drivers must work to earn a sufficient income. Several participants shared that they regularly work between 12 and 17 hours a day to cover their daily living expenses.

Because earnings fluctuate from day to day, many drivers remain online for extended periods in the hope of receiving more ride requests. At the same time, rising operating costs—including fuel, vehicle maintenance, and other daily expenses—continue to reduce their net income, placing additional financial pressure on workers despite the long hours they spend on the road.

Increasing Competition for Ride Requests

Participants also identified growing competition as one of the greatest challenges affecting their livelihoods. As more drivers join digital platforms, securing ride requests has become increasingly difficult. One participant explained that the growing number of drivers has made it much harder to obtain orders, particularly in areas where the number of drivers exceeds customer demand.

To improve their chances of receiving ride requests, some drivers travel to busier locations, sometimes spending up to two or three hours reaching areas with higher demand. The additional travel time, combined with higher fuel costs, further reduces their daily earnings while extending already demanding working hours.

Limited Social Protection

The discussions also highlighted important gaps in social protection for platform workers. According to participants, most full-time online drivers are registered under Thailand's Section 40 Social Security Scheme, which is designed for self-employed workers. Meanwhile, drivers covered under Section 33 are generally those who have formal employment and work as Grab drivers on a part-time basis outside their regular working hours.

Although these schemes provide a basic level of social security, participants noted that they do not fully address the specific risks associated with platform work. As independent contractors rather than employees, online drivers generally have more limited access to labour protection than workers in formal employment, particularly regarding occupational accident protection, income security, and other employment-related rights.

Structural Challenges Within the Platform Economy

The experiences shared during the discussions suggest that the challenges faced by online drivers are not merely individual problems but reflect broader structural issues within the platform economy.

The growing number of drivers has intensified competition for ride requests, while workers remain heavily dependent on platform algorithms that determine ride allocation and pricing. Several participants expressed concerns that these systems are difficult to understand and lack sufficient transparency, making it challenging for drivers to anticipate their earnings or understand how work opportunities are distributed.

These conditions illustrate that while platform work creates opportunities to earn an income, it can also generate greater income insecurity, longer working hours, and weaker bargaining power for workers.

Building Better Protection for Platform Workers

As the digital economy continues to expand, creating employment opportunities should go hand in hand with ensuring decent working conditions and adequate social protection.

The Royal Thai Government has an important role in developing policies that respond to the changing nature of work in consultation with workers' organizations, digital platform companies, and other relevant stakeholders. Such policies should ensure that platform workers have access to comprehensive social protection, occupational safety, fair labour standards, and effective mechanisms for resolving workplace concerns.

Digital platform companies also have a responsibility to establish more transparent and equitable working systems. Greater transparency in algorithmic management, fair compensation mechanisms, accessible grievance procedures, stronger occupational safety measures, and improved social protection are essential for building a more sustainable and inclusive platform economy.

Strengthening Young Workers Through Solidarity

Meaningful change also depends on the active participation of workers themselves. By joining workers' organizations, platform workers can share experiences, strengthen their understanding of labour rights, develop leadership skills, and collectively advocate for fairer working conditions.

Young Christian Workers (YCW) Thailand welcomes online drivers and other young workers to become part of a movement committed to promoting decent work, social justice, and workers' dignity. Through education, leadership development, awareness of labour rights, and collective action based on the See–Judge–Act methodology, YCW empowers young workers to respond to the challenges of today's changing world of work.

This field visit forms part of IYCW Asia-Pacific's ongoing commitment to documenting the realities faced by young workers across different sectors, strengthening their voices in advocacy processes, and promoting decent work and social protection for all young workers. As the platform economy continues to grow, strengthening workers' organizations remains essential to ensuring that platform workers' voices are heard, their rights are respected, and they are empowered to contribute to a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future of work.