Brutal e-commerce war forces NocNoc to close

Imminent departure leaves Thailand dominated by foreign e-marketplaces

- SUCHIT LEESA-NGUANSUK

The closure of NocNoc, the last remaining major locale-market place, underscores the tough nature of the e-commerce industry, which demands scale and rapid growth.

The exit mirrors the 2023 departure of JD Central, the joint venture between Thailand’s Central Group and China's JD.com, highlighting that even with a strong partnership with a global player, sustaining momentum is difficult in a fiercely competitive market.

According to Siam Cement Group's (SCG) filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) on Jan 9, BetterBe Marketplace Co Ltd, the operator of NocNoc in which SCG has a 50% indirect stake, notified the Electronic Transactions Development Agency of its decision to terminate NocNoc and its business operations from midnight on Feb 9.

As a result, SCG expects to recognise an accounting loss (non-cash item) of roughly 1.8 billion baht in the fourth quarter of 2025.

In 2024, BetterBe’s performance contributed a loss of roughly 650 million baht to SCG's consolidated financial statements.

Pawoot Pongvitayapanu, an e-commerce pioneer, told the Bangkok Post NocNoc was the last local operator aspiring to become Thailand’s national e-marketplace.