The relationship between RHA use and car purchases: Trends emerging in Bangkok, Thailand

As ride-hailing applications (RHAs) have grown in popularity, questions are emerging around their impact on public and private transportation. Using a large-scale public survey of residents in Bangkok, Thailand, our study dissects the relationship between RHA adoption and the intention to purchase a new car. While research from other counties have suggested that RHA use decreases the need to own a car, the context in Thailand is more complex. Our findings based on data analysis using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression reveal that certain sociodemographic characteristics of RHA users — namely younger and higher income individuals — were positively associated with an intention to buy a car. Still, residents who solely rely on public transportation were less likely to purchase a car compared to those who use multiple forms of transportation, suggesting that the development of comprehensive and affordable public transit could serve a substitution for RHA.