The meeting will be held in a couple of weeks to discuss a legal hurdle in which Uber claims it cannot register as public transportation because Thai laws are outdated, Pichit said.

The response came after Uber issued a statement on Thursday calling on the public to sign a petition to support its service.

In its statement, Uber insisted it is not a taxi service, but a ride-sharing service.

The statement said that since the service arrived in Thailand in 2014, it has continuously engaged with the Department of Land Transport (DLT) to clarify that it is not a taxi service but an entirely new type of service called ride-sharing.

It said there are currently no existing Thai regulations that recognise ride-sharing services provided by smartphone applications.

The technology that enables ride-sharing is different from existing public transportation, which is why Uber cannot register as public transport, the statement said.

“We are committed to continuing dialogue with DLT authorities to explain what Uber is; but we believe it is time to amend the existing legal framework to accommodate this much needed new technology and realise the full benefits it is bringing to riders, drivers and cities,” it said.

However, Pichit stood firm that the ministry will not change or adjust any laws or regulations for any particular group or individual.

He insisted that using privately owned cars as taxis through its app was definitely illegal.

“If Uber wants to offer taxi services in Thailand it needs to abide by the law and regulations of DLT”, Pichit said.

In its statement, Uber said it hoped Thailand would be able to embrace ride-sharing as other countries in the region have, including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Uber also invited the public to support its “ridesharing” by participating in a petition at https://action.uber.org/th/