The apps you need in Thailand, and what each is for

By lukkrueng.com editorsLast checked 19 October 2026Published 19 October 2026

Your phone in Thailand isn’t really a phone. It’s your taxi, your wallet, your supermarket, your family group chat and, on bad days, your interpreter. Here’s what to install, roughly in order, and what each one is actually for. Last checked 19 October 2026. Apps change their features often; we’ve kept to what each one is for.

1. LINE: install this before you fly

LINE is where Thailand talks. Your family group chat (with the good-morning flower images) is there, and so are landlords, schools, clinics, the condo office and half the shops you’ll deal with. People share their LINE ID or QR code instead of a phone number. The casual way to ask for someone’s is ขอไลน์หน่อย (khor lai noi), “can I have your LINE?”.

Directions also travel by LINE: เดี๋ยวส่งโลเคชั่นให้ทางไลน์นะ (diao song lo-khe-chan hai thaang lai na), “I’ll send you my location on LINE”, is how a lot of Thai families meet up. What to reply in the family group is its own art: see the Thai family LINE group.

2. Getting around: Grab and Bolt

Grab and Bolt are the main ride-hailing apps: cars, taxis and, in many places, motorbikes, with the price shown before you book. Many people keep both and compare. The rules for these platforms have been tightening: Thailand’s digital-platform regulator, ETDA, requires ride-hailing apps to link up with the Department of Land Transport’s vehicle registration and to verify drivers’ and passengers’ identity, with a deadline that moved to 31 March 2026 (Tilleke & Gibbins, December 2025).

For trains, boats, metered taxis and motorcycle taxis, see getting around Bangkok.

3. Food and errands: LINE MAN and Grab

LINE MAN (run by LINE MAN Wongnai) and Grab (GrabFood, GrabMart) are the big delivery apps. LINE MAN Wongnai says it offers food delivery, groceries, a messenger service for parcels, taxi booking and restaurant reviews, in all 77 provinces (LINE MAN Wongnai). Older guides will tell you about foodpanda: it left Thailand in 2025.

The Wongnai side is also useful on its own: reviews and photos of restaurants, in Thai, from Thai diners.

4. Shopping: Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop

Shopee and Lazada are the big online marketplaces; TikTok Shop sells through videos and live streams. Between them they have everything, often delivered the next day. Cash on delivery is common. How to read reviews, pay safely and deal with sellers is in TikTok Shop and Shopee in Thailand.

5. Money: a Thai banking app

Once you have a Thai bank account, its app is how you pay for nearly everything: you scan a shop’s QR code and pay through PromptPay, the Bank of Thailand’s instant-payment system (Bank of Thailand). Each bank has its own app, with a slip for every payment. Until you have an account, bring a card and some cash. How to open one, and the slip culture, are in Thai bank accounts and PromptPay.

6. Maps: Google Maps, plus asking

Google Maps is what most visitors use, for directions, opening hours and public transport. It’s good, with two habits worth knowing. Small sois and village lanes can be off, so for the last bit to a relative’s house, a LINE location pin from the family beats any map. And opening hours for small shops and stalls are often a guess; the auntie opens when the auntie opens. Many Thai drivers also navigate by landmark (“past the 7-Eleven, left at the temple”), so learn yours.

7. Translation: for signs, menus and emergencies

A translation app with a camera mode helps with menus, signs and forms. Check before you travel which features work offline for Thai on your phone. Treat it as a crutch for paperwork, not for family: Yai would much rather hear your three words of Thai than your phone’s thirty. And the best translation tool of all is asking:

ภาษาไทยเรียกว่าอะไรนะ (phaa-saa thai riak waa a-rai na), “what’s it called in Thai?”

8. And the one for your Thai

The apps above get you around Thailand. Reply Thai is the one that gets you talking to the family when you get there: replies to the things they actually say, from “have you eaten?” to “when are you getting married?”.

Reply Thai for iPhone: coming soonEmail me at launch

If you’re on the apps for something more personal, there’s also our guide to dating apps in Thailand.

Thai words on this page are a draft until a native speaker has reviewed them. Last checked 19 October 2026.

Questions people ask

What is the most important app in Thailand?

LINE. It's the everyday messaging app for families, friends, landlords, schools and many shops, and the place where your family group chat lives. Install it before you fly and add your relatives.

Should I use Grab or Bolt in Thailand?

Many people have both and compare the price for each trip. Both show the fare before you book. The rules have been tightening: ride-hailing platforms had until 31 March 2026 to verify drivers' and passengers' identity and link to the Department of Land Transport's vehicle registration.

Is foodpanda still in Thailand?

No. Foodpanda closed its Thai service in 2025. Khaosod English reported in April 2025 that LINE MAN Wongnai and GrabFood were the two biggest delivery apps at the time.

Can I pay with my phone in Thailand without a Thai bank account?

Usually not for QR payments: most people pay with a Thai banking app through the Bank of Thailand's PromptPay system. Visitors mostly use cards and cash, or a ride or delivery app that takes a foreign card.

Sources

All links read on 19 October 2026.

How we write and check our guides Report a mistake