Grab, LINE and Bolt: Thailand apps worth installing before you land

Install Grab and LINE before you fly, add Bolt as a second ride app, and treat everything else as optional. MuvMi is worth a try if you want a tuk-tuk without the haggling; the food and shopping apps earn their place only if you will use them.

Who it’s for: first-time visitors and new arrivals who want rides, meals and messaging sorted from day one. Who should skip what: skip MuvMi if you will stay outside its zones, skip Eatigo and Hungry Hub if you do not eat out much, skip Lazada if you are only visiting for a few days, and skip all of it if you will never leave a resort.

The short list

Rides: Grab and Bolt

On both, you enter a pickup point and a destination, and the app finds you a driver. The destination is on the driver’s screen, so you do not have to explain it in English or argue about the route. That matters in a city where some taxi drivers have a reputation for hustling visitors.

Grab is the main one. It offers cars, regular taxis and motorbike taxis from the same app. Pick the car option (JustGrab) and you see the fare before you confirm. A regular metered taxi booked through the app is a different option and runs on the meter, so check which one you have chosen.

Bolt works as a second ride app in Bangkok, and it is worth having when Grab shows nothing nearby or a high price. Coverage elsewhere in Thailand varies, so confirm in the app that rides appear at your location.

Install both and compare the fare on each before you book; it differs by time and place.

One flaw: apps do not guarantee a good ride. Check the plate and driver photo before you get in. If a motorbike taxi stand is at your pickup point, walk a short way down the road and set the pin there. Stand drivers see app riders as competition, and arguments over pickups do happen. If the driver cannot find you, a pin placed on the correct street, with a Thai-language note or a call through the app, usually solves it.

MuvMi for tuk-tuks

MuvMi is a Bangkok app that books electric tuk-tuks. You request a ride and see the price before you confirm, which removes the bargaining at the kerb. It suits anyone who wants the tuk-tuk experience without the risk of an inflated quote.

Its limit: it serves fixed zones of the city. Open the app and check that your start and end points are both covered before you plan around it. Where it does not reach, use Grab or Bolt.

Food delivery

Since filming: Foodpanda left Thailand in May 2025. Use GrabFood or LINE MAN instead.

• GrabFood is inside the Grab app, so you already have it.
• LINE MAN is a separate app, linked to your LINE account, and also handles restaurant and shop orders.

Delivered food costs more than the same dish at the restaurant. Menu prices in the app can be marked up, delivery fees go on top, and some orders add extra charges, so compare the total at checkout with what you would pay at the restaurant. Use delivery for rainy evenings and late nights, and eat out the rest of the time.

The downside: both apps lean Thai-first. Search by the English name of the dish or restaurant, and expect some items to show in Thai only.

LINE

LINE is the messaging app most Thais use, for friends, family, landlords, delivery riders and shops. Facebook Messenger and Instagram are also widely used, but you probably have those already. LINE is the one you probably do not.

Install it before you land and create an account. A Thai contact is likely to ask whether you have LINE and for your LINE ID, and many businesses answer there faster than by phone.

Watch out: you need a working phone number to register, and an account tied to a number you lose is awkward to recover. Set up your account while your home SIM still works.

Restaurant deal apps: Eatigo and Hungry Hub

Neither delivers food. They suit anyone who likes buffets or western food and can eat at off-peak times. Both offer discounts at partner restaurants at set times, usually quieter hours.

• Eatigo discounts by time of day: you book a slot in the app and the discount applies at the table.
• Hungry Hub lists buffets and set meals at participating restaurants, including hotels.

Book through the app before you go, and read the slot, the party size and any time limit before you confirm.

The limit: only restaurants that have signed up appear, and the deal depends on the slot you pick. Compare the price with what the same restaurant charges without the app.

Lazada

Lazada is a large general online marketplace across Southeast Asia, with a Thai site and app. You can order electronics, household goods and clothes and have them delivered to a hotel or home address in Thailand.

Delivery speed depends on the seller. Items shipped from within Thailand arrive much sooner than items sent from overseas, which can take much longer, so check the dispatch location on the product page before you order. Cash on delivery may be offered on some items, which helps if you do not have a Thai payment card; look for it at checkout.

The risk: you are buying from independent sellers. Read the seller ratings and the return terms before you pay. The scams guide covers the common traps.

Before you fly

1. Install Grab, Bolt and LINE, and register LINE and Grab with a number that works abroad.
2. Add a payment card to Grab so you can pay in the app.
3. Download MuvMi, LINE MAN, Eatigo and Hungry Hub only if you will use them.
4. For trains, buses and boats, see getting around Bangkok.