Bangkok continues to rival its Southeast Asian counterparts as one of the most technologically obsessed nations in the world, and year-on-year apps seem to revolutionise the way we live our lives in the Big Mango. From traveling around the ever-busy central zones, booking a table at your favourite restaurant, or ordering some of the city’s best food to be delivered to your condo, we’ve put together a list of the must-have apps for easy Bangkok living.
Food – Travel – Delivery
Grab
If you’re not a fan of the city’s mass transit systems then you’ll need the country’s favourite ride-hailing application to help you navigate through the streets. Grab offers motorbike taxis and cars in a range of different sizes, including SUV’s if you have a lot of luggage or premium sedans if you prefer some executive comfort. Whatever your ride preference, the application sends a driver directly to your location and guides them to your exact destination, perfect to get over the language barrier.
They also offer food delivery service has also picked up massive traction in recent years. Their platform put almost every restaurant in Bangkok at the tips of your fingers, with everything from low-cost local Thai cantinas to Michelin star restaurants all available to be delivered to your door at a very reasonable cost. A must-have for those lazy evenings in your condominium.
Get
Much like Grab, Get is a ride-hailing service that sends a driver directly to your location using the GPS signals sent from your mobile device. However, Get currently only offer motorbike drivers, which depending on the amount of baggage you have with you, is by far the quickest way to get around the city. The app is often slightly cheaper when compared to Grab and they also offer some superb discount codes throughout the month.
If you’re looking to eat your favourite meal from your go-to Bangkok eatery, but you don’t have the time to head down to their location, Get can bring your meal to you. Much like the better known services from Uber in other countries, their application allows you to browse menus from thousands of restaurants around the city. Their delivery fees are extremely cheap and their using or motorbikes will have your food with you in a jiffy!
Food
Foodpanda
Similar to the food options offered by Get and Grab. However, Foodpanda specialise completely in food delivery services and because of their devotion to the sector, their interface is much more user friendly and they highlight businesses in the best possible way. For instance, photographs of menu items are much more professional and restaurants almost always have an English translation. The service comes complete with chat interface for your driver and estimated delivery time. It is always a handy tool to have in your arsenal.
LINE MAN
LINE MAN is born out of the popular messaging app and is popular for bringing people’s favourite foods from restaurants to your door. The app is interlinked with review website Wongnai, so you can see detailed opinions about potential food orders before you make your decision, even photographs of other users food. It’s fast and affordable and a great way to sift through the suppliers that aren’t up to standard.
Eatigo
This is a really unique app for Bangkok and if you love to eat out in restaurants then you need to have it on your phone. Eatigo allows restaurants to advertise huge savings to their customers if they are happy to eat at less-peak times. For instance, if you fancy a quick bite at 10pm, you could well be looking at eating at some of the best joints in the city for 50% or more off. Whatever time you like to eat, you can still easily save 10% or more at most restaurants and who doesn’t love a saving.
Travel
BTS + MRT
If you’re living in the city, you will be using Bangkok’s mass transit system. The BTS skytrain and the MRT underground system both have their own apps, which give you the maps of the two systems as well as to-the-minute updates of any delays or problems experienced on any lines. A real time saver if you’re in a hurry and trains are delayed.
Agoda
If you’re looking for a little staycation or weekend getaway, you should always check for hotels on Agoda. In my experience, they tend to be the cheapest in Bangkok and Thailand and they always have exceptional deals on 4 and 5 star hotels in the city. With prices on some hotels starting at B250, it doesn’t matter whether you want to live like a local or live in luxury, they have got you covered.
Car Sharing
Haupcar
Haupcar is a car rental platform, with a twist. It doesn’t focus on daily rental and allows for small, short-term usage from 1-hour. It’s totally run through the application, so when you reserve your vehicle, there are no long-winded forms to fill out, you select your car, pay and drive away. The brand will soon allow users on the app to share their own car with potential renters, a service which will propel their unique service forward and give car owners a source of income from their vehicle.
General Delivery
LalaMove
Everyone’s had to send a package to somewhere in the city or perhaps left something behind at a friend’s home, LalaMove is the answer to your prayers. Why spend half a day fighting traffic to deliver something or to pick up that you’ve left behind, when you can book and send items at low cost through this delivery app. It’s user friendly and simple and the cheapest way to move small to medium sized items around the city.
Grocery Delivery
HappyFresh
HappyFresh is the leading online grocery delivery service that covers Southeast-Asia. They provide a convenient platform to allow their customers to shop at their favourite supermarkets and stores from their devices in busy cities. They’re partnered with Gourmet Market, Tesco Lotus and Big C to bring you your weekly shopping essentials to your door, hassle free. You can even reorder your previous choices if you’re in a hurry.
Communication
LINE
This entry isn’t just true for Thailand or Bangkok, but the whole of South-east Asia. If you’ve arrived to live here from a Western country you’ll no doubt be used to Whatsapp. Line in this region’s answer to Facebook owned chat service, but with a few different features. Line offers many series of large emojis or stickers which are frequently used by locals. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.
Online Shopping
Lazada
If you like your bargains dropped to your door and you don’t have time to scour the many markets in Bangkok for cheap items, then Lazada is a must-visit. From everything to clothing, to homeware, garden accessories or pet care, this website has it all. They also offer a handy pay-on-delivery option, so you can pay the driver when the item arrives with you. They also offer a pay monthly option at 0% on expensive items, like mobile phones or laptops.
Shopee
Just like Lazada, Shopee offers a range of bargains and discounts on everything that you can imagine. You will want to be looking here if you need things like plates, cutlery (knives in particular are not easy to find at a good price in Bangkok), towels, bedding and anything to make your stay more comfortable. You will save a fortune when compared to the prices in malls.
Money
SuperRich
If you’re an expat in Thailand or Bangkok, the odds are that at some point you will need to change some currency and the best place to do that is with one of the city’s SuperRich branches. The brand consistently offers the best exchange on currency and their app allows you to see real-time changes to the prices at the touch of your fingers.
DeeMoney
If you’re looking to transfer money back to your home country or to anywhere else in the world DeeMoney have you covered. They offer money transfer to 180 countries worldwide and pride themselves on providing a fast and secure platform. Receivers will have their funds immediately or within two working days, depending on the country they money is sent to. They offer excellent rates of exchange and their transfer fees are also extremely low.
Home Services
Seekster
Eventually, you will at some point need something done around your home. Whether it be a weekly cleaning service, some DIY or home maintenance, Seekster is designed to connect suppliers with customers. You can see detailed reviews and accurate pricing before you make your purchase and even pay through the application to avoid and need for cash to change hands. The application also conducts background checks and experience verification before allowing sellers to use their platform.
Things To Do
GoWabi
If you’re a health and beauty addict then GoWabi is an essential in your app list. This platform offers a range of discounts of services like massage, hair and nails from some of the city’s best and most reputable providers. So if you’re looking to get that world class salon look at a fraction of the cost, then this is the place to be.
Klook
If you’ve got an afternoon to spare and you fancy taking in one of the city’s many world class attractions, it’s always worth checking for any offers on Klook. The app offers discounted tickets to destinations like Sea Life and Madame Tussauds, as well as outdoor fun like Siam Park City and Dream World. Discounts are usually pretty substantial, so it’s worth checking out.
ClassPass
ClassPass is an absolute essential for fitness fanatics. It’s a monthly plan based subscription that allows you to work and a join classes in locations all over the world, and Bangkok is no exception. Whether you’re a yoga fan, a boxing lover or craving a spin class, you will find workout arenas to suit your needs at whatever time your schedule permits. The app is offering a free trial of their service for a limited time, so get involved while you can!
You may be wondering why some applications have been omitted from our list. However, these choices are catered towards localised and English language options. You will find that applications such as 7-Delivery and Wongnai are extremely popular, but are currently only offered in Thai language.
If you’re living in the Big Mango and have all these platforms installed on your phone, you’ll seldom have any further needs that are left wanting. One of the city’s biggest plus-points is that it’s super-obsessed with technology and embracing it will improve your life here immeasurably.
