Want to know the most useful or the best Apps for Thailand? Would you like to know which Apps to use to make your trip to Thailand easier, help you avoid scams and at the same time maybe save you some money?
I have been traveling Thailand and South East Asia for over a decade. I have been living in Thailand for the past 3 years, so in this article, I’ll show you my 10 must-have Apps for Thailand to help you get the most out of your trip.
I use all of these apps on the regular basis and I know they will be helpful tools for you. They will help you find the best restaurants; get you a taxi without speaking Thai or other local languages.
These Apps will help you easily get around cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and other cities. They can even help you book your hotels while at the same time finding discounted deals. They will help you find different attractions that match your lifestyle and budget.
Also, I’ll show you a few Apps to get the best money exchange, how to avoid the Thai ATM fee and there are even Apps that can even help you find dates. They are my favourite travel apps or the best Apps for Thailand.
10 Best Apps for Thailand
Thailand must have iPhone Apps & must have Android Apps
Google Map
Your phone should have this preinstalled, at least for Android phones. This is a must-have app, even if you are back home. It’s a lifesaver.
Lazada
I don’t know why anyone would travel to Thailand and shop online, unless you live here.
In North America, Europe and other parts of the world, there is something called Amazon, and it is the best online eCommerce site in the world.
Amazon does international shipping to Thailand, but it can take weeks or months for the items to be delivered if they are from the US and there might be some duty fee or taxes that make this not ideal. You see, Thailand wants you to buy in Thailand from Thai companies.
That’s why I would avoid Amazon, plus the shipping cost will be free or cheap. If you need to check out prices online, you can check out Lazada, it’s what I used to buy my new Samsung smart phone.
Tinder
This is another popular App that many Thai girls use. Depending on your looks, you can have a lot of success with this.
Line
Almost everyone in Thailand will likely have Line, especially the younger crowds. It is an instant messenger but you can also make phone calls too.
If you are picking up Thai girls, you don’t have to ask for their phone number. You can always ask them for their Line ID, since you can message them when you’re free and you can use the translator to help you if they do not understand enough English.
Transferwise
Transferwise is what I have been using exclusively the past few years and I saved hundreds of dollars, if not thousands from bank fees and other ATM fees.
If you want to save some money by getting the real exchange rate and avoid the Thai 200 Baht ATM fee, then use Transferwise; you can use their App or check out their website.
You can get your first $500, or other currencies equivalent to $500 transfer for free. Check out my affiliate link and signup to get your first $500 transfer free.
A few things to note about this money exchange provider, it will take 3-5 business days for the transfer to complete and you will need a Thai bank account to transfer that money to the Thai account.
So, this is not so great if you need the money instantly. But if you travel to Thailand often or you are living here, setting up a Thai bank account and using Transferwise can save you a lot of money in the long haul.
If you’re coming with hard cash and you want to know which money exchange provider will give you the best rate, check out my video about the best money exchange provider at the Bangkok international airport.
Xe.com
I use the Xe App to check the current exchange rate. The exchange rates you see on the LCD screens from the banks are not the real exchange rates. They are the bank’s rate, which will be less than the real exchange rate.
The Xe App is great for finding the real money exchange rate and how much money you’ll be losing if you go with the banks.
Agoda
Agoda is the App I use exclusively to book my hotels in Thailand and anywhere in South East Asia.
I find that Agoda constantly offers different hotel deals; if you’re planning your trip to Thailand right now, check out some of the current hotel deals. You can save up to 50% or more if you use my link and it comes at no extra cost to you.
I think it is superior to TripAdvisor and many other online hotel companies when booking a hotel online in Thailand. Agoda is owned by Priceline, which also owns Kayak, Booking.com, and OpenTable.
So if you do a search on Agoda, it will also search for the best deals on Priceline, Kayak, Booking.com and other companies they own.
I also love Agoda’s user interface; it is easy to use and you can compare 100’s of hotels in seconds to find the ones that match your budget and lifestyle. If you’re looking for a luxury hotel in the most popular spot in the city, you can do that in seconds. If you’re on a fixed budget, there are thousands of hostels and hotels, as well as other hotels in between.
TripAdvisor
I used this App for finding different interesting attractions and popular restaurants around town. You can also book your hotels or get vacation rentals and flights. But I use a different App/website to book my hotels and flights, which is the last App (see Agoda).
I think there is another App that has more hotel selections, more deals and better value than what they have on the TripAdvisor.
I mainly use the TripAdvisor website and the App for reading reviews on different attractions and restaurants.
Grab
Get your FREE ride with Grab (up to THB 150 off)!
Just register using this referral code GRABKEYFRAME5, or use this .
You probably heard or have watched some videos about all sorts of tuk-tuk or taxi scams in Thailand.
For me personally, I find it’s not hard to avoid these kinds of scams. However, if you’re new to Thailand, then you might fall for it a few times. or you may be overcharged, or you may not know how to speak Thai to tell the driver where you want to go.
If you want to avoid all of that, you need to use Grab to hail a taxi to get you around town.
Thailand used to have Uber, but I believe Uber is now merged with Grab as Uber investors wanted to focus on their North American business.
So, now there is only Grab in Thailand; other transportation options around Thailand are taxi, tuk-tuk, buses, trains and even boats. If you’re in Bangkok you’ll have access to the trains with the BTS, MRT and the Airline Link.
Grab is a must have if you are in places like Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket. Particular in Chiang Mai and Phuket, since they will not have as many public transportation options. I wish I had known about this App on my first trip to Chiang Mai, it would have saved me a lot of time walking around.
Grab will also save you the headache of trying to tell the driver where you want to go, as some Thai words can be hard to correctly pronounce and not too many drivers understand English. Unless of course, you’re going to a famous attraction that everyone knows.
The Grab App is very easy to use, you just sign in, you select your destination, then it will display the price for your trip. If you’re OK with the price, you book your trip and the nearest Grab taxi will be on their way.
You can see the taxi on your App, it will also tell you the taxi license plate number so you know which one to board.
Once you’re inside the Grab taxi, you do not have to tell the driver where you’re going since it is already in the app, meaning you do not need to speak Thai. When you reach your destination, you only have to pay the quoted price on the app.
A tip is optional, but I never tip unless I am carrying big luggage and the driver helps unload.
Get your FREE ride with Grab (up to THB 150 off)!
Just register using this referral code GRABKEYFRAME5, or use this .
Google Translator
If you are in a tourist hot spot somewhere in Thailand, you can get away without speaking Thai, but if you need help with the translation, then Google Translator will be your best friend.
There are many Thai translation Apps, but the one I use is Google Translator. It works fine for me and I have no reason to use anything else.
This translation app is great for anyone who don’t speak Thai. Maybe you’re looking to find an accommodation somewhere in Thailand outside the tourist area, where most people don’t speak English. You can use the Google Translation App to help with some of the basic translations.
There is one limitation – avoid translating more than 4 or 5 words. At least for now, it is not very accurate if you try to translate too many words. Maybe in the future it might be more accurate, but I would avoid translating more than 4 or 5 words.
What other apps do you use that are not on this list? What other vacation apps, holiday apps do you think should be on this list? Leave your comment below.
If you want more options other than Lazada, check out this video.
We love this App; it has all what you need in the one APP for Travelling to Thailand.
Thailand Hotels, Flights, Bus/Ferry/Taxi/Train Transfers, Travel Blog/Guide and Tours etc
▪ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thailandtravel
Or you can download the APP at https://www.bangkokcheaphotels.com
🇹🇭 🙏
Thanks and Happy Travelling