Essential Apps for Living in Thailand — The 2025 Expat List

Non-negotiable. Grab is the dominant ride-hailing app in Southeast Asia. It shows the fare upfront, uses GPS routing, and charges the agreed price — no negotiation with drivers. Also does food delivery (GrabFood) and package delivery (GrabExpress). Download: iOS App Store and Google Play. Register with your phone number; works immediately without a Thai bank account (international card accepted).

Works excellently in Thailand. Better than Apple Maps for Thai addresses. Use it for navigation, finding restaurants, checking business hours, and getting walking/transit directions in Bangkok (BTS and MRT routes included).

Bangkok transit: the BTS app and MRT app are available but Google Maps handles routing. Hua Hin and Chiang Mai have no mass transit — Grab covers those.

WISE For Australians transferring money from Australia to Thailand: the Wise app lets you initiate transfers from your Australian bank, track the exchange rate, and manage your Wise account. Better than SWIFT for ongoing transfers.

If banking with Kasikorn Bank: K Plus is the banking app. Very functional. Enables QR code payments (Thai PromptPay system), transfers, and balance checking. Requires a Thai SIM for OTP.

For Bangkok Bank customers: similar functionality to K Plus.

Thailand's digital wallet. Accepted at 7-Eleven, some markets, and for online payments. Not essential but useful once you are settled. Fund it from a Thai bank account.

Not an app — a website. But save it to your phone's home screen: it is the Thai Immigration online portal for filing 90-day reports without visiting an Immigration office. Works from any browser. Requires your passport details and TM30 to be on file.

No official app — the TM30 is filed by your landlord or property manager through the immigration website or in person. You receive a receipt/reference number. Keep it — Immigration references the TM30 number at your 90-day report.

The Bangkok Hospital app (and Bumrungrad's equivalent) allows appointment booking, viewing test results, and accessing medical records at Bangkok Hospital branches. Essential if Bangkok Hospital Phuket, Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai, or Bangkok Hospital Samui is your primary hospital.

Bumrungrad's patient portal app. Book appointments, view results, receive lab notifications. Highly regarded for English usability.

Police: 191 Emergency (ambulance, fire, police): 1669 (emergency medical) or 191 Tourist Police (English-speaking): 1155 Australian Embassy Bangkok (after-hours emergency): +66 2 344 6300

LINE is the dominant messaging app in Thailand. Thai businesses, doctors, Immigration agents, and landlords communicate primarily via LINE. WhatsApp is used between Australians but is not the standard in Thailand. Create a LINE account and link it to your Thai SIM.

Point your camera at Thai text — signs, menus, documents — for live translation. Imperfect but genuinely useful for everyday navigation. Download the Thai language pack for offline use.

Food delivery apps. GrabFood and Foodpanda cover most cities; Line Man is strong in Bangkok. All offer English language options. Most major restaurants are available for delivery.

Thailand's dominant online shopping platforms (equivalent to Amazon or eBay). Delivery to most Thai addresses. Good for household supplies, electronics, and items you would otherwise drive to a shopping centre for.

The Weather Channel or AccuWeather with hourly forecasts is useful for planning around the Thai wet season. Also useful for AQI (Air Quality Index) monitoring in Chiang Mai during the March–May burning season.

Register all apps with your Thai phone number, not your Australian number. Thai-number verification is required for banking, Line, and some government services. Getting a Thai SIM immediately on arrival is the prerequisite for everything else.

General guidance only. App availability and features change. Not affiliated with any app or service mentioned.