Payment apps, taxi apps, messaging, and utilities that make Bangkok life easier.
Southeast Asia's Uber/Lyft alternative; tap app, get car, pay by card/cash; slightly more expensive than meter taxis but reliable and safe.
Thai preferred messaging app, not WhatsApp; most Thais use Line for chat, calls, and groups.
Digital payment apps used at many shops and restaurants; not essential (cash/credit card work) but increasingly common.
Works great in Bangkok; download offline map before trip; shows BTS/MRT times, real-time traffic.
Food delivery apps; useful if hotel room or rest day; Grab app covers rides + food.
Grab (rides and food delivery), Google Maps (with the Bangkok area downloaded offline), and Google Translate (with Thai downloaded, camera mode for reading signs and menus) cover the vast majority of practical needs.
PromptPay QR codes are everywhere but typically require a Thai bank account to use as a payer — most visitors stick to cash and card rather than trying to set this up for a short trip.
Download Google Translate's Thai language pack and offline Bangkok maps before arrival — doing this on hotel WiFi after landing works too, but having it ready from the airport saves friction on day one.