10 Essential Travel Apps for Pattaya

Last Updated on September 23, 2025 by admin

Travel to Pattaya like a pro and download these apps in advance. Your future self will say “Sawadee!” (“Thank you” in Thai).

Transportation

Grab is the “Uber” of Southeast Asia. Use it for all your rideshare needs including food delivery. Grab has minimal fees vs. UberEats and so is a pleasure to use. Motorbike rides around town are the cheapest and recommended over cars for getting around in Pattaya.

Bolt is the “Grab” of Thailand; rates are consistently cheaper than Grab and most Pattaya travel pros prefer it. Drivers may expect cash payments, so be sure to have plenty of baht for Bolt rides. A Bolt motorbike ride around town can be 30 baht or less (less than a dollar).

Discord is an app with “Discord Server” communities for interacting with like-minded people. Google for terms like: “Pattaya Discord Server” to find Pattaya travel communities.

Communication

Most Pattaya locals use the Line App, WhatsApp, or both to communicate. A disadvantage of Line is that, unless you have a Thai SIM card (which can be purchased at a 7 Eleven or Mall store like at Terminal 21), users will have to add you; you can’t add them. A disadvantage of WhatsApp is that you must use a real, not virtual, phone number to create an account (a privacy issue for some).

Translation

Google Translate works well and even has a feature that allows you to snap photos and translate Thai text you see. Another wonderful feature is the ability to download languages for use offline; can be fabulous if you’re in the middle of nowhere without a signal.

ChatGPT is reportedly more accurate than Google Translate for Thai.

Dating

ThaiFriendly is the best app for those interested in dating while in Pattaya, Bangkok, or anywhere in Thailand. The free version allows you to send one free message every 10 minutes. Tinder is fine if you already have it, but it’s not as widely used.

Navigation

Google Maps. Period. Has an ability to download maps for offline use which can be convenient if you lose signal.

Hotels

Unquestionably, Agoda is the best hotel booking app for Pattaya, the rest of Thailand, and other places in Asia like Japan; often giving you negotiated discounts that turn out to be much cheaper than booking directly with the hotels themselves.

Got any apps you can’t live without while traveling in Pattaya? Let us know in the comments section!