Grab vs. Bolt: Rideshare Safety Guide for Thailand

2. Core Recommendation: When to Use Which App

• For Safety & Reliability: Always choose Grab for long distances, airport transfers, trips outside of major city centers, and any trip after dark, especially when traveling alone. The higher cost buys you a better-vetted and more compliant driver.
• For Savings: Choose Bolt for short, routine trips during daylight hours in busy, central areas where rapid driver availability is less critical.

3. Detailed Vetting & Compliance Analysis (The Proof)

The reputation of Grab as the “safer” option is based on its publicly documented policy differences in criminal background checks and adherence to Thai Department of Land Transport (DLT) regulations.

Criminal Background Check Rigor

The most significant difference is the length of time each company screens a driver’s criminal history:

• Grab’s Policy: Grab publicly commits to a comprehensive 7-year criminal background check for all its drivers in Thailand. This is a clear, long-term standard for disqualification, which is a major reassurance for users.
• Bolt’s Policy: Bolt’s publicly available criteria use specific examples, such as disqualifying a driver for a serious traffic offense (like DUI) only if the case is less than 3 years old. This suggests a shorter, less stringent look-back period for some offenses compared to Grab’s 7 year commitment.

Official DLT Licensing and Compliance

To legally operate as a ride-hailing vehicle in Thailand, a driver must have a Public Driver’s License (PDL) and their vehicle must carry a commercial registration sticker (Ror Yor 18).

This leniency allows more drivers operating non-compliant private vehicles to join the Bolt platform quickly, which lowers costs and increases availability but sacrifices the higher compliance standard enforced by Grab.

The Risk of Identity/Vehicle Mismatch

A critical safety risk on any platform is when the person or vehicle arriving for your ride does not match the details in the app.

Summary of the Risk: If the driver or vehicle does not match the app’s details, your ride is no longer covered by the platform’s safety standards. This means:

• Unvetted Driver: The person driving has circumvented the platform’s security and background checks. You have no guarantee they are the vetted driver, and they could have a recent criminal history, DUIs, or other serious disqualifications.
• Unsafe/Non-Compliant Vehicle: If the license plate or car model does not match, the vehicle has not been officially registered or inspected by the platform. It may lack the required commercial registration (Ror Yor 18) and may not meet basic safety and insurance standards.

4. Rideshare App Traveler Safety: Essential Tips

Always prioritize safety regardless of the app you choose.

1. Prioritize Grab at Night or When Solo: The extra money is a worthwhile investment for the peace of mind offered by Grab’s documented background checks and compliance.
2. Always Share Your Trip: Utilize the in-app feature (available on both Grab and Bolt) to Share Your Ride details with a trusted contact. This sends a link to your live GPS location, driver name, and license plate number.
3. Verify and Decline Mismatches: Before getting in, always confirm that the license plate, car model, and driver photo exactly match the details in the app. If any detail is incorrect, politely decline the ride and cancel the booking. Do not ride with an unverified driver; they have not met the platform’s vetting standards and pose an unknown risk.
4. Active In-app Security Features: Both apps have options for contacting the police and recording audio of your ride. Don’t be afraid to use these if you feel endangered.