When I am in Bangkok, I use a ride-hailing app almost every day. Grab and Bolt in Thailand have changed life for travellers: no more haggling, the price is shown before you get in and the driver knows where he is going. Here is my how-to guide, from signing up to leaving the airport.
Grab and Bolt: two apps, two approaches
Grab is the leading app in South-East Asia. You will find it in every large Thai city and in many medium-sized towns. It offers private cars, official taxis booked through the app, motorbike taxis, and food delivery too.
Bolt, which arrived later, competes on price. In my experience, the same journey is often slightly cheaper on Bolt, but there are sometimes fewer drivers, especially outside Bangkok. Bolt offers several categories: economy, standard, comfort, larger cars with up to six seats, taxi, and motorbike for a single passenger.
My habit: I keep both apps on my phone and compare before booking. The difference can change from one hour to the next, especially at rush hour or when it rains.
Sign up before you leave
The easiest way is to create your accounts at home, before the trip. You sign up with a phone number (or an email address) and a verification code sent by text message. If you switch SIM cards on arrival, you may no longer receive that code, so do the verification with your usual number.
- Download Grab and Bolt from your phone’s official app store.
- Confirm your number by text message, and add your name and a photo if asked.
- Allow location access: without it, the driver will not find you.
- Keep a working internet connection on the spot, with an eSIM or a local SIM card.
For staying connected, an eSIM bought before departure or a SIM card picked up at the airport does the job very well. Without mobile data, these apps are useless.
Paying: cash or bank card
Both apps accept cash and bank cards. With a card, the amount is charged at the end of the ride and there is nothing to take out of your wallet. It is convenient, but some foreign cards, especially some prepaid travel cards, are sometimes declined at the moment of payment. So I always keep a back-up card and a few banknotes.
If you pay cash, carry small notes: drivers do not always have change for a 1,000-baht note. To withdraw and exchange at the best rate, see my guide money in Thailand: cards, ATMs and exchange.
One thing worth knowing: motorway tolls are generally not included in the price shown. The driver will ask you to pay them in cash at the toll gate, or add them at the end. That is normal, not a scam. Tipping is optional; you can round up or tip in the app.
Prices: what makes them vary
The fare is calculated before the ride and depends on the distance, the category you choose and demand. At rush hour, on a Friday evening or during a monsoon downpour, it can rise sharply. Waiting ten minutes or walking to a less congested street is sometimes enough to bring it down.
Motorbike taxis (GrabBike, Bolt motorbike) are the cheapest and fastest option in traffic jams, but I only recommend them to travellers who are comfortable on two wheels, wearing the helmet provided. For a car ride in central Bangkok, expect a few hundred baht in general; from Suvarnabhumi airport to the centre, roughly 350 to 600 baht excluding tolls depending on the time and category, to be checked in the app when you book.
In the centre, the Skytrain is often faster at rush hour: I explain how to use it in getting around Bangkok: BTS, MRT and boat.
At Bangkok’s airports
Suvarnabhumi (BKK)
Grab has an official pick-up point on Level 1 of the terminal, at Gate 4, open day and night. When booking, choose the “Grab Pick-up Point” option: the app gives you a four-digit PIN. You join the queue, give the code to the waiting driver, and off you go. Grab has also announced advance booking linked to your flight number, planned for late 2026.
For Bolt, the app itself shows the airport pick-up points, which may change. Follow the on-screen directions and the “ride-hailing” signs on site.
Don Mueang (DMK)
Since March 2026, Don Mueang airport has required designated pick-up points. For Grab, they are on Level 1: Gates 3 and 4 of the international terminal, Gates 11 to 14 of the domestic terminal. These locations may change: rely on the app and the signs on the day.
Safety: good habits
These apps are generally safe, which is precisely why I use them. The driver’s name, photo, number plate and car model appear before he arrives, and the journey is tracked live.
- Always check the number plate before getting in. If it does not match, do not get in.
- Never follow someone who approaches you in the arrivals hall claiming to be a “Grab driver”.
- Share your trip with someone close to you using the app’s sharing feature.
- Pay what the app shows, plus tolls, and nothing else.
- Sit in the back and fasten your seat belt.
For other classic traps, I wrote a dedicated article: scams in Bangkok and how to avoid them.
Outside Bangkok
Grab works well in Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin and Khon Kaen. Bolt is present in several large cities, but not everywhere. In the small towns of Isan and on some islands, you will sometimes find very few drivers, or none at all: local songthaews, tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis are then the solution, with a price agreed before you set off.
My practical tips
- Install Grab and Bolt and verify your number before leaving home.
- Always compare both apps before booking.
- Keep small notes for tolls and a back-up bank card.
- Place the pick-up pin carefully: in Bangkok, a one-way street can cost you twenty minutes.
- Use the in-app chat; it often offers automatic translation into Thai.
- Show the destination address in Thai if it is complicated, or the name of a major landmark nearby.
- At airports, only use the official points shown in the app.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Thai phone number?
No. You can sign up with your usual number, but you must receive the verification text. The easiest way is to do it before you leave.
Grab or Bolt: which is cheaper?
Bolt is often slightly cheaper, but not always, and there are sometimes fewer drivers. Compare both when you book.
Are tolls included in the price?
Generally not. You pay them on top, in cash, to the driver or at the toll gate. Keep some change handy.
Where do I catch a Grab at Suvarnabhumi airport?
On Level 1, Gate 4, by choosing the “Grab Pick-up Point” option in the app to get a PIN. Check on site, as the arrangements may change.
To go further
Mr Schaka’s guidebook, Bangkok – The Practical Guide, covers the essentials: transport, neighbourhoods, addresses, food, etiquette and safety, updated for 2026–2027.
