Grab posts surge in orders among expats
Thai cuisine such as fried rice, chicken rice and Thai tea have become favourites, while GrabBike usage grew by 30%, said the company.
To better serve this segment, Grab introduced the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered "One Click Translation" feature, offering menu translations in up to nine languages, along with the launch of the Expat Pass, providing discounts of up to 2,000 baht across all Grab services.
Chirakit Kwangsukstith, senior director of deliveries at Grab Thailand, said in addition to being a foreign tourist destination, many foreigners opt to live, work and do business here because of the affordable cost of living, developed infrastructure and telecom, accessible visa applications and rich cultural charm.
This is especially true for Bangkok, which was recently ranked the No.1 city for American remote workers thanks to affordable rent, fast internet and stunning scenery.
According to the Thailand Migration Report 2024, Thailand is home to up to 5.3 million non-Thai residents, an 8% increase from 2019. This includes hundreds of thousands of expats, both permanent and temporary, including digital nomads.
Mr Chirakit said expats and digital nomads have high potential for Grab as they are considered quality users with strong spending power.
"This is reflected in the growth of our delivery business, both GrabFood and GrabMart, which recorded a gain in orders of more than 50% from this segment over the past 12 months," he said.
The segment's average order value ranges from 300-500 baht. The top five nationalities using the services are American, British, Chinese, Korean and Japanese, mostly residing in Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Hua Hin, said Mr Chirakit.
Among expat users, the top five food categories are fast food, cook-to-order Thai dishes, healthy meals, rice bowls or speciality dishes, and takeaway drinks, according to Grab.
Thai food remains a favourite, particularly convenient, single-dish meals such as fried rice, which tops the list with more than 627,000 orders annually, followed by chicken rice with more than 326,000 orders.
Thai tea leads the beverage category, with in excess of 127,000 cups sold per year.
In terms of ride-hailing, two-thirds of expats prefer to commute by car via JustGrab, GrabCar and GrabCar Premium, with one-third opting for GrabBike, which recorded steady growth, rising 30% year-on-year in usage.
"To enhance the experience and better serve foreign users, Grab has enhanced its in-app language capabilities by developing the 'One Click Translation' feature, powered by AI technology. This feature enables users to translate dish descriptions and merchant details into nine languages with a single tap, including English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and several Southeast Asian languages, expanding beyond the previous app setting that was limited to English only," he said.
Mr Chirakit said this feature not only improves convenience for Grab users, but also creates new opportunities for its merchant-partners to reach foreign customers and boost sales.
"We also launched the Grab Expat Pass, a tailored discount package for expats offering greater value across a variety of Grab services, including food and grocery delivery, transport and parcel delivery, with savings of up to 2,000 baht," he said.
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