Grab unveils insights on expatriates and digital nomads in Thailand, with delivery orders rising by 50% over the past 12 months. Thai cuisine—such as fried rice, chicken rice, and Thai tea—has become a favorite, while GrabBike usage has grown by 30%.  To better serve this segment, Grab has introduced the 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 – Deliveries, Grab Thailand, commented: “Thailand is not just a destination for international tourists, but also for many foreigners who choose to live, work, and do business—driven by factors such as  an affordable cost of living, developed infrastructure and telecommunications, accessible visa applications, and rich cultural charm. This is especially true for Bangkok, the capital, which was recently ranked the No. 1 city for American remote workers1, thanks to affordable rents, fast internet, and stunning scenery.”

According to the Thailand Migration Report 2024, Thailand is home to up to  5.3 million² non-Thai residents in Thailand—an 8% increase from 2019. This  includes hundreds of thousands of expatriates, both permanent and temporary, including digital nomads.

“Expats and digital nomads are a high-potential segment for Grab, as they are considered quality users with strong spending power. This is reflected in the growth of our Deliveries business, both GrabFood and GrabMart, which has seen more than 50% increase in order from this segment over the past 12 months (July 2024–June 2025). Their average order value typically ranges from 300-500 baht. The top five nationalities using these services are American, British, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, mostly residing in key cities such as Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and Hua Hin.” added Chirakit. 

Grab also revealed additional insights into the service behavior of expat users:

• The top five most-ordered food categories are fast food, cook-to-order Thai dishes, healthy meals, rice bowls or specialty dishes, and takeaway drinks.
• Thai food remains a favorite, particularly convenient, single-dish meals like fried rice, which tops the list with over 627,000 orders annually, followed by chicken rice with more than 326,000 orders. Thai tea leads the beverage category, with over 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, while the remaining third opt for the convenience of GrabBike, which has seen steady growth with a 30% year-on-year increase 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. This not only improves convenience for users, but also creates new opportunities for our merchant-partners, especially MSMEs, to reach foreign customers and boost sales.”

“We’ve also launched the ‘Grab Expat Pass,’ a tailored  discount package for expats, offering greater value across a variety of Grab services—from food and grocery delivery to transport and parcel delivery—with savings of up to 2,000 Baht”.

Find more details about Grab Expat Pass at https://www.grab.com/th/blog/grabexpatpass/

1 Source: New York Post

² Source: Thailand Migration Report 2024