Thai Food Generates Over 22 Billion Baht on Grab Across 7 Countries Plans to Turn Cultural Capital into Income Unveiled

When it comes to the charm of Thailand, the first things people worldwide think of are its smiles, the beauty of its arts and culture, and a way of life full of unique identity. Yet, one of the most universally embraced images is the "taste of Thai food," an art on a plate that perfectly conveys local wisdom and creativity—from street food to globally renowned dishes.

As a leading digital platform in Southeast Asia, Grab is committed to leveraging technology to create positive impact in Thailand by connecting people worldwide to Thai culture, such as through GrabFood, which allows users across the region to savor Thai cuisine.

Recently, Grab Thailand partnered with government and private sectors to launch the policy forum "GrabNEXT 2026" under the concept "The TASTE of THAI: Enhancing Thai Charm Towards a Better Dimension."

Under the T.A.S.T.E strategy, Grab aims to use technology and digital platforms to promote Thailand's cultural assets and create added economic value through five main dimensions.

T - Travel: Taking people to discover Thailand's charm through cultural tourism sites.

• Using technology to enhance travel for tourists, including premium cars, local public transport, language translation features, safety functions, and a PIN system that pairs drivers with passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
  
  
• Continuously conducting marketing activities to promote tourist destinations, such as producing guidebooks, collaborating with influencers, and installing benches with QR codes linking to tourist spots.
  
  
• Promoting cultural tourism: platform data shows over 3.6 million trips nationwide to cultural tourism sites. "Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan" has seen a 30% increase in ride bookings between Q2 and Q3 of 2026 after UNESCO designated it a cultural world heritage site.
  
  
• The five most popular destinations among foreign tourists are Wat Arun Ratchawararam, Wat Pho, the Sanctuary of Truth, Ancient City in Samut Prakan, and the Jim Thompson House Museum.

A - Awake: Experiencing Thai identity through festivals, contemporary arts, and local wisdom.

• Supporting travel to cultural and traditional festivals nationwide, such as Songkran, by offering discounts.
  
  
• Promoting contemporary arts by providing spaces for young Thai artists to create works reflecting the identity of tourist sites, and supporting the revitalization of historic districts or old communities through events like Awakening Song Wat 2026.
  
  
• Inviting tourists to experience the charm of Thai science and arts—festivals, performing arts, sports, and Thai wisdom. Platform data shows that
  
  
• comparing GrabBike bookings before and after Songkran 2026, foreign tourist ride bookings increased by over 20%. Round-trip bookings to "Rajadamnern Boxing Stadium" doubled (comparing 2025 to 2024 data on Grab).
  
  
• There were over 300,000 round-trip bookings throughout 2025 to popular venues such as boxing stadiums, theaters, and traditional massage shops.

S - Support: Supporting local entrepreneurs by bringing community products to a wider audience.

• Partnering with the Ministry of Culture to promote Thai cultural products (CPOT) and community goods sold online via GrabMart.
  
  
• Encouraging small businesses to access digital sales channels. Platform data shows "Thai fragrant products" like scented candles, inhalers, and incense sticks sold up to 250,000 units on GrabMart.
  
  
• Currently, SMEs and community shops constitute 74% of all stores on GrabMart, and community products are popular among foreigners, reflected by a 50% growth in orders.

T - Transform: Expanding opportunities for Thai brands to grow regionally.

• Using the business network across Southeast Asia to support Thai entrepreneurs in expanding abroad, such as promoting the brand “Emily's” to enter the Singapore market.
  
  
• Presenting the popular restaurant awards “Grab 5-Star Eats” held in countries across the region including Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
  
  
• Launching special campaigns for top Thai dishes and restaurants to introduce them to the world, including billboards in New York City's Times Square, USA.

E - Elevate: Honoring Thai cuisine from every region and raising standards to be loved worldwide.

• Hosting the GrabThumbsUp Awards for the fifth consecutive year to recognize popular restaurants among users, recently collaborating with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to award special honors to eateries and individuals promoting Thai tourism through culinary identity.
  
  
• Working with the Ministry of Culture to support restaurants under “The Lost Taste” project to discover, restore, and honor fading flavors.
  
  
• Promoting wide access to Thai food, with platform data showing the top three favorite dishes among foreigners are "stir-fried basil," "fried rice," and "pad thai," while "som tam" and "Thai tea" remain all-time bestsellers with over 13 million dishes and 8.6 million cups sold respectively.

Jantsuda Thananitayadum, Managing Director of Grab Thailand, said GrabFood has enabled users across the region to enjoy Thai food, with total orders exceeding 22 billion baht in 7 countries in 2025. Facilitating travel, food ordering, and shopping for international tourists has generated 15 billion baht in revenue for Thailand over the past three years (2023–2025).

Sabida Thaiset, Minister of Culture, stated that culture is a key factor driving the economy, reflected in total tourism revenue of 2.7 trillion baht and Thailand's creative industries valued at over 1.63 trillion baht.

A major direction for the Ministry of Culture in 2027 is to promote entrepreneurs and local communities to leverage cultural capital to create economic value by blending Thai identity and wisdom with creativity, developing products and services that meet both domestic and international market demands. The GrabNEXT forum provides a platform for government and private sectors to exchange views and propose concrete ways to turn cultural capital into economic opportunities.

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