Most service businesses in Thailand put a chat button on their website, Facebook page and Google profile. But which app should that button open? New data from DataReportal’s Digital 2027: Thailand report gives a clear answer, and it may surprise businesses that have switched to WhatsApp only.
The numbers
A GWI survey (Q2 2026) asked Thai internet users aged 16 and above which messaging apps they had used in the past month:
| Messaging app | Used in the past month |
|---|---|
| LINE | 82.5% |
| Messenger | 75.5% |
| Telegram | 21.1% |
| 18.7% | |
| iMessage | 13.4% |
LINE’s own figures point the same way: 56.3 million monthly active users in Thailand, equal to about 83% of the country’s internet users.
Put simply, roughly four in five Thai internet users are on LINE every month. Fewer than one in five use WhatsApp.
What this means for your contact buttons
If most of your customers are Thai: lead with LINE
A LINE Official Account is the most natural way for Thai customers to reach you. They do not need to install anything or save your number. If your website and Facebook page only offer WhatsApp, some customers will simply not message you.
Messenger is your safety net
Messenger is used by three in four Thai internet users and is already connected to your Facebook page. Make sure someone actually reads it. Many businesses lose enquiries in a Messenger inbox that nobody checks.
If many of your guests are international: keep WhatsApp too
This report covers people living in Thailand, not tourists. If you run a hotel, villa, dive shop or spa that serves international guests, WhatsApp may still be the right button for them. The point is to match the button to the customer, not to pick one app for everyone.
Do not add five buttons
The opposite mistake is just as common: a website with LINE, WhatsApp, Messenger, phone and email icons all competing for attention. Customers hesitate, and your team ends up checking five inboxes.
A simple setup that works for most businesses we see:
- Thai-language pages and Thai customers: one LINE button.
- English-language pages and international guests: one WhatsApp button.
- Facebook page: Messenger, answered daily.
Speed matters more than the app
Whichever app you choose, the customer who messages you is often asking two or three businesses at the same time. The one that replies first, clearly and with a price or next step, usually wins the booking. Set up a short automatic greeting and a few saved replies for your most common questions, such as price, availability and location.
What to do this week
- Check every contact button on your website, Google profile and Facebook page. Does each one open the app your customers actually use?
- If you serve Thai customers and do not have a LINE Official Account, set one up. The basic plan is free.
- Decide who answers each inbox, and how fast.
Source: DataReportal, Digital 2027: Thailand (November 2026), including GWI survey data from Q2 2026 and figures supplied by LINE.
For the bigger picture, read our overview of which social media platforms Thai service businesses should use in 2027.
Want a second opinion on your setup? Contact us with your website or Facebook page, and we will tell you what we would change.