Grab Thailand rolls out 0% fees, AI tools to save restaurants
Chantsuda warns global volatility cuts 2025 GDP forecast to 1.8%
As Thailand’s economy stumbles and food businesses tighten their belts, Grab Thailand is stepping in with a bold new lifeline.
The food delivery giant has launched a series of targeted initiatives aimed at helping small restaurant operators and solo entrepreneurs survive the current financial crunch, complete with zero commission deals, AI tools and micro-loans.
Chantsuda Thananitayaudom, country head of Grab Thailand, said the ongoing global volatility and domestic tourism slowdown are hammering the economy, forcing the GDP forecast for 2025 down to just 1.8%.
“The food and beverage industry, worth 640 billion baht, is expected to grow by only 2.8% this year, down from last year’s 4.6%. This reflects the mounting pressure many small businesses are under.”
To counter this, Grab has built a three-pillar support strategy: boosting sales, expanding access to funding and harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to improve efficiency.
Under the first pillar, Grab has rolled out Top-up Discounts, a co-funded deal where the platform matches restaurant discounts. Merchants using the programme have seen order values shoot up by over 70%.
The other standout feature is the 0% commission campaign for new eateries. Any new restaurant joining Grab before August 31 will receive a 90-day fee waiver, marketing support and 400 baht in GrabAds credit to increase visibility on the platform.
Grab’s second pillar focuses on funding, especially for merchants new to borrowing. In the first four months of 2025, 40% of Quick Cash Loans went to first-time borrowers, with loans of up to 100,000 baht and monthly interest capped at 2.75%.
Despite the economic pressure, Grab’s non-performing loan (NPL) rate remains impressively low, below 2%, compared to the commercial banking average of 2.9%. Chantsuda credits this to their AI-driven credit scoring system.
That same AI power is now being leveraged in the third pillar through the AI Merchant Assistant, a chatbot embedded in the GrabMerchant app.
Described as a 24/7 business advisor, the virtual assistant provides real-time advice on everything from analysing sales reports to suggesting new dishes, planning promotions and fine-tuning marketing strategies, reported Bangkok Post.
The ambitious plan signals Grab’s intent not just to be a delivery service, but a vital partner for Thailand’s struggling food entrepreneurs.
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