If it’s raining, you don’t have time, you don’t feel like carrying heavy bags, or you simply don’t want to leave the house, food delivery services can come to the rescue. In Phuket, this sector is well-developed, and you can receive your order in just 15-40 minutes. In this article, we’ll tell you about the most popular food delivery apps on the island.
FOOD PANDA
The FOOD PANDA app offers delivery services for dishes from restaurants and groceries from stores. Self-pickup is also available.
The menu in the app is organized by cuisine types, making it easier to find the dish you’re looking for. Simply select the category you’re interested in, such as “rolls,” and you’ll see a complete list of dishes available for order.
If you’re ordering dishes from different places, each will have a separate delivery. The estimated delivery time will then be displayed in your cart.
Payment can be made by credit card or in cash to the courier. Additionally, there’s an option to schedule a delivery for another day.
FOOD PANDA also allows you to order various products from nearby stores, such as 7/11.
Aroi Dee
Aroi Dee is another convenient app for ordering food. The interface is available in four languages: English, Russian, Thai, and Chinese. In the app, you can choose a cuisine or category (e.g., baked goods, drinks), and then select dishes from the listed restaurants, which are grouped by menu categories. There’s also a search bar if you know exactly what you’re looking for.
Food Delivery in Taxi Services
Taxi services, such as Grab or InDrive, also offer food and grocery delivery. We’ve covered taxi services in detail in a dedicated section, but here, we’ll focus on their delivery options.
In taxi apps, there’s a specific icon for ordering goods and courier services. For example, Maxim provides delivery of groceries, meals from cafes and restaurants, and packages, which can be transported by car, scooter, bicycle, or on foot by a courier.
Bolt, Maxim, and InDrive also accept orders for food delivery and various goods from stores.
Grab has a dedicated app for ordering food called Grab Food, where you can order meals from restaurants and groceries from stores.
The service is focused on restaurants in tourist areas, budget-friendly cafes, and so-called “street food stalls”. The app provides up-to-date information about the operating hours of establishments, their locations, and customer reviews.
Each restaurant sets its own minimum order amount. Sometimes taxes and service charges are added to the listed price. One of the obvious advantages is that there are no restrictions by area — Grab delivers to any part of Phuket.
Additional app features allow you to specify individual preferences for each dish (e.g., if you need it non-spicy) and add extra ingredients.
How to Receive Your Order
Many people avoid using food delivery services because they’re hesitant to communicate with the courier in a foreign language. However, there’s no need to worry since the process is very simple.
When the courier arrives with your order, they will call the phone number you provided. The conversation is usually short and easy to understand, even with minimal knowledge of English. For example, the courier might say: “Hello, delivery (company name), in lobby/in your hotel.” You can simply reply, “Hello, OK,” and meet them outside. Delivery couriers are usually dressed in the company’s uniform, making them easy to recognize.
If you’re planning a dinner at a restaurant and are looking for a suitable venue, check out our section Cafes & Restaurants.