Most Used Apps in Thailand
Living in such a connected world, my phone is never far from my hand. There are a few apps that I absolutely love and use every day that make travelling much more enjoyable.
Nike Training Club
I’m not naturally a gym bunny. I love the experience of going to a beautiful yoga studio or lacing up my shoes and going out for a run. Both of those things are a bit harder while we’re travelling. However, we have been staying in places with gyms onsite. So I’ve embraced that awkward feeling I have when I walk into a gym and tried to make it feel a little more like home. The best thing I have found to help me with that anxious feeling is to take away some of the decision-making. Having an app tell me what to do – which exercises, how many reps, how long to rest – makes me feel so much more settled. It also probably makes sure I work out a little harder than I would have on my own.
The biggest benefit of Nike is that it’s free. We’re trying to keep our expenses down, so that’s a big plus for me. It also has a huge range of workouts, varying in length, intensity, equipment and workout style. They also have programs, which take away the decision of which workout to pick. Double bonus.
Libby
I love to read. But I can’t carry a lot of books with me. I used to have a Kindle, which I loved but one thing I love even more is free. Libby allows me to access digital books from the library at no charge. It also only allows me to have them for 28 days at a time, so it encourages me to read them on schedule, rather than procrastinating. How many books do we buy with good intentions that we never end up reading? Right now, I’m 40% through a book that’s due in four days. Am I going to be ditching Instagram for more reading for the next few days? You bet.
Not every book is on there and some have ridiculously long wait times. But I can put 40 books on hold that are all going to become available at different times so I can just work my way through my To Read list slowly.
Airbnb
I’d hate to see how much time I spend scrolling through Airbnb. We’ve gone through a lot of inspired moments when we decide we’re going to move somewhere. So we spend a whole lot of time researching and planning. We don’t always follow through but understanding the cost of accommodation somewhere new is vital. It’s our biggest monthly expense so getting it right is so important to our overall budget.
Food Panda
It may have been Kieron’s dream to never have to cook, but I’m certainly embracing the lifestyle. There are some kinks with this app (it keeps suggesting that I might like KFC even though I’m vegetarian) and the search functionality isn’t great. But it’s the easiest-to-use food delivery app I’ve found while we’ve been in Thailand.
Google Translate
Learning a few key phrases when you move somewhere new is essential. I’m lucky enough to have English as my first language, which is widely spoken. But being able to at least say hello and thank you in the local lingo is just good manners.
The image translation functionality on this has a lifesaver. Being in a supermarket full of product labels I can’t read isn’t helpful when you’re checking for hidden animal products. But these labels as well as a sign on the front door of a store or any other document that you need to understand instantly become readable. Not always perfectly, but you can at least see what the ingredients are.
