Gojek, the Indonesian company that started as a call center for hailing motorcycle taxis 10 years ago and today offers services ranging from ride-hailing to money transfer, is doubling down in Thailand.
The company has rolled out a new, upgraded app for Thailand, replacing its previous country-specific app, that will allow it to reach more Thai consumers, Nikkei Asian Review reported Friday (Sept. 18). It is also offering discount coupons to new users in the country.
Roughly three months ago, the company merged its brands in Thailand and Vietnam to more effectively compete in the countries with Singapore’s Grab, the news outlet reported.
Grab entered Southeast Asia in 2018 when it bought operations from Uber, Nikkei Asian Review reported. Gojek entered the market a year later.
“This is the time to rebrand and launch Gojek under a single application brand,” said Pinya Nittayakasetwat, Gojek’s country manager in Thailand, according to the news outlet.
Gojek has expanded its services in much the way companies such as Uber have done so.
“Through just one platform, Gojek’s users can access over 20 services ranging from transportation to food delivery, massages, e-money, and even a loyalty program,” the company states on its website.
Gojek operates in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and other locations in Southeast Asia, according to its website.
Gojek’s focus on Thailand comes as the company reportedly has resumed merger talks with Grab. Previous talks stalled, according to the Financial Times, because Grab investor SoftBank had opposed a deal. SoftBank’s leadership has reversed its position and now supports a merger, according to a report in the Financial Times.
In June, Gojek said it was cutting 430 jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on business.
“The biggest challenge is the level of uncertainty ahead and the hard fact that this will forever change how some of our businesses and products need to operate,” Co-CEOs Andre Soelistyo and Kevin Aluwi wrote in an email to employees at the time, according to Bloomberg.
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