Get your business on Google Maps in Thailand: set up and verify your Google Business Profile, choose the right category and collect reviews.
Picture someone standing on Sukhumvit Soi 11 at 7pm, phone in hand, typing "dentist near me" or "ร้านตัดสูท". They are not going to scroll through ten websites. They look at the map, compare three pins, read a couple of reviews and tap Call or Directions. The whole decision takes about a minute — and if your business isn't on that map, you were never in the running.
That map listing is your Google Business Profile (it used to be called Google My Business). It's free, it takes an afternoon to set up properly, and for most local businesses in Thailand it brings in more customers than any other single piece of online marketing. This guide walks you through it, step by step, including the parts most people get wrong.
Why Google Maps matters more than your homepage
When someone searches for something local — a café, a clinic, a tailor, a car repair shop — Google usually shows a map with three businesses before any normal website results. People call this the local pack. For "near me" searches it's often the only thing people look at.
Three things decide who appears there, according to Google's own guidelines: relevance (how well your profile matches the search), distance (how close you are to the person searching) and prominence (how well known and well reviewed you are). You can't move your shop, but you can control relevance and prominence completely.
The parts of your profile that customers actually look at — and that Google uses to decide who ranks.
Step 1: Check whether you already have a profile
Before creating anything, search Google Maps for your business name. Many Thai businesses already have a listing that a customer, a delivery app or Google itself created years ago. If you find one, click Own this business? and claim it instead of making a new one. Duplicate listings split your reviews and confuse Google.
Step 2: Create or claim your profile
Go to google.com/business and sign in with a Google account that belongs to the business — not a staff member's personal Gmail. If that person leaves, you don't want your listing leaving with them. Then enter:
- Business name: exactly as it appears on your sign and receipts. No keywords stuffed in ("Best Tailor Bangkok Cheap Suits") — Google treats that as spam and can suspend the listing.
- Location or service area: a physical address if customers visit you; a service area (e.g. Bangkok, Nonthaburi) if you go to them. You can have both.
- Phone number and website: use a number someone actually answers during opening hours.
Write your name, address and phone number exactly the same way everywhere — your profile, your website footer, Facebook, LINE OA and directories. Consistent details help Google trust that they all describe the same business.
Step 3: Verify it (this is where people get stuck)
Google needs to confirm you are really at that address. Depending on your business type and location, it may offer verification by video recording, phone or SMS, email or a postcard with a code. Video verification is now very common in Thailand: you record a short, continuous clip showing your street, your signage, the inside of your business and something that proves you manage it (like opening the till or showing equipment).
- Film in daylight, in one continuous take, without cuts.
- Show the street sign or a landmark, then walk to your entrance so the location is obvious.
- Make sure your business name is visible on permanent signage — a paper sign taped to the door often fails.
- Don't edit profile details while verification is pending; changes can restart the review.
Step 4: Fill in every field (yes, every one)
An incomplete profile is the most common reason a business ranks below a competitor that is further away. Google can only show you for searches it understands you are relevant to.
Choose the right primary category
Your primary category has more influence than anything else you write. Be specific: "Dental clinic" beats "Health", "Italian restaurant" beats "Restaurant". Look at which categories the top three competitors in your area use — you can see them under their business name on Maps — and add a few secondary categories for the other things you genuinely offer.
Hours, including holidays
Set regular hours and special hours for Songkran, New Year and other public holidays. Few things lose a customer faster than driving across Bangkok to find a closed shutter when Google said you were open.
Services, products and attributes
Add your main services with short descriptions and, where it makes sense, prices. Tick the attributes that apply: wheelchair access, Wi-Fi, English-speaking staff, accepts credit cards, parking. These answer questions before customers have to ask.
Photos that sell
Businesses with real photos simply look more trustworthy than those with one blurry logo. Upload your storefront (so people recognise it from the street), the interior, your team, and your best products or dishes. Add new photos every month or two; Google notices activity.
Complete these and you are already ahead of most local competitors.
Step 5: Get reviews — the right way
Reviews are the single biggest factor in prominence, and they are what customers read before choosing you. The good news: happy customers will leave one if you make it easy. The bad news: most businesses never ask.
- Get your review link: in your profile, choose Ask for reviews and copy the short link.
- Make it a QR code: print it on the bill folder, the counter, the packaging or the receipt.
- Ask at the right moment: right after a compliment, a finished job or a repeat visit.
- Send it on LINE: a quick thank-you message with the link after a service works well.
- Reply to every review: thank people by name and answer complaints calmly and specifically.
Never buy reviews, offer discounts in exchange for 5 stars, or post reviews for yourself. Google filters them, can remove all of your reviews at once, and customers can usually tell.
Reply to reviews in the language they were written in. A thoughtful English reply to a tourist and a warm Thai reply to a local customer both show that a real person runs the business.
Step 6: Connect your profile to a proper website
Your profile gets people interested; your website closes the deal. Link to a page that matches what they searched for — your menu, your price list, your booking page — not just a homepage with a slideshow. Google also reads your website to understand your business, so the same services, address and phone number should appear there, ideally in the footer on every page.
If your site loads slowly on mobile or isn't in the language your customers speak, the clicks you worked hard for bounce straight back to Maps. That is exactly the kind of site we build — see our services or read how to choose a web design company in Bangkok.
Step 7: Keep it active
A profile is not "set and forget". Every month or so:
- Post an update, offer or event (Google Posts appear on your profile).
- Add a few new photos.
- Answer questions in the Q&A section before a stranger answers them for you.
- Check that your hours, phone number and website link are still correct.
- Look at the Performance tab: how many calls, direction requests and website clicks you got.
Common mistakes we see in Thailand
Mistake Why it hurts Fix
Keywords in the business name Can get the listing suspended Use your real trading name
Staff member owns the listing You lose access when they leave Owner account + add staff as managers
Two listings for one shop Reviews and ranking are split Report the duplicate and merge
No special holiday hours Angry customers, bad reviews Set Songkran and New Year hours in advance
Website link to a dead Facebook page Clicks go nowhere Link to a fast, current website
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating, verifying and managing a Google Business Profile costs nothing. Google Ads can put you above the map results, but that is a separate, paid product.
How long does it take to appear on Google Maps?
After verification, a profile usually appears within days. Ranking well for competitive searches takes longer and depends on your category, reviews and how complete your profile is.
Can I get on Google Maps without a shop address?
Yes. Service-area businesses — such as plumbers, cleaners or mobile massage — can hide their address and list the areas they serve instead.
Should my profile be in Thai or English?
Use your official business name as it appears on your signage. You can write the description and services in the language most of your customers use; many Bangkok businesses mix both.
Getting on the map is the fastest win most local businesses can make online. Set it up this week, ask your next ten happy customers for a review, and make sure the website it links to is worth visiting. If you'd like help with that last part, get in touch — we reply within 24 hours.