In this article, we discuss one of the leading e-commerce services platforms in Thailand called Line Man Wongnai. Wongnai provides multiple services from food delivery to taxis by connecting consumers with local businesses, riders, restaurants, etc. The article also drives insights into the journey of Line Man Wongnai from having fewer users to becoming one of the most used e-commerce platforms in Thailand.
Founding Story of Line Man Wongnai
Line Man Wongnai is a Thailand-based company that aims to empower local businesses with an e-commerce platform for services. Line Man Wongnai was established in the year 2010 and it was founded by classmates Yod Chinsupakul, Pattrawoot ‘Boy’ Suesatayasilp, Suparit ‘Boy’ Krityakien, and Worawee ‘Parn’ Sattayavinij. It was initially started as a food delivery and faced numerous challenges in the beginning. It had fewer restaurants and did not have many reviews and users.
Later in 2012, Wongnai saw growth and became the fastest-growing startup in Thailand. This was possible due to the adoption of smartphones and Thais’ increased use of technology. This period was called the Golden Age of Thai startups, Wongnai’s users increased in turn restaurant information in its database. Hence by grabbing this opportunity Wongnai decided to expand the business and was recognized by investors and the public. Accounting for this, Wongnai raised Series A funding from Recruit Strategic Partners, which was used in product development and marketing. This increased their users from tens of thousands to millions in a short span.
About Line Man Wongnai
Line Man Wongnai is an e-commerce platform and the mission is to make a significant impact by helping people live better and build a strong digital infrastructure for Thailand. The company is dedicated to empowering all local businesses with their e-commerce services. The platform connects consumers, riders, and local businesses to improve the daily lives of all parties. The core values of the company are to innovate faster, respect everyone, and go deeper.
Wongnai in 2014 expanded its business to provincial cities like Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Chon Buri, Hua Hin, Hat Yai, and Phuket. In 2015, Wongnai discovered beauty salons and spas, and in 2016, Wongnai X Line Man – allowed Line Man users to order food delivered through restaurants available in the database. Wongnai cooking which started in 2017 was used to find and share food recipes with users. Wongnai Travel allows one to explore attractions, book accommodations, and reviews. In 2016 Line Man launched as the first on-demand O2O (Online-to-Online) service from Thailand. With the in-house developed software, it functioned as a consolidated subsidiary under LINE Thailand, exclusively serving the Thai market.
In 2020, Wongnai’s collaboration with LINE MAN showcased a successful impact on the market. Both of them decided to join forces with a capital of USD 110 million from BRV Capital Management. Following this LINE MAN merged with Wongnai and established a new entity called ‘LINE MAN Wongnai’ in the year 2020. The vision of this collaboration is to become Thailand’s leading E-commerce platform for services, by focusing on creating an end-to-end food ecosystem. LINE MAN Wongnai provides various services including food delivery, taxi, grocery delivery, messenger, restaurant solutions, and local business reviews.
Awards and Recognitions
In 2022, the LINE MAN app was recognized as one of Thailand’s Top Apps in the Apple App Store Awards 2022. It was one of just six Thai-originated apps in the top 20 list of free apps. By 2021, Wongnai’s food delivery service had successfully reached all 77 provinces in the country, and in June 2022, the Messenger service followed suit.
LINE MAN Wongnai aims to ‘Help Thai people live better’ through its accelerated expansion across the country. By combining tech talent and resources, the company wants to enhance tech infrastructure and provide exceptional services to improve the living experience for all.