By the Klick Digital team · Updated October 2026
A Chinese traveller has already decided to visit your restaurant, spa or shop. They open their map app to get there. If your venue is missing, mislabelled or pinned to the wrong street, they go somewhere else. That map app is almost never Google Maps. It is AMap (高德地图, also called Gaode Map), and this article explains what it is, how travellers use it in Thailand, and what a correct listing looks like.
What Is AMap (高德地图)?
AMap is a navigation app used across China, and Chinese travellers keep using it when they come to Thailand because it works in Chinese, it is already on their phone, and it connects to the other apps they plan with.
Google Maps is not part of a typical Chinese traveller’s daily life. Their phone is set up around Chinese apps, and AMap is the one they open when they need directions. It shows venues in Chinese, gives turn-by-turn navigation, and lets the traveller call a taxi from inside the app. For a visitor who does not read Thai or English street signs, that is the whole journey in one place.
How Do Chinese Travellers Use AMap in Thailand?
They search for a venue by name or category, check the pin, get directions and often call a taxi to the venue’s door without leaving the app.
In practice it looks like this. A traveller in Bangkok has seen your café on Xiaohongshu (RedNote) and checked your reviews on Dianping. They open AMap and search your name directly. If the listing is there and correct, they see your Chinese name, your photos, your opening hours and your exact location. They tap “navigate” or “call a taxi”, and a few minutes later they are at your door.
If the listing is not there, the traveller types your name and gets nothing, or gets a pin on the wrong soi. At that point, most people do not try harder. They pick the next venue on their list.
Why Does a Missing or Wrong AMap Listing Lose Customers?
Because it fails at the last step, after the traveller has already chosen you and is ready to spend.
Most marketing effort goes into being found and being chosen. AMap is about being reached. A venue can have strong content on Xiaohongshu and good ratings on Dianping, then lose the customer in the final five minutes because:
- The pin sits on the wrong building or the wrong side of a main road.
- The name appears only in Thai or English, so the traveller is not sure it is the right place.
- The opening hours are missing, so they assume you might be closed.
- The category is wrong, so you do not appear when they search “spa near me” or “rooftop bar”.
- There are no photos, so the listing looks abandoned.
Each of these is small on its own. Together they are the reason a group of four who planned to eat at your restaurant ends up next door.
What Does an AMap Listing Set Up by an Official Partner Include?
A correct pin, your Chinese name, photos, opening hours, the right categories and accurate contact details, set up and maintained so travellers can find and reach you without guessing.
A listing set up through Klick Digital covers:
- Correct pin location — placed on your actual entrance, not an approximate address, so navigation and taxi drop-off arrive at the right door.
- Chinese name — a proper Chinese name for your venue, consistent with how you appear on Xiaohongshu and Dianping, so the traveller recognises you across apps.
- Photos — your storefront, interior and signature dishes or services, so the listing looks live and the traveller can confirm they have arrived.
- Opening hours — accurate hours, including days off, so nobody makes the trip to a closed door.
- Categories — the right classification (restaurant, café, bar, spa and massage, retail, hotel, clinic) so you show up in category searches.
- Contact and basic details — phone number, address in Chinese and any notes that help a first-time visitor.
Klick Digital is the official Thailand partner for AMap, as well as for Dianping/Meituan. That means we work with the platform directly to set up, correct and maintain your listing.
How Does AMap Fit With Xiaohongshu and Dianping?
AMap is the third and final step in a three-app journey: travellers find you on Xiaohongshu, choose you on Dianping, and reach you through AMap.
The journey of a Chinese traveller in Thailand usually runs like this:
- Find on Xiaohongshu (RedNote) — while planning the trip, they browse posts and saves for ideas on where to eat, drink, shop and relax.
- Choose on Dianping/Meituan — once in Thailand, they compare reviews, ratings and deals, and check lists such as the Must-Eat list (必吃榜) to make the final decision.
- Reach via AMap — they navigate to the venue or call a taxi to the door.
The journey runs across the three apps. A venue that is present and consistent across all three gives the traveller a smooth path from inspiration to arrival. A venue missing from any one of them creates a gap, and the last gap, on the map, is the most expensive because it comes after the decision has been made.
If you only fix one thing this month, make sure your venue can be found and reached on AMap. If you are already on Xiaohongshu and Dianping, this is the step that turns that interest into people walking through your door.
Which Venues Should Be on AMap?
Any venue that welcomes Chinese travellers and depends on them physically arriving.
That includes restaurants and cafés, bars, clubs and rooftop bars, spa and massage venues, standalone retail, souvenir and fashion stores, as well as hotels, clinics and dental clinics. If a traveller has to travel to you, they need a correct listing on the map they actually use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AMap the same as Google Maps for Chinese travellers?
No. Chinese travellers in Thailand typically use AMap (高德地图) rather than Google Maps. It works in Chinese, is already on their phone, and connects to the other Chinese apps they use to plan and choose.
Can I add my venue to AMap myself?
The simplest route for a venue in Thailand is to work with a partner. Klick Digital sets up and maintains your listing directly with the platform, in Chinese, so you do not have to manage it yourself.
What if my venue is already on AMap but the details are wrong?
We audit the existing listing, correct the pin, name, hours, categories and photos, and keep it maintained. A wrong listing can be worse than no listing, because it sends travellers to the wrong place.
Does an AMap listing help if I am not on Xiaohongshu or Dianping?
Yes, because travellers also search AMap directly by category and location. It works best as part of the full three-app journey, and we can set up all three together.
How long does it take to get listed?
Timing depends on the venue and the details you provide. Once we have your information and photos, we handle the submission and confirm with you when the listing is live.
Make Sure They Can Reach You
You have done the hard work of getting a Chinese traveller to choose your venue. Do not lose them at the map. Klick Digital sets up and maintains your AMap listing, and can connect it to your presence on Xiaohongshu and Dianping so the whole journey works.
Book a free call with our team to check whether your venue is findable on AMap today. Contact us on LINE Official, email info@klickdigital.net or call +66 88 624 1965.
