Grab in Vietnam and other SE Asian Countries

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I understand that Grab is very popular in SE Asia.  I would like to use it in Saigon (ho Chi Minh City).  But I read that a local phone number must be associated with your smart phone in order to hail a rideshare on Grab.  Is that true?  Can anybody clarify?

[cruisinsusin]

I dont have knowledge of Saigon but we used Grab in Singapore with our US phone number.It was very efficient.

[terry&mike]

We have used Grab in several countries in Asia, including Vietnam. It is a very good service, and does not need to be associated with a local phone number. We have the app downloaded onto our USA iPhones, and use it in much the same manner as Uber. 

[Milhouse]

Sorry a bit offtopic but:  Haven't used Grab in Vietnam but in Thailand.  Found it a bit hit or miss as we got "professional" drivers that were basically taxi drivers finding fares via the app and occasionally some "amateur" drivers that were somewhat clueless getting to the destination even with navigation.

Found taxis very inexpensive in Saigon/HCMC but had to use honest companies like Mai Linh and Vinasun (watch out for similar fakes).  

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Thank you for the replies on Grab.  

[JourneyJim]

Yes, Grab is a common app in Southeast Asia. A local phone number is preferred but not required in your smartphone to use Grab. If you don't have a local number, you just need Wi-Fi or mobile data using your roaming sim card to access Grab. You can find Wi-Fi at the airport or hotel.

[Dobby36]

We used it in Chan may Vietnam and Singapore, but it was downloaded in Singapore.  Incredibly slick! You have the option to pay in cash if you’d like, when hailing a ride.   You can also order food, pay for food at hawker markets or to street vendors and at booths where you just say “grab?” And they will show you a QR code to scan and show you the # of dollars/funds for your purchase.  Highly recommend. Functionality gets limited once outside WiFi, unless you use cellular service.  But we found this no issue.