Native, cross-platform or PWA: which one fits your project?
There are three ways to build an app. The right one depends on the phone features you need, how often people will open the app and how fast you want to launch.
| Approach | Built with | Strengths | Limits | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native | Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android | Full access to phone features, native performance | Two codebases to maintain | Apps built around demanding phone features |
| Cross-platform | Expo (React Native) or Flutter | One codebase for both stores, native feel | Some device features need extra work | Most business apps: booking, loyalty, ordering, field teams |
| PWA | Web technologies, installed from the browser | No store review, one link, instant updates | On iPhone, push only once added to the home screen (iOS 16.4 and later) | Internal tools, a first test of demand |
Not sure an app is the right first step? Our guide website, mobile app or PWA (French) compares the options, and a hotel or dive shop is often better served first by a fast website in Phuket.
What does publishing on the App Store and Google Play involve?
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Apple App Store
The Apple Developer Program costs 99 USD per membership year, or the local currency equivalent. Apple reviews every version against its App Store Review Guidelines.
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Google Play
Google Play Console charges a one-time registration fee of 25 USD. Apps must also keep up with Google’s target API level rule.
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The Android 16 deadline
Since 31 August 2026, new apps and updates must target Android 16 (API level 36), with an extension possible until 1 November 2026. Existing apps must target at least Android 15 to stay visible to new users on recent Android phones.
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Accounts in your name
Developer accounts are opened in your company’s name, so the app, its users and its reviews are yours. Company accounts require verification, so we start that step early.
Good to know: store fees are set by Apple and Google and can change; check them at project time. They are separate from our quote.
How do payments work inside an app in Thailand?
Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines split payments in two, and Google Play follows a similar principle:
- Digital content used in the app (premium features, subscriptions, credits) goes through Apple’s in-app purchase, under guideline 3.1.1.
- Physical goods and services used outside the app (a delivery, a booking, a treatment, a tour) can use other methods, under guideline 3.1.3(e): PromptPay, TrueMoney Wallet or cards through a provider such as Stripe or Opn Payments (Omise).
The provider confirms each payment to your server by webhook, an automatic message sent the moment the payment succeeds, so the order is validated even if the user closes the app. Provider fees vary and are checked at project time.
Notifications and LINE: what can be connected?
Push notifications go through Apple’s and Google’s own services, for example with Firebase Cloud Messaging: order status, reminders, offers, always with the user’s permission.
LINE can also be part of the app, as an integration we scope with you: LINE Login, so users sign in with their LINE account, and messages from your LINE Official Account through the Messaging API, for customers who have added it as a friend. To go further with chatbots, see AI automation and LINE chatbots.
What sits behind the app?
- A web back-office to manage users, content, orders and bookings
- Roles and permissions for your staff, with multi-user spaces
- Dashboards with the figures that matter to you
- Offline mode for field teams, synced when the network returns
- An API and a PostgreSQL database that you own
- Connections to your CRM, accounting or website, like the ones we build for companies in Bangkok
What apps has Jingi Agency already shipped?
Madata, the ERP we designed and built, is live on the App Store and Google Play: sales, stock, accounting, payroll, point of sale and CRM for SMEs in French-speaking Africa, on the web, iPhone and Android. It handles multiple companies, Mobile Money payments and built-in AI. Its assistant, Mia, answers in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Mistral through an MCP server. Read the Madata case study (French).
How does Jingi Agency build your app?
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Scoping
A free call, then scope, schedule and a fixed quote per stage.
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Design
User journeys, clickable mockups and architecture, approved first.
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Build
Short iterations and test builds on your phones via TestFlight and Play testing.
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Launch
Store listings and review, data migration, back-office training.
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Growth
Updates for new OS versions and API levels, new features, analytics.
Frequently asked questions about app development in Thailand
How long does it take to build a mobile app in Thailand?
An app is built in stages. Jingi Agency first delivers a usable version with the core features, tested on your own phones, then adds the rest in short iterations. The schedule depends on the features, payments, integrations and back-office involved, and it is fixed during scoping, together with a quote broken down by stage.
Should we build a native app, a cross-platform app or a PWA?
For most business apps, cross-platform with Expo or Flutter is the balanced choice: one codebase for iPhone and Android, published on both stores. Native suits apps built around demanding phone features. A PWA, installed from the browser, works for internal tools or a first test, but on iPhone its notifications require the app to be added to the home screen.
How much do Apple and Google charge to publish an app?
Apple’s Developer Program costs 99 USD per membership year, or the local currency equivalent, and Google Play Console charges a one-time registration fee of 25 USD. These fees are set by Apple and Google, can change, and are paid from accounts in your company’s name. They are separate from the development quote sent by Jingi Agency.
Can users pay with PromptPay or TrueMoney inside the app?
Yes for physical goods and services used outside the app, such as deliveries, bookings or treatments: Apple’s guideline 3.1.3(e) allows other payment methods, and a provider such as Opn Payments (Omise) offers PromptPay, TrueMoney Wallet and cards. Digital content used inside the app, such as premium features, must go through Apple’s in-app purchase under guideline 3.1.1.
Can the app use LINE Login or send LINE messages?
Yes, as integrations defined during scoping. LINE Login lets users sign in with their LINE account instead of creating a password, and the Messaging API lets your LINE Official Account send order or booking updates to customers who have added it as a friend. Jingi Agency connects LINE through its official APIs, as it does for WhatsApp.
Who owns the app, the code and the store accounts?
You do. The App Store and Google Play developer accounts are in your company’s name, and the source code, back-office, database and documentation are handed over. The app, its users and its reviews belong to you. If you change provider one day, another team can take over the project without starting again.