What is LINE OA? The 2026 guide for businesses in Thailand

LINE OA, short for LINE Official Account, is LINE’s account for businesses. Customers add your shop or brand as a friend in LINE, and you can chat with them one-to-one, send broadcasts, share coupons and take bookings or orders without leaving the app. It is free to open, and paid packages only add more broadcast messages.

If your customers are in Thailand, they are almost certainly on LINE. This guide explains what LINE OA is, how it differs from personal LINE, the main features, the account badges and how to start.

What is LINE OA, and how is it different from personal LINE?

A personal LINE account is built for friends and family. A LINE Official Account is built for a business talking to many customers at once. The difference shows up in who manages it, how many people it can reach and what tools it has.

Customers don’t need a separate app. They find your account through a QR code, a link, your @ID or LINE search (if you’re verified), tap “Add friend” and start chatting.

Why LINE OA matters for businesses in Thailand

LINE is where Thai customers already talk. LINE for Business Thailand says an official account lets you reach up to 56 million Thai LINE accounts. For many Thai consumers, sending a LINE message to a shop is more natural than filling in a web form or sending an email.

That makes LINE OA useful at every stage:

• Before purchase: answer questions about price, stock, location and opening hours in chat.
• At purchase: take orders, bookings and payments through MyShop or connected systems.
• After purchase: send order updates, reminders, reward cards and repeat-purchase offers.

Unlike social media posts, a broadcast lands in the customer’s chat list, next to messages from friends. That reach is valuable, so it should be used carefully. Too many irrelevant messages make people block you.

Main LINE OA features

LINE groups its features into chat, broadcasting, engagement and growth tools. These are the ones most businesses use.

Chat and automation

• 1:1 chat: reply to customers personally, from the web or the app, with several admins.
• Greeting message: sent automatically when someone adds you as a friend.
• Auto-response and AI response: answer common questions by keyword or let LINE’s AI response handle simple queries.
• Chat tags and notes: label customers (for example “VIP” or “asked for quote”) to follow up later.
• Quick reply buttons: tap-to-answer options that guide the conversation.

Broadcasting

• Broadcasts: send text, images, video, coupons or cards to all friends.
• Targeted broadcasts: send only to selected groups, such as people who opened or clicked an earlier message. LINE requires at least 100 people in the target.
• Rich messages and card-based messages: large clickable images and swipeable product cards.
• Insights: see friends added, blocks, opens and clicks.

Engagement and sales

• Rich menu: a fixed menu at the bottom of the chat with links to booking, menu, promotions or your website.
• Coupons and reward cards: digital discounts and loyalty stamps inside LINE.
• LINE VOOM (closed in Thailand): the timeline feed for posts ended in Thailand on 28 September 2026, according to LINE’s help centre. Reach followers through chats, broadcasts and the rich menu instead.
• MyShop: LINE’s built-in shop for selling products through your official account.
• LINE Ads: paid ads across LINE, including ads designed to gain new friends.

Messaging API and chatbots

The Messaging API connects your LINE OA to other software. That is how booking systems, CRMs, ecommerce platforms and custom chatbots send confirmations or answer customers automatically. It requires development work or a ready-made tool. Note that messages your system pushes to customers count toward your monthly quota, while replies to a customer’s message do not.

LINE OA account types and badges

Every LINE OA has a shield badge next to its name. There are three types:

All new accounts start as unverified. In Thailand you can apply for verification from LINE Official Account Manager after creating your account; LINE’s help center says review takes about 10 business days. From April 2026, LINE has shown the verified and premium badges more prominently on profile pages, chat screens and friend lists, so customers can check that an account is genuine before they chat.

A verified badge matters for trust. Scammers often copy shop names and logos, and the blue shield is the quickest way for customers to know they’re talking to the real business.

What businesses use LINE OA for

• Restaurants and cafés: menus, table bookings, delivery orders, member coupons.
• Clinics, salons and spas: appointment booking, reminders and treatment follow-ups.
• Retail and ecommerce: product catalogs, order taking, shipping updates and promotions.
• Real estate and automotive: lead capture, viewing appointments and quotes.
• B2B and services: quote requests, support and account updates.

How to get started with LINE OA

1. Create a LINE Business ID and open your account in LINE Official Account Manager. It’s free.
2. Complete your profile: name, picture, cover, opening hours and location.
3. Set up the basics: greeting message, rich menu and auto-responses for your most common questions.
4. Get friends: put your QR code on receipts, packaging, your shop counter, website and social pages, and give people a reason to add you, such as a welcome coupon.
5. Apply for verification once your profile is complete.
6. Plan broadcasts that are useful, not frequent. Check your package and message usage as your friend list grows.

If you want a team to plan your LINE strategy, automation and integrations, see our LINE OA marketing and automation service.