When it comes to self-care whether massage, spa, hair treatments, health check-ups, or fitness, many people may already be familiar with GoWabi, an application that brings together beauty and wellness services all in one place. But did you know that the origin of this platform came from something as simple as a foreigner’s struggle to book a hair salon in Thailand?
We had the opportunity to speak with Khun Pui – Wipawee Wongsirisak, CCO & Co-Founder of GoWabi, about her 9-year journey from a small beginning to becoming one of Thailand’s leading Health & Wellness Super Apps today.
Nine years ago, GoWabi started with what seemed like a small inconvenience but turned into a huge impact. “At that time, our two co-founders, one Swedish, one Russian, had difficulty booking hair salons. Calling was inconvenient, language was a barrier, and often they couldn’t even secure an appointment. On top of that, foreign hair types are different from Thai hair, so they needed suitable stylists,” K.Pui recalled.
The big question was: why wasn’t there a tool that let you “just click to book instantly,” view salon details, and pay directly without having to call? That question became the seed of GoWabi.
In the early days, the team even focused on men by partnering with barbershops. But soon, they expanded to massage parlors, onsens, and later beauty clinics recognizing the purchasing power of women who want to look beautiful and feel confident. Today, GoWabi has grown beyond beauty services, covering hospitals, health check-ups, vaccinations, and fitness classes, to truly serve the Health & Wellness lifestyle.
“We believe beauty and health are about giving people inner confidence. When you look in the mirror and feel good about yourself, that’s when the day feels truly complete.”
The path of a startup is never smooth, and one of the greatest challenges for GoWabi was the COVID-19 crisis. “At that time, all the massage and spa shops on our platform were forced to close. We couldn’t sell anything, it was the hardest period ever,” K.Pui explained.
To survive, the team quickly sought solutions:
Coupon “Buy Now, Use Later” so customers could purchase deals in advance and salons could maintain cash flow.
Affordable COVID-19 testing packages via partner clinics, at a time when tests were both scarce and expensive.
Despite the crisis, GoWabi did not lay off a single employee and worked to support partner businesses through the tough times.
“We were deeply touched when shop owners thanked us for finding ways to help them,” K.Pui said.
Having overcome COVID-19, GoWabi has since evolved from being just a booking app into a full Health & Wellness ecosystem.
Partnering with hospitals and clinics
Expanding networks to include SMEs and large brands
Launching a POS (Point of Sale) system for merchants, replacing manual bookings, and providing insights and data analytics
Developing AI Chat Support and LINE Chatbots to assist shops in managing bookings
“We want GoWabi to be a tool that makes life easier for both users and merchants, while aligning with the booming health and wellness trends.”
When asked about company culture, K.Pui explained that GoWabi values shared DNA over strict rules.
“We don’t confine employees to rigid ways of working. For example, if a customer messages on Saturday, it’s up to the employee to reply immediately or wait until Monday. There’s no right or wrong as long as everyone shares the same vision and mindset.”
GoWabi believes in giving freedom paired with responsibility. Every team member doesn’t just do their job, they work with heart.
To wrap up, K.Pui shared a message: “Don’t forget to download the GoWabi app on your phone! We have so many amazing deals and discounts across beauty, health, and fitness. I hope everyone wakes up and checks GoWabi for something that makes you feel more confident every single day.”
From a small beginning to becoming Thailand’s Health & Wellness Super App, GoWabi has not only made booking easier, but has also helped people create more “complete and confident days.”
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