Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: Where Should Thai Businesses Spend Their Ad Budget?

You've got a marketing budget. It's not unlimited. And everyone, from your agency to your neighbor's cousin who "does digital marketing," has an opinion on where you should spend it.

The two biggest platforms fighting for your baht are Google Ads and Facebook (Meta) Ads. Both work. Both can waste your money if used wrong. And the right answer for your business depends on what you're selling, who you're selling to, and what stage your business is in.

Let's cut through the noise and figure out which one actually makes sense for businesses operating in Thailand.

The Fundamental Difference

Here's the simplest way to think about it:

Google Ads catches people who are already looking for something. Someone types "best dental clinic Sukhumvit" or "web development company Thailand" into Google. They have intent. They want a solution. Your ad shows up at the moment they're ready to act.

Facebook Ads puts your business in front of people who aren't actively searching but match a profile you've defined. They're scrolling through their feed, and your ad interrupts them with something relevant, interesting, or compelling enough to make them stop and pay attention.

One captures demand. The other creates demand. Both are valuable, but they work very differently.

When Google Ads Makes More Sense

Google Ads tends to deliver better results when:

People are actively searching for what you offer. If you're a law firm, an accounting service, a plumber, or a medical clinic, people Google these services when they need them. Being at the top of search results at that exact moment is incredibly powerful.

Your product or service solves an urgent problem. "Emergency locksmith Bangkok" or "same-day printing Pattaya." These are high-intent searches where the person is ready to buy or book right now.

You have a higher-value offering. Google Ads can be more expensive per click, but if your average customer is worth 50,000 baht or more, the math works out. B2B services, real estate, legal services, and healthcare often see strong ROI on Google.

You want measurable, direct-response results. Google Ads is built for tracking. You can see exactly which keywords led to which conversions, making it easier to optimize and scale what's working.

Your competitors are already there. In competitive industries, not showing up on Google means losing business to the companies that do. Sometimes Google Ads isn't optional. It's defensive.

When Facebook Ads Makes More Sense

Facebook (and Instagram, which runs on the same ad platform) works better when:

Your product is visual or aspirational. Fashion, food, travel, fitness, home decor, anything that looks good in a photo or video performs well on social. People don't search for "trendy cafe with aesthetic latte art." They discover it while scrolling.

You're building brand awareness. If you're a new business or launching a new product, nobody's searching for you yet. Facebook lets you introduce yourself to the right audience before they even know they need you.

You're targeting a specific demographic. Facebook's targeting is remarkably precise. You can reach women aged 25-35 in Bangkok who are interested in yoga, organic food, and sustainable fashion. Try doing that on Google.

Your price point is lower. For products under 2,000 baht, Facebook's lower cost-per-click and impulse-buy friendly format often delivers better ROI than Google's higher-intent but more expensive clicks.

You have engaging content to share. Video ads, carousel posts, stories, reels. If you can create content that stops the scroll, Facebook rewards you with cheaper reach and better results.

The Thailand-Specific Angle

A few things about the Thai market that affect this decision:

Social commerce is massive. Thailand is one of the world's biggest markets for social commerce. People discover products on Facebook and Instagram, message the business on the platform, and complete the purchase right there. If that's your sales model, Facebook Ads is your primary channel.

LINE shouldn't be ignored. While this article focuses on Google vs. Facebook, LINE Ads is a growing platform in Thailand. For businesses already using LINE Official Accounts, LINE Ads can complement your Facebook strategy, especially for retargeting.

Thai search behavior skews mobile. Over 90% of Google searches in Thailand happen on mobile devices. This means your landing pages need to be fast, mobile-friendly, and designed for thumb-tapping, not mouse-clicking. If your website is slow or clunky on mobile, Google Ads will burn your budget regardless of how good your campaigns are.

Local SEO and Google Maps matter. For businesses with physical locations, Google Ads combined with a well-optimized Google Business Profile can drive foot traffic. When someone searches "restaurant near me" or "hair salon Thonglor," your Google presence does the heavy lifting.

A Practical Framework for Deciding

Rather than picking one platform forever, think about it in terms of your business goals right now.

If your goal is immediate sales or leads: Start with Google Ads. Target high-intent keywords related to your services. Make sure your landing page is optimized for conversion (clear offer, easy contact form, fast load time).

If your goal is building awareness for a new brand or product: Start with Facebook Ads. Create compelling visual content, test different audiences, and focus on getting your name in front of the right people.

If your goal is scaling an established business: Use both. Google captures the people actively searching. Facebook reaches new audiences who haven't discovered you yet. The combination is more powerful than either alone.

If your budget is under 15,000 baht per month: Pick one platform and do it well. Splitting a small budget across both usually means you don't have enough data on either to optimize effectively.

If your budget is 30,000 baht or more per month: Test both platforms for 30 days. Compare cost per lead or cost per sale (not just clicks). Double down on what's working, and keep testing on the other.

The Metrics That Actually Matter

A lot of businesses get distracted by vanity metrics. Here's what to focus on:

Cost per acquisition (CPA). How much does it cost to get one paying customer? This is the number that matters most. A platform with expensive clicks but high conversion rates can be cheaper than one with cheap clicks that don't convert.

Return on ad spend (ROAS). For every baht you spend on ads, how many baht come back in revenue? A ROAS of 3x or higher is generally healthy for most Thai SMBs.

Customer lifetime value (CLV). If a customer comes back multiple times, you can afford to spend more acquiring them. A restaurant might lose money on the first visit but profit over 10 visits. Factor this in.

Conversion rate on your landing page. If your ads are getting clicks but nobody's converting, the problem isn't the platform. It's your website or offer. Fix that before spending more on ads.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Running ads without tracking. If you haven't set up conversion tracking (Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or both), you're flying blind. Set this up before you spend a single baht.

Sending traffic to your homepage. Your homepage isn't a landing page. Create dedicated pages for each campaign with a clear message and a single call to action.

Setting and forgetting. Both platforms require active management. Review performance weekly, pause underperforming ads, test new creative, and adjust budgets based on results.

Copying competitors blindly. Just because a competitor is running Google Ads doesn't mean it's working for them. They might be burning money too. Base your decisions on your own data.

Ignoring the creative. On Facebook especially, the quality of your ad creative (images, video, copy) determines 80% of your results. A great product with boring ads will lose to an average product with great ads every time.

The Bottom Line

There's no universal "better" platform. Google Ads wins when people are actively searching for what you offer. Facebook Ads wins when you need to create awareness and reach people who don't know they need you yet.

For most Thai businesses serious about growth, the answer eventually becomes both. But starting with the right one for your current situation saves you money and gets you results faster.

The key is clear goals, proper tracking, and the willingness to test and adjust. Digital advertising isn't a set-it-and-forget-it game. It's an ongoing process of learning what works for your specific business, in your specific market, with your specific customers.

If you need help figuring out the right strategy for your budget and goals, we run paid media campaigns for Thai businesses across both platforms and can help you find the approach that delivers actual ROI, not just impressions.

CodenClickz helps Thai businesses grow with ROI-focused digital advertising. Get a free quote to discuss your paid media strategy.