OpenAI’s affordable ChatGPT Go plan expands to 16 new countries in Asia

OpenAI is making strides in expanding access to its budget-friendly ChatGPT Go plan, now available for less than $5 in 16 Asian nations. This rollout includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, East Timor, and Vietnam. In several countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Pakistan, users can conveniently pay in their local currencies. However, in the remaining nations, payments are required in USD, with prices around $5, subject to local tax variations. The ChatGPT Go plan offers users enhanced features, including higher daily message limits, improved image generation, and the ability to upload files or images more frequently. Additionally, it provides twice the memory of the free version, allowing for more customized interactions. This expansion follows a remarkable growth in OpenAI’s user base, particularly in Southeast Asia, where weekly active users have surged by up to four times. Initially launched in India in August, the plan quickly gained traction in Indonesia by September, leading to a doubling of paid subscribers in India since inception. OpenAI is in a competitive race with Google, which introduced its own affordable AI chatbot subscription, Google AI Plus, in Indonesia. Google's plan, also priced similarly, has expanded to over 40 countries and includes access to its advanced Gemini 2.5 Pro model along with various creative tools for design, image remixing, and video creation, alongside 200GB of cloud storage. This expansion occurs during a critical period for OpenAI, as it recently announced at its DevDay 2025 conference that ChatGPT has achieved 800 million weekly active users globally, a significant rise from 700 million in August. The event also highlighted a transformative shift in the platform, where CEO Sam Altman and ChatGPT head Nick Turley discussed the introduction of applications that will allow ChatGPT to function more like an operating system akin to an app store, featuring partnerships with companies like Spotify, Zillow, and Coursera. Despite the impressive growth and a valuation of $500 billion, OpenAI reported a significant operating loss of $7.8 billion in the first half of 2025. The introduction of affordable subscription options like ChatGPT Go is viewed as a strategic move towards achieving profitability while broadening its user base in fast-growing Asian markets, where competition with Google is intensifying.