The capital of Thailand, Bangkok was originally known as Bang Makok which means “Village of Olives.” For over two centuries, this cosmopolitan city has been the economic, political, and social center of Thailand and most of southeast Asia. A popular tourist destination, it offers incredible cuisine, fabulous shopping and a variety of accomodations including the many five star hotels in Bangkok. The city’s influence extends to arts, entertainment, fashion, and education and can be felt even beyond the borders of Asia and Indochina.
Visitors to Bangkok can’t escape the presence of Tuk-tuks. Love them or hate them (or sometimes both), they are everywhere. The three-wheeled auto rickshaw is a common vehicle for hire in Bangkok and in many other parts of east and south Asia. Most consist of a open sheet-metal frame resting on three wheels. They usually have a canvas roof with space for a drive in the front cabin and three passengers in the rear. The lightness of the vehicle combined with its handlebar steering and small turning radius make it an ideal, if sometimes dangerous, vehicle for manuevering in the dense traffic common in heavily populated cities.
In Bangkok, the tuk-tuk is good as a tourist experience or for very short distances. It’s slow speeds and combined with Bangkok’s traffic congestion make longer distances untenable. Drivers are also likely to try to overcharge tourists, sometimes demanding as much as five times as what the actual price should be. Tuk-tuk’s in Bangkok should be cheaper than taking a regular taxi. If you’re in the regsidential neighborhoods, you may be able to take the less-touristy four-wheeled version. These are mainly used by locals and maids, but tourists can negotiate a trip, usually they stay in the same neighborhood, so make sure your desination is within the drivers boundaries before getting in the vehicle.
Other areas where you’ll find tuk-tuks in common use include Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam. Even cities in Canada are experimenting with versions that use compressed natural gas in an effort to control pollution.
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