Two-stroke or electric - they are still called TukTuk
A smart way to manage the busy Bangkok traffic situation is to whizz around town in a TukTuk. A small, three wheeler transportation that takes you from one point to another. Don’t expect leather seats and AC, it’s not available. Many locals use the TukTuk for transport also. The name TukTuk is derived from the familiar sound of the four-stroke engine in the back. Three gears forward and one reverse will for sure be enough.
Its origin is said to be from the early 1930ies when Japan made it as a cargo hauler delivering goods around town. Then someone came up with the idea to haul people and that’s how the TukTuk came to be the favourite transport in Bangkok.
You can find a lot of TukTuks on the curbside and once you are ready to go, approach any of the drivers eating, sleeping or resting in or around the TukTuk and first of all negotiate the price. There are no meters so it’s all down to your haggling skills how much you will have to pay. Then, once agreed, jump in the back and you’re off to a ride of a lifetime. The TukTuk-drivers are known to zigzag their way through the busiest traffic at lightning speed so keep your belongings and limbs well inside because the margin of error are none when it comes to squeezing between taxis, buses and cars.
Once you have arrived at your destination, pay the driver and give him a small tip if you arrived in one piece.
