Tuk-tuks, Bangkok

I HAVE ALWAYS OVERHEAR PPL BARGAINING WITH THE TUTU driver and they looks very PLEASE when they settle with A price like 120 baht per person!!!????
for tutu .... they charge for onlY 10 to 20 baht for short trip (example big c to world trade centre) and 20 to 30 baht per person for a longer trip.
but definatly u have to visit some of the jewellary shops along the way or temples. BUT DO REMEMBER DO NOT BUY ANY OF THEM AS THEY ARE ALL FAKE.. juz go in and look see look see for a 5 min in that way the tutu driver can redeem petro coupon . it quite interesting to visit the temple too . (STILL REMEMBER DON BELIEVE THE PPL IN THE TEMPLE WHO TOKS TO U ABT JEWELLERY ) they might seem real with proof card or whatever ..
ITS FAKE

Fun Alternatives: TAKE BTS ITS THE SAFEST.

When in Bangkok I would suggest using cabs or the Skytrain as your primary mode of transport. Tuk tuks often offer you rides to any destination for a fee of ~10baht or even for free, but require that you first pay a visit to their 'sponsor', usually a gem store. You can then take a Free shuttle bus ride to any major tourist destination from the gem store after you've walked one round inside. The tuktuk drivers actually get free diesel from the gem store for dropping you off there. Who knows, they might actually be making more money out of selling their fuel?

Do take care when you hire a tuc tuc or taxi driver anywhere in Bangkok, they will want to take you everywhere but where you reallly want to go, like a tailor's store or a masage parlour etc. So be nice but firm about where you would like to go and everything will be cool.

You never know where it ends, the drivers will take You to their "sisters or Uncels" shops because if You go inside they will recieve a petrol ticket and then it goes on to next shop and next and soon You will loose an afternoon.
Hold on Your things during the ride - I lost my cellphone on the second day in Bangkok.

Unique Suggestions: A Tuk-tuk should not cost more than 50 THB, always ask for the price before You go!
Avoid Tuks that only wants 10 THB!

Fun Alternatives: Avoid the Tuk-tuks and go for a cab instead, it is twice as expensive (max 100 THB) but go for taxi-meters and insist on that the driver should put it on

I was warned by another traveller to not trust anyone in Bangkok. Fortunately, I've met some very friendly folks.
However, one guy on the street gave me tons of advise on how all types of event were free (like Thai Boxing, Thai dancing) at a fair, and how the "government took tooks" are only $0.25/hour today, and amazingly one pulled up right then.
It was obviously a setup, and when I told them no thanks, the driver even called me stupid. So I called him a liar, and said I'd find a cop if he didn't get lost. No big deal, but beware of these guys. I also heard they'll tell you something like the National Palace is closed.

This strange covered motorbikes are a unique way to weave in and out of traffic faster than any car. But before you accept the ride bargain hard!

They will try to charge you 2 or 3 times the normal price as they see you are a tourist, and although it might seem a very small amount for 'occidental' rates, it's YOUR money after all...

And don't accept any Touristic tour or you'll end up visiting shops belonging to all the driver's friends and relatives!! Ask for a determinated address and don't admit "extra stops".

We were met by a tuk-tuk driver outside of the hotel and he said something about a public holiday and that he would take us to Wat Pho for just 20 baht. It sounded to good to be true of course but we agreed to get into his tuk-tuk. But after a few meters he stopped and he said that the Wat Pho would not open until 12.00 so he could take us to another Wat in the mean time. We told him that we only wanted to go to Wat Pho and he agreed and he started up again.

After a few minutes he stopped by a temple and we protested and he said that he had to go to the bathroom. He went in and out came another person and he asked us who we were waiting for and he talked to us about where we were going and that we should use the opportunity to see this temple instead. The driver came after about 10 minutes and again he started talking about taking us to other places. He wanted to take us to a Thai export center because then he would get some free gas. I told him that I would pay him extra if he would just get us to Wat Pho but he refused. So he ended up saying that maybe we should get a another tuk-tuk or a taxi. So we jumped out and found a meter-taxi which is in my opinion much better and still very cheap.

Fun Alternatives: I guess it is fun to have tried a tuk-tuk but it is better to use the skytrain combined with meter-taxi to get around.

Tuk-Tuks, the small three wheeled taxis are all over Bangkok, but there is a relationship where the number of tourists in an area are directly proportional to the number and the aggressiveness of the tuk-tuk drivers there.

Just yesterday I was touring around Bangkok and was shocked at just how agressive the drivers were. One driver struck up a converstation in very good English and eventually told me that the place I was going was closed in the morning (it wasn't) and I should go to another site now that was closed in the afternoon (it wasn't). Of coruse the only way to see everything, he suggested, was in his tuk-tuk. All of this was done with a smile on his face and in a very friendly helpful manner.

Unique Suggestions: Riding in a tuk-tuk is not a HORRIBLE experience; even the locals do it. But I guarantee that the price you are charged is at least double or triple what the locals pay.

So, if you must ride in one, negotiate and bargain very hard. Don't worry about ripping off the tuk-tuk driver; he will never let that happen. So, go low low low.

Fun Alternatives: Bangkok has excellent public transportation: buses, canal boats, and the skytrain. Mingle with the locals for a truely Thai experience.