Tuk-tuks, Bangkok

The tuk-tuks are one of the main ways to get around Bangkok particularly for the tourists. It's basically a passenger compartment attached to a motorcycle. These normally do not have a meter so you need to negotiate before getting in the tuk-tuk.

Tuktuks are fun way of getting around Bangkok. Just be careful cause tuktuk drivers are notorious of ripping the tourist off. These are also quicker than taxis. Better set the fare with the driver 1st before boarding. They also tend to take you to shops where they can get commission.

1 more image

They all seem to have the same lines asking where are you going to or what have you not seen yet. Promises that they will take you for a mere 20 baht (less that a US$1). But then, you are in tuk-tuk hell! They take you to jewelry store and tailors and can waste your entire day with making you shop! Anyway, don't let them bully you into going to these places. It's always just "one more stop" before you get to see what you really want to see. We, fortunately, ended our tuk-tuk excursion with him dropping us off sorta close to where we wanted to go and then walked back to catch the boat taxi back to our hotel.

There are no seat belts in these things so Hold On! They drive rather recklessly. I think you're better off catching a cab but it's like choosing the lesser of two evils.

The tuk-tuk are special.
They give to Bangkok a special touch.
The drivers are really well prepared to do their job... but their job is not only to take people to the place the want to go. I had different experiences on a tuk-tuk. Let's sea.
The first time I had to take a tuk tuk, it was simle. The driver accepted our price quickly. It was great. But then we understood that there are several kinds of tuk-tuk drivers. Most of them try to take you to shops you dont want to visit. They say taht the shop's owners give them a voucher for free oil to them. We made a mistake the first time, we said yes, we had nothing to loose, and the driver had the chance to get free oil. But we spent the whole morning visiting shops we was not interested on. Be carefull, they try to take you to this places ALL THE TIME! You may think your having a free travel, but you have to pay with your time. And when you are travelling, the time is the most important thing you have!

No trip to Bangkok is complete without a spin in the classic Tuk Tuk.They are O.K. for short trips but for longer trips they can be fairly dangerous depending on your driver.Furthermore,It's no fun getting cought in a traffic jam in a Tuk Tuk as the combanation of heat and pollution on the roads can really get to you.They are a fun way to get around but you have to bargain for the fare and they can be a rip off for tourists.Especially the ones that hang around temples and hotels.

We were fully aware of the tuktuk scams but we still managed to end up on a tuktuk tour. A random Thai man flagged a tuktuk down for us and showed us (and the tuktuk driver) places we should visit before we go to the Grand Palace (apparently it was closed for the morning and we believed him on this occasion because a reliable source told us it was a public holiday that day). So anyway, we were told it would cost us 40 baht. I was very suspicious yet somehow my boyfriend was convinced it would be ok and we ended up on this tuktuk.

Our first stop appeared to be a dodgy back alley carpark which worried me what I had got myself into, until I got out of the tuktuk and saw a building with an ornate roof and was told that this was the "Lucky Buddha Temple" which was only open to tourists one day a year (I'm pretty sure that was a lie but we got some nice photos and it didn't cost us anything so I didn't mind). Then we were taken to the Marble Temple. Then unfortunately our next 3 stops were at various gem/silk shops. Our tuktuk driver was very honest and told us if we spent 5 minutes looking around, we didn't have to buy anything, then he would get a petrol voucher. We appreciated his honesty and obliged, particularly as we hadn't paid him yet and he had already taken us to a couple of temples.

We parted ways with our tuktuk driver at the Grand Palace, so we got there in the end. It was a good experience to ride a tuktuk but just be wary and always negotiate a price before you get in.

1 more image

Going for a ride in a tuk tuk is a must, but reserve that joy for any other city in southeast asia besides Bangkok. There are no honest tuk tuk drivers in Bangkok, they could care less about what sites you want to see, all they want is to get you to go to a suit shop or jewerly shop and will ditch you in a moment. The air in Bangkok is HORRIBLE and sitting in a tuk tuk will expose you to countless exhaust blasts. Also, if you're of any height (I'm 6'1") these things are very uncomfortable. Just take a taxi around Bangkok! Or walk

Tuk-tuks are 3 wheeled vehicles unique to Thailand. They serve as another mode of local transportation. But before getting on one, make sure you agree on a price first as these are not metered like regular taxis.