Friday, August 31, 2012

TUKTUK IN BANGKOK


The Thai tuktuk is one of Bangkok's icon.

It was not only because we wanted to experience the Tuktuk. The taxi queue was too long and so we decided to go to the tuktuk queue.


Here is what Wikipedia has to say:

The auto rickshaw, called tuk-tuk (Thaiตุ๊กตุ๊ก, pronounced "took-took") in Thailand, is a widely used form of urban transport inBangkok and other Thai cities, as well as other major Southeast Asian and South Asian cities. It is particularly popular where traffic congestion is a major problem, such as in Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima. The name is onomatopoeic, mimicking the sound of a small (often two-cycle) engine. An equivalent English term would be "putt-putt."
Bangkok and other cities in Thailand have many tuk-tuks which are a more open variation on the India auto-rickshaw. There are no meters, and trip costs are negotiated in advance. Bangkok fares have risen to nearly equal normal taxis due to uninformed foreigners willing to pay the asking price, but leaves passengers more exposed to environmental pollution than taxis. 
So we rode the Tuktuk!

Interesting ride, huh!

Actually, he wanted to increase our fare because he said the three of us were bigger than others.

And here is the smile of the Tuktuk driver as he left us at the hotel!



We also have tuktuk-type of ride in the Philippines which we call tricycles. 
However, they usually ply the smaller roads.

The Bangkok tuktuks traverse the main roads with the larger transportations cruising through.
And so you can see our hands strongly clinging to the steel on the side.

Now, I know why the tuktuk queue was shorter... everyone wanted a safer ride!!!

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