Transport - Thailand - page 1557

Local Transport
City Bus & Sŏrng•tăa•ou
Bangkok has the largest city-bus system in the country, while Udon Thani and a few other provincial capitals have some
city-bus services. The etiquette for riding public buses is to wait at a bus stop and hail the vehicle by waving your hand
palm-side downward. You typically pay the fare once you've taken a seat or, in some cases, when you disembark.
Elsewhere, public transport is provided by sŏrng·tăa·ou (a small pick-up truck outfitted with two facing rows of
benches for passengers). They sometimes operate on fixed routes, just like buses, but they may also run a share-taxi ser-
vice where they pick up passengers going in the same general direction. In tourist centres, sŏrng·tăa·ou can be chartered
just like a regular taxi, but you'll need to negotiate the fare beforehand. You can usually hail a sŏrng·tăa·ou anywhere
along its route and pay the fare when you disembark.
Depending on the region, sŏrng·tăa·ou might also run a fixed route from the centre of town to outlying areas or even
points within the provinces. Sometimes these vehicles are larger six-wheeled vehicles (sometimes called ' rót hòk lór' ).
Mass Transit
Bangkok is the only city in Thailand to have an above-ground (BTS) and underground light-rail (MRT) public transport
system.
Motorcycle Taxi
Many cities in Thailand have mor·đeu·sai ráp jâhng (100cc to 125cc motorcycles) that can be hired, with a driver, for
short distances. If you're empty-handed or travelling with a small bag, they can't be beaten for transport in a pinch.
In most cities, you'll find motorcycle taxis clustered near street intersections. Usually they wear numbered jerseys.
Fares tend to run from 10B to 50B, depending on distance and you'll need to establish the price beforehand.
Taxi
Bangkok has the most formal system of metered taxis. In other cities, a taxi can be a private vehicle with negotiable
rates and there are a variety of shared taxis in which the fare is split among a group of passengers.
SĂHM·LÓR & TÚK-TÚK
Săhm·lór are three-wheeled pedicabs that are typically found in small towns where traffic is light and old-fash-
ioned ways persist.
The modern era's version of the human-powered săhm·lór is the motorised túk-túk. They're small utility
vehicles, powered by screaming engines (usually LPG-powered) with a lot of flash and sparkle.
With either form of transport the fare must be established by bargaining before departure. In tourist centres,
túk-túk drivers often grossly overcharge foreigners, so have a sense of how much the fare should be before soli-
citing a ride. Hotel staff are helpful in providing reasonable fare suggestions.
Readers interested in pedicab lore and design may want to have a look at Lonely Planet's hardcover pictorial
book, Chasing Rickshaws, by Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler.