Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
en stretch of highway you'll see various vehicles travelling as slowly as 30km/h and
as fast as 150km/h.
Indicators are often used to warn passing drivers about oncoming traffic. A flash-
ing left indicator means it's OK to pass, while a right indicator means that
someone's approaching from the other direction. Horns are used to tell other
vehicles that the driver plans to pass. When drivers flash their lights, they're telling
you not to pass.
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 service where
they pick up passengers going in the same general direction. You can usually hail a
sŏrng·tăa·ou
anywhere along its route and pay the fare when you disembark.
MASS TRANSIT
Bangkok is the only city in Thailand to have an above-ground and underground
light-rail public transport system. Known as the Skytrain and the Metro, respectively,
both systems have helped to alleviate the capital's notorious traffic jams.
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 travel-
ling with a small bag, they can't be beaten for transport in a pinch.
