Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In some of the national parks without public transport, Thais are often willing to pick up a passenger standing by the
side of the road.
SĂHM·LÓR & TÚK-TÚK
Săhm·lór are three-wheeled pedicabs that are typically found in small towns where traffic is light.
The modern era's version of the human-powered săhm·lór is the motorised túk-túk (pronounced
'đúk đúk'
).
They're small utility vehicles powered by screaming engines (usually LPG-powered).
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 it's useful to have a sense of how much the fare should be
before soliciting a ride. Hotel staff are helpful in providing reasonable fare suggestions.
Readers interested in pedicab lore may want to have a look at Lonely Planet's pictorial book
Chasing Rick-
shaws,
by Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler.
Local Transport
City Bus & Sŏrng·tăa·ou
Bangkok has the largest city-bus system in the country. 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, but they may also run a share-taxi service where they
pick up passengers going in the same general direction. In tourist centres,
sŏrng·tăa·ou
can be chartered just like a reg-
ular 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. Some-
times 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 and an 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 have
mor·đeu·sai ráp jâhng
(100cc to 125cc motorcycles) that can be hired, with a driver, for short dis-
tances. 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; establish the price before climbing aboard.
