Bangkok

Posted on: October 04, 2008 at 1:49AM

Taking a ride in a Tuk-Tuk around Bangkok can be fun and is sometimes a logical choice. Here's what NOT to do: Avoid taking a Tuk-Tuk during the busy daylight hours and from anyone that offers you rides for an hour for 10 baht! Theres almost a 100% chance that you will be hauled to various vendors that you have not asked to go to. You will unwillingly visit a tailor, a gem shop and a shop to purchase travel memories. This is how the drivers get money to gas up the Tuk-Tuks; they receive vouchers from these places each time they bring a potential customer to these shops. That being said, take the skytrain, subway, river boat or taxi during the day when all these shops are open and save your Tuk-Tuk rides for the night when you are much more likely to go where you want to go. I have been on the streets at times and have been refused by taxi drivers to take me places because the profit was too low and my only choice was a Tuk-Tuk, being out of walking distance to the sky train or subway. It can be a great way to see things because these drivers know all the back roads and shortcuts and they can buzz right through all the traffic. You are very rarely ever out of sight of a Tuk-Tuk, so give it a try. report a problem