How to use a Tuk Tuk in BANGKOK (Co van Kessel guide)

How to use a Tuk Tuk in BANGKOK (Co van Kessel guide)

In this video we are talking about Tuk Tuk’s and why you should, or rather shouldn’t, take a Tuk Tuk.

"Tuk Tuks are a tireless workhorse for the local Thai population, serving as both convenient people transport and flexible cargo hauler. Look long enough and you will see anything and everything being moved around in a Tuk Tuk" (Shots of different items in the tuk tuk)

"However, for tourists, they are not always the best choice for getting around"

Tuk Tuks can be more expensive than taxis and are more often associated with annoying tourist scams. The most common Tuk Tuk scam is that a driver will give you a tour of 4 or 5 different temples, he will drive you to them and wait for you in between for 40 baht, which is around a dollar.
Sounds great right? Well, yes. But he will make more stops at shops you haven’t asked for. If you stay inside long enough or buy something, the driver will receive a commission or a voucher for free gas.

So if you want to take a Tuk Tuk, how do you do it? The number one rule is to set the price before you get in the Tuk Tuk. So how do you set a price? Don’t be scared to negotiate with the driver, they are used to it and it’s completely normal. Ask the driver how much it would be, you can start by dividing it in half, and then you can meet them somewhere in the middle.

So, what about Thai people. Do Thai people use tuk tuks?

Tuk Tuks are used by local people as cheaper and more flexible transportation than taxis. Thai people usually get a way lower price than foreigners, so for them it’s often cheaper.

Also around Markets, you will find a lot of Tuk Tuks, they are there to help stall owners to bring cargo to and from the market. Tuk Tuks are really the work horses of Thailand, they are almost indestructible and great for moving a lot of stuff or people at once.

Or if they are with a group, because taxi’s only allow 4 people maximum, and for tuk tuk’s there doesn’t seem to be a maximum.

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We wanted to know how many people could fit in a Tuk Tuk, so we asked our guides to help us out.

This video is part of a web series about Bangkok and in this series we show you how to get around in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Looking for an authentic and unique adventure? Co van Kessel bike tours and boat tours provides a refreshing alternative to the tired tourist experience. We do not battle the crowds at clichéd destinations promoted in guide books, but turn your attention to quaint local communities and charming excursions into the fascinating lifestyle and culture of real Thai people. Every day is different and every tour is a surprise as we focus not on destinations, but lose ourselves in the enchantment of the journey itself.

Co van Kessel, an innovative and adventurous Dutchman, pioneered bicycle tours in Bangkok more than 30 years ago. As a longtime resident and self-professed lover of Bangkok, he understood very well the picture of accelerated urban development (gridlocked traffic, concrete towers, and choking pollution) that has plagued the recent image of the city. He also had a hunch that this was not what Bangkok or Thailand was all about.

Making it his goal to re-discover Bangkok, Co spent thousands of hours on his mountain bike exploring the vast network of local streets, alleyways, footpaths and canals between the main urban thoroughfares. What he found, lurking behind the facade of modernization, were hidden worlds of peace and tranquility, a picture of “real” Thai life that has remained unchanged for countless decades; an identity of a city that is true to the Thai people, yet largely unknown to outsiders.

Whether it’s the colorful sights and smells of the local markets, the fascinating life of locals along the canals, or the surprising existence of bountiful green belts, Co discovered the essence of what makes Bangkok one of Asia’s most captivating cities. Since then, it has been his mission to share these discoveries with the rest of the world.

What we do

Our mission at Co van Kessel Bangkok Tours is to provide our guests with a singularly unique travel experience in Thailand. All our tours use Co’s extensive topographical knowledge of the greater Bangkok area as well as his keen eye for the interesting to take you where nobody else can or will.

We aim not to bore you with talk, but to immerse you in an experience where your individual fascinations emerge.

Bicycles, boats, and our feet become the tools we use to gain access to the previously inaccessible, behind-the-scenes lifestyle of the Thai. Here the roots of an ancient culture will become evident in a way you never could have imagined.

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[KataMariable]

Awww I recognize the guide from the tour I took :")

And tourist traps are definitely a thing. There has been an item on Dutch television about the 'lucky buddha'-trap and that was exactly what was offered to me and my friend when we were in Bangkok. Nice dude tells us he can arrange a tuk-tuk to take us to the lucky buddha temple but he has to stop at some sort of government building where tuk-tuk drivers get need to register. That is, mostly, a jeweller shop. I said no to the nice guy and still, the tuk-tuk driver came up to us assuming we ordered a tuk-tuk. We both told him no.

[JatinderSingh-gwto]

Hi neena u & ur voice is wonderful nd u teach like a friend, thnx neena.

[ytviewer]

Beautiful video of the colorful tuk tuk. Lively presentation and useful tips! How many thousand tuk tuk are in Bangkok? Are tuk tuk privately owned by the drivers and not run by companies? How are tuk tuk drivers compared with taxi drivers? Who is worse to deal with? Are the tuk tuk built in Thailand with imported engine from overseas? It is impressive to be able to carry so many people. How much is the price of a brand new tuk tuk, before and after local tax? Do some people own a tuk tuk instead of a car for their own transportation, as it is cute and is probably a lot cheaper? It would be interesting to own one. Thanks.

[aaronwong]

how we gonna book or get tuk tuk if we staying in hotel?? there is an Apps for it??

[ptsean]

3 wheels is Tuk Tuk And 4 wheels is Kapor , Taxi is Taxi FYI

[mohdfaizalmohdzahil]

If i use tuk2 with my thai friend can give cheapest rate or not?

[karl-heinzrichter]

Was kostet so ein Fahrzeug?? Tuk tuk elektrik.bitte um eine Antwort, danke sehr.grussecharly aus Deutschland.

[murch]

Tuk Tuk: 150 Baht
Taxi: 300 Baht
Me: The Tut tut is 150 baht
Taxi: 200 Baht
Me: No
Taxi: Ok 150 Baht

[MrZZooh]

1:02 is that Rolex submariner on that guy's wrist?

[williamhenry]

Is this channel still operating? I prefer these channels than the vlogs that only show bars and women and nightlife because not everyone goes there for that

[khunpa]

If you want the exciting experience, you should try a Tuk Tuk. Just negotiate and pay between 200-300 Bath (depending on the distance to destination) and strongly refuse with smile to stop or go to any shop/place offered by the driver.

[apakaojapan]

ฉันนั่งตุ๊กตุ๊กที่ญี่ปุ่น
วิ่งด้วยน้ำมันเบนซิน

[davidslowhand]

Don't get in one is the best way, then you won't get ripped off or told all the places you want to go to visit are "closed today because of special Thai holiday" and be conned into being be dragged 'round Somchai's brother's silk shop or leather factory or jeweller's (which just happen to be open on this 'special holiday') where you'll be intimidated into buying inferior goods at exorbitant prices after paying an over the top tuk-tuk fare.

[mehwishanwer]

Hye ye tu rickshaw hai main samjhi pata nai kia ho ga ye tuk tuk😂😂😂😂

[OntarioAndrews]

Your just click here shake-shake was cute at the 3:40 mark in this video. :)

[bettypulidorequez]

🤑 WILLIAM ANDRES GONZALES PULIDO.
BACAN ESE TUK TUK CREO Q VOY A ESE LUGAR SE PARECE A LA TVS KING

[TheChakwow]

In twenty years I have never met an honest tuk tuk driver in Bangkok. They are horrible guys. In the provinces it's different.

[nadahyg]

Do not use the tuk tuk service which is deceptive and takes advantage of foreigners.

[idrlvprasad]

Tuk tuk is symbol of bonkok and Thailand 👍😘🇹🇭

[moo]

I come from Thai I wanna give all the tourist get in a car tuk tuk tuk because it Cool wind and so fun but driver evaluate expensive not take