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Tuktuk

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Tuktuk in Bangkok

Tuktuk in Bangkok

Dan Taylor
Definition:

A form of public transport used in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. The basic tuktuk configuration resembles a motorized rickshaw: a cabin compartment attached to a motorcycle. Its compact shape and nimble performance makes the tuktuk a popular choice of transport in traffic-ridden cities like Bangkok.

Regular tuktuks, like the ones found in Bangkok and Phnom Penh, can comfortably seat two passengers, with bigger configurations seating up to six passengers. The Jumbo tuktuks in Laos can seat up to twelve.

In Bangkok, it’s standard practice to agree on a fee with the tuktuk driver before proceeding. (You risk being charged an exorbitant rate if you ask after the ride is done.) Tuktuk drivers are permitted to charge a maximum fee, which they may not exceed.

Alternate Spellings: tuk-tuk
Examples:
"If you have already been to Thailand you know all about tuk-tuks (called tuk-tuks because of the sound they make, or so I have been told) and that they are a cheap form of transportation for short distances, not to mention a practical mode of transportation for weaving in and out of Bangkok’s notorious traffic gridlock." - Jeffrey Alan Miller

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