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

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

For more information: www.covankessel.com


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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