Tuk-tuk
From Free net encyclopedia
Current revision
The tuk-tuk (ตุ๊กตุ๊ก or ตุ๊กๆ in Thai) is the Thai version of a vehicle known elsewhere as an auto rickshaw or cabin cycle, and is a widely used form of urban transport in Bangkok and other Thai cities, where traffic congestion is a major problem. The tuk-tuk has a sheet metal body (painted mild steel). Some have ornate tin ornamental hammerings or carvings for decoration. The top is mild steel round tubing with a water proofed canvas. Water proofing sides can be added in the rainy season. Resting on three small wheels (one in front, two on the rear), a small cabin for the driver in the front and seating for three in the rear, They can turn around in one lane of traffic with room to spare.
Tuk-tuks are generally fitted with a water cooled two-stroke engine. With a handlebar for control instead of a steering wheel, effectively making them a three-wheeler motorcycle carrying passengers on the rear seat. The tuk-tuk is named after the sound its two-stroke engine makes when it is coasting. It may have been derived from a similar Japanese non-motorised automobile in the 1950s. Tuk-tuks are quite powerful, and can go faster than taxis, particularly in heavy traffic.
A lot of tuk-tuk drivers are from the provinces and have a reputation for not knowing Bangkok very well and therefore getting people lost. Tuk-tuks do not have meters and users generally bargain with the driver for a price to take them to a specified destination. Unless this is done, drivers tend to go a long way round and the trip will be more expensive than taking a taxi, although even then it may well still be quicker.
Drivers also earn money by having advertising posters and placards on their tuk-tuks. In early 2005 many of them were covered in advertising for the 6 February election. Tuk-tuk drivers can earn fuel vouchers by diverting passengers to certain businesses that cater to tourists, often against the passenger's express wishes. Most drivers also decorate their tuk-tuks with religious charms and small Buddha images.
A tuk-tuk is featured in The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio. A chase scene involving multiple tuk-tuks can be seen in Ong Bak starring Tony Jaa. Tuk-tuks also make an appearance in the console games Stuntman, and Burnout 3. During the live telecast final of Miss Universe 2005 in Bangkok, Access Hollywood's Nancy O'Dell arrived onstage on a tuk-tuk.
Cambodian tuk-tuk
In Cambodia, the term tuk-tuk is used to refer to a motocycle with a cabin attached to the rear. Cambodian cities have a much lower volume of automobile traffic than Thai cities, and tuk-tuks are still the most common form of urban transport. At the temple complex of Angkor, tuk-tuks provide a convenient form of transport around the complex for tourists.