Zooming through the streets of Thailand on a three-wheeled motor cart with a two-stroke engine (aka tuk tuk) is considered a must-do one-time event for most tourists. But what safety risks do you need to be aware of while traveling on a tuk tuk?
Tuk Tuks are very unsafe. There are no seat-belts or airbags, drive-by theft often occurs from purse-snatching motorcyclists, and tuk tuk drivers have a bad reputation for scamming tourists.
Most travelers recommend taking a tuk tuk at least once during your trip. It’s an open-air cart ride through the city and is an exciting experience for new and experienced travelers alike. I’ll cover exactly what you need to know and help you decide whether you want to give it a go.
Are Tuk Tuks Safe in Bangkok?
Tuk Tuks are unsafe in every way. If you’re really keen on having the experience, I recommend taking one in the afternoon before evening rush hour. If you’re looking for the best way to travel safely in terms of your health and pocketbook, a metered taxi is a better alternative but doesn’t give the same exciting experience of a tuk tuk.
Risks are highest in Bangkok and Phuket. In less touristy areas you are less likely to be scammed.
No Seat-belt/Airbag
You absolutely need to understand how CRAZY traffic is in Bangkok. Especially during rush hour, I would not recommend taking a tuk tuk. You’ll be risking an aggressive driver (or your own driver) causing an accident which leaves you seriously injured… in a foreign country. You’ll also be stuck in traffic in the open air in one of the most notorious places in the world for pollution.
In other cities you are free to try different times if you like, but some tourists claim night-time tuk tuk drivers have a higher chance of being drunk; although that is hear-say there might be some truth to it.
Drive-By Purse Snatching
Do not hold your items loosely in a tuk tuk. There have been numerous reports of tourists having items stolen by drive-by thieves. Motorcyclists will snatch your purses, wallets, phones, or whatever and disappear into traffic.
On some of the innovative tuk tuks they install a safety net around the passenger area to ward off this kind of thing, so try to find one of these if you can.
Tuk Tuk Scams
Another thing that makes tuk tuks extremely unsafe in popular cities for tourists is the overwhelming number of dishonest tuk tuk drivers who are trying to milk you for every dollar they can. Not only will they try to scam you, they will also try to charge much higher rates if they think you’re an easy target.
A common scam run by tuk tuk drivers is to agree to a flat rate to your destination and all of the sudden you’re somewhere completely unknown with some guy trying to sell you something you don’t want. When you ask to go to your destination your rate is suddenly much higher. Refuse and you’re stuck with an angry tuk tuk driver harassing and demanding you pay as you try to walk away.
What we’ve discovered is that the tuk tuk driver is actually making a commission from these business owners if he brings tourists to that shop. They’ll often run this con in teams and have “tourist department” (not actual tourist department) officials approach you from the street and start speaking English; asking you about your trip.
From there they’ll goad you into taking a tuk tuk that appears out of nowhere. Do not get on that tuk tuk, and do not trust any strangers approaching you speaking english.
How Do Tuk Tuks Work in Thailand? (How to Minimize Risks)
Having a good experience with a tuk tuk is possible if you play your cards right. There are people who have never been scammed or had a bad experience with a tuk tuk. It’s all about how you present yourself, what type of impression you make on the driver, and whether you can sniff out shady characters.
If you’re a tourist and you don’t speak a word of Thai – it’s probably best to go over your lines and know what you’re going to say along with having a maximum price you’re willing to pay in mind.
How to Request a Price for Tuk Tuk Ride (in Thai)
Pai (*destination*) kee baht
Translation: How much Baht does it cost to go to (*destination*)
How Much Do Tuk Tuks Cost?
Most tuk tuks will cost between ฿10-100 Baht (฿100 Baht approximately $3 USD) on average depending on how far you’re traveling and what type of bargain you can make with the driver. Always settle for a flat rate to your destination before entering the tuk tuk.
After you state your initial offer (I’d recommend starting with ฿10 Baht), he will try to bargain for a much higher rate. Paying anything more than ฿100 Baht for a few miles is absurd, and you really shouldn’t be paying much more than ฿50 Baht.
He’ll probably come back at you with a price of ฿200-300 Baht, but I’m confident he’ll be willing to take ฿100 Baht without much fight. It’s up to you if you can get him down to the ฿10-40 Baht range but it’s so cheap that you might not even bother haggling too much. Definitely walk away if you get any sort of bad vibe. There will be many other tuk tuks to flag down.
How Fast Do Tuk Tuks Go?
Tuk tuks travel between 10-25 mph (20-40 kph) using a two-stroke engine. The tuk tuk is not designed for stability or speed but rather as a touristy open-aired way to see the city. With the congestion in the city, most tuk tuks will not be traveling fast to begin with, but the design allows them to maneuver through city streets very easily. If you’re worried about the speed, it is recommended to ask the driver to drive slowly and they will oblige without any trouble.
What Does Tuk Tuk Mean?
Earlier models had a distinct tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk sound from the sputtering engine and the name stuck. Current models usually don’t have the same type of sound and are typically powered by 550 CC engines and can carry loads of up to 1000 kilograms.
The slim design allows for agility and maneuverability in tight quarters.
Tuk tuks are often used by tourists, students, and grocery shoppers and have been around in Thailand for over 50 years.
Although uncommon, tuk tuks can be modified to run with seat-belts, air conditioning, airbags, and other features.
As a unique vehicle with three wheels and a rear that allows for four or five passengers, the tuk tuk is a cultural icon for Thailand.
What Do Tuk Tuks Run On?
Electric tuk tuks are becoming more widely used but traditionally tuk tuks have run on petrol or diesel. Electric-powered tuk tuks have much more acceleration which adds to the excitement and they generally run on 650-1400 watts.
Grab, a company similar to Uber that dominates Southeast Asia, is now producing tuk tuks with an electric-powered version that runs on lithium-ion battery.
I’d definitely recommend taking an electric tuk tuk over one that runs on gas, not only because of the way electric vehicles zip around, but also because there won’t be as much carbon emissions directly inhaled from the nearby tailpipe.