Taxis, Tuk Tuks & Other Modes of Transport
During your time in Thailand, you’ll come across many different methods of transport and after spending a year living and travelling around Thailand we have used almost every method of travel. One of my highlights was the both of us getting on the back of a pretty unstable-looking motorbike, but when it’s 35°C outside and you’re 40 mins from home you’re willing to take a risk… I joke we were absolutely fine.
So whether you’re visiting for a week or two and want some tips on using taxis & songthaews or you’re planning to hire a vehicle or travel to other parts of the country, we should have you covered with everything you need to know.
Taxis in Thailand
Taxis come in all shapes and sizes in Thailand and it often depends on the area you’re visiting, the most important thing to note is you MUST ask and negotiate the cost for your journey BEFORE getting into the vehicle.
Official taxis are either yellow & green (as pictured) or yellow & maroon, depending on which part of Thailand you are in, and they will have a ‘TAXI METER’ sign attached to the roof of the car. Although, they rarely use the meter, which is why you must agree on a fair price before getting in.
Motorbike taxis the driver will be wearing a brightly coloured waistcoat with TAXI printed on the back. They should carry spare helmets for passengers so make sure to ask for one before getting on the bike. Also, make sure to get on and off the bike on the left-hand side to avoid the exhaust pipe which can cause nasty burns.
Samlors (Motorbike Sidecar Taxis) are less common, we only encountered them in Krabi. Again, the drivers will wear brightly coloured waistcoats and as with regular taxis, negotiate your price beforehand. They charge per person and it’s advisable not to travel with more than two people in the sidecar as they can be a bit unstable.
Songthaews which literally translates as ‘two rows’ are adapted pickup trucks with a roof and two benches. They are used as shared taxis or buses and can be flagged down in the same way you would with a taxi. The fares are charged per person and can be as little as ฿40 for a short journey. Let the driver know where you’re headed, check your fare and hop onboard. Just make sure to press the bell a little way before you want to get off to give the driver an opportunity to stop safely at the side of the road.
Tuk-Tuks – Colourful tuk-tuks can be found almost everywhere in Thailand and are a popular way to get around for tourists. They are fast, fun and sometimes loud, just be prepared to haggle as the drivers will often quote you a ‘tourist’ price. Short journeys shouldn’t cost you more than ฿150 – ฿200, just be aware of the distance and negotiate a fair price before hopping on board.
Buses & Coaches – There are plenty of buses and coaches to take you all around Thailand. You can use our favourite travel website 12GO.ASIA to view timetables and prices as well as book tickets for your journey. We find this is the quickest and most convenient way of organising travel in Thailand.
OUR TOP THAILAND TRAVEL TIPS
- Whether you’re staying in a hotel, hostel or Airbnb, ask your receptionist or host for the details of a trusted taxi driver or ask them to give you an idea of how much you should be paying for your journey, this will help you to negotiate a fair price.
- Remember to be aware of scams involving taxi drivers, there are a few – you can find out more on our previous blog: Common mistakes & scams in Thailand & how to avoid them
- Download a couple of taxi apps, we would recommend: InDrive, Bolt & Grab. Not all of them are available throughout Thailand which is why it can be a good idea to have multiple options.
Scooter & car rental
THINGS TO KNOW WHEN HIRING A SCOOTER OR CAR IN THAILAND
- The cost to hire a vehicle will vary depending on the length of the hire and the size of the vehicle. The longer you hire, the cheaper it’ll be. For most scooters, you can expect to pay between ฿200 – ฿350 (£4.50 – £7.80) per day.
- When hiring a scooter, you MUST wear a helmet, it is a legal requirement and you can be stopped by the police and issued with a fine for not wearing one. It is also incredibly important for your safety.
- We’ve heard of places asking for a huge deposit or your passport as security, it’s completely up to you whether you choose to leave a deposit but there are plenty of places that hire vehicles that will just ask you to sign some paperwork and take copies of your driving licence and/or passport.
- If they do ask to hold on to your passport you should insist that they just take copies. Remember, you should never leave your passport with anyone other than a government official.
- In order to hire and drive a vehicle whilst you are in Thailand you are required to have an international driving licence. If you do not have one of these and are stopped by the police you will be issued a fine of around ฿1000 (£25). It is also important to understand that the insurance on the vehicle will not be valid without one and the vehicle rental companies will not always check with you before handing over the keys. Check below for how to get an international licence for just £5.50 from your local Post Office (UK RESIDENTS ONLY)
- There are typically fewer petrol stations than in most European countries as they are often limited to only one per town, however, you will notice racks of glass bottles filled with petrol at stalls along the side of the road, these bottles cost between ฿40 & ฿50 and can be handy if you ever find yourself a long way from a petrol station.
Where to get an international driving licence (UK only)
It’s super easy and cheap to purchase an international driving licence in the UK before you travel. You just need to head to your local Post Office with the following documents:
- Full valid UK driving licence
- A passport-sized photograph – must be recent & a true likeness
- £5.50 application fee – can pay by card or cash
Most Post Offices with a money exchange will be able to provide you with an international driving permit which is usually valid for three years. The process takes around 5 minutes, you just have to wait for them to complete all the relevant info and stamp the documents.
You can find out more here.
Rules of the road
- Drive on the left
- The inside lane (leftmost lane, closest to the kerb) is usually reserved for scooters and bikes (this only applies to roads with multiple lanes).
- As there are many scooters and bikes on the road, be cautious if you’re driving a car as they can sneak up on your inside.
- To add to the above, you should also be extra cautious at traffic lights, as bikes will quite often drive through a set of red lights if they are turning left.
- When renting a scooter make sure to wear a helmet, police can stop and fine you for not wearing one. We have seen this many times and if you’re a foreigner be prepared to pay more.
- You should always carry your driving licence, international driving permit and a copy of your passport when driving a hired vehicle.
Internal travel by land, air & sea using 12go.asia
There are many different ways to travel across Thailand, car, bus, train, boat and plane. All have pros and cons but we’ve found that the best website to plan and book all your Thailand travel online is 12go.
All you need to do is put in your start location, where you want to go, the date/s and how many passengers are travelling and you’ll be provided with a number of great options for public transport as well as the estimated fare for a taxi.
12go can be used to book tickets for all of the main ferry companies in Thailand including Lomprayah, Raja Ferry, Seatran and many others, as well as, a number of well-known local bus, minivan and taxi companies.
EXAMPLE PRICES FOR A ONE-WAY TICKET per person
| From | to | company | type of transport | how much (฿) | How Much (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koh Samui | Koh Phangan | Seatran | Ferry | ฿350 | £8.00 |
| Phuket | Koh Samui | Lomprayah | Bus & Ferry | ฿1260 | £29.00 |
| Phuket | Krabi | 438 | 13 pax Minivan | ฿175 | £4.00 |
If you’ve got a bit more cash and a little less time, then maybe you’ll want to look at flying directly to the nearest airport. Thailand has a whopping 38 airports, including international airports in popular destinations such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi, Surat Thani and Pattaya.
As with any flights, international or internal, we recommend using a comparison site such as Skyscanner or Expedia to check the best routes and prices.
If you’re curious to find out more about travelling across Thailand and the costs involved, you can check out one of our previous blogs here.
And that’s it guys, a full rundown of all the ways to travel in Thailand. Remember, stay safe, have fun and follow us on Instagram or on Twitter for more travel tips and recommendations.
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Until next time,
* Please be aware that the links we have provided for 12go and Expedia are affiliate links. Although it won’t cost you any extra to book using these links, it may result in a small commission to u directly from the company.
** All prices quoted are accurate as of August 2023
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