WHERE TO BUY A TUK TUK IN THAILAND.

WHERE TO BUY A TUK TUK AND OTHER 

GREAT 3 WHEELERS IN THAILAND

                                                       

 LOK8RBOUTIQUE IS LOOKING TO BUY,

 OUR CHOICES!.




I must admit to having a real soft spot for this most iconic of Thailand Vehicles, the Tuk Tuk is a real favourite with my family, my son Jimmy who is only 2 years old , is delighted every time he sees a Tuk Tuk, shouting TUK TUK very loudly and gettin' very excited, it does bring some strange looks from his fellow Thai folk!
OK , now why are we looking at 3 wheelers!
Well, My  Business lok8rboutique is set to grow this year and part of our marketing is to be  more visible to Tourists, Travellers and people Living here and also those on Business in Thailand and Laos, and we promote Local Indy Biz and Affordable Quality...get where I'm coming from ..so the Iconic TUK TUK , loved by many foreigners is a great choice, but what other options are available, and where can I get i one from????
So I started to do a little bit of research and I've come up with several options and I hope you'll enjoy our selection , It would be good to b get some feed back to before we make our final choice.
So come with us on our 3 wheeled journey and see what choice we make and in a later edition we will go the factory and choice our Machine and show you around and you can follow our 3 wheel plans from start to finish!!!

TUK TUKS ARE POPULAR WITH MANY HOTELS.

TUK TUKS CARRY PEOPLE AND CARGO.

Let's start with the traditional TUK TUK, I guess most of us who live or visit Bangkok see this in it;\'s most common form as a TAXI, racing around the Streets of Bangkok, these have actually cleaned their act up a lot as far sa pollution is concerned and the majority run on gas..LPG, so they are actually Eco-Friendly!
The Company we have chosen is.....
They actually have a great selection of TUK TUK's not just the Taxi, but several modifications, they provide a long or short wheel base, so they offer a comprehensive range of TUK TUk's.
We at lok8rboutique are looking to make a bit of impact and be noticed so we would opt for a longer wheelbase and not the traditional Taxi style, so we would choose a Van Style as we don't want or need to carry passengers! I love this as you will stand out a b nd willl certainly be noticed especially with a cool paint job!
Next.....OK this is not A TUK TUK as we KNOW IT!

THE SKY LAB VERY POULAR IN N.E. THAILAND & LAOS.

I first saw this when I first visited the North East of Thailand , they are fairly common around Udon And Nong Khai Area, Bordering on Laos! I saw a motorbike front, it has a very recognisable Motorbike Front and then a 2 wheeled seating area behind with bench seats, again it's used as a Taxi and is generally used the same as a TUK TUK in Bangkok, so is it a TUK TUK, what do the locals call it?
The answer...It Is A SKYLAB! Many  people even Thai don't know this, but yes that's the name, The Builders of this super cool machine helped me with a little bit of History, apparently it goes back to the 1970's when the first started developing and building this machine it coincided with the launch of the US SPACE LAB,  a vehicle for the future and the name stuck!
I really do love this I really think it would offer a somewhat quirky twist on the traditional TUK TUK, particularly in Bangkok where we will be based for now.Again we would go r for a van style, the company offer several great options and their choice of colour and artwork is fantastic.
I know what is happening here...spoilt for choice!!
Last, but no way least, here again a twist on the 3 wheel theme now!

THAT'S ME TRYIN' OUT A CLASSIC & SIDECAR.

I am a very enthusiastic motorbike lover...all shapes and sizes,if it has 2 wheels I love it, just like the space lab. So here i have taken my love of classic motorcycles and Thailand to try to come up with something very Thai, and I think i have succeeded. Tiger is a great Thai Motorbike Manufacturer and They are producing some great machines, particularly Classic Bikes. I love their style and quality and one bike is the...Classic Moped, and they actually do a version with a side car!!!!
This will fill our g criteria of being a Head Tuner and being Noticed and being Classic and Thai, It will certainly make Thai folk turn their heads too!
To sum up I love all three and if I could afford it I would buy one of each, but right now, I can't and I don't have the space yet, but this is a solution that I am seriously considering. But we only need one to start with!I hope you enjoyed this and please tell us what would you choose! I promise i will consider all comments.
All of these companies are really friendly and very helpful.
If you are considering buying  a TUK TUK or a 3 Wheeler and you need any help please contact us and if we can be of any assistance to you we will gladly help...
If you're interested in buying one of these Iconic Vehicles get in touch with me and I'll give you all the contact details.
We will let you know of our choice soon and will be doing follow blogs and a video very soon!
Contact details.    

LOK8RBOUTIQUE...website....................www.lok8rboutique.com
                                    email......................lok8rboutique@gmail.com
                                     phone..................+66 (0) 84 316 4368.   ( Kenny)

TAXIS IN BANGKOK THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY.

GETTING AROUND THE CITY BY TAXI, TUK TUK AND MOTOR CYCLE TAXI.


                                                                                       THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY!



Bangkok has been my home for more than Six Years now! time really does move quickly, unlike the traffic in Bangkok!
Generally speaking I don't really have any problems using public transport and when I use any of the above mentioned, honestly I hardly ever have any problems, I am not Thai! I'm English. I really do believe I'm Lucky because I live with my family, my wife who is Thai and my son who is 2, in a REAL THAI AREA, Not a Touristy Area and that seems to be the key to the problem that a lot of tourists have when using taxis , Tuk Tuks and Motor Cycle Taxis, they are in Touristy areas or at a major Transport Hub.
So do I sit back and think I'm OK not my problem, I'm OK, well honestly NO!
I've decided to Become a Guinea Pig and act as a Tourist (I can do that!!) and see what B.S. we are fed , what rip-off's we get and are Thai folk suffering the same or similar problems, I'll chat with them too.
So we can then work out where the bad and the ugly are ( rip-off , over charging and scams). Then I'll give you the real true price from the Good Guys and some great tips on how to avoid the overcharging and rip offs!

MY FIRST EXPERIENCE.
HUA LAMHONG TRAIN STATION TAXI RANK

I travel from Hua Lamphong to Pinklao on a regular basis,so it's a journey I know well, it's not too far and as long as the traffic isn't too bad in China Town it can be a fairly short trip!
So off I go walking towards the Taxi Rank, a very friendly Thai Guy walks towards me smiling and asking "where you go?" I reply "PinkLao"., "400 Baht" that was his first price,...."NO",...."250 Baht"... Oh that's good he's offering me a discount, THIS WHAT YOU MAY THINK! THAT'S A GOOD PRICE, NO IT ISN'T , THE MAIN PROBLEM IS THAT IN BANGKOK ALL TAXI DRIVERS ARE SUPPOSED TO  USE THEIR TAXI METER AND NOT TO OFFER YOU A PRICE!!!!!STRAIGHT AWAY YOU SHOULD REALIZE  THAT THIS GUY IS BAD -UGLY DO NOT USE THESE TAXIS...WALK AWAY DO NOT BARTER WITH ATAXI DRIVER IN BANGKOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.."NO", Then he was quickly joined by a Tuk Tuk Driver and  a Moto Cy Taxi Rider, "250 very cheap"......"I take you quick quick" I still refused and I decided just to wait for the next Taxi to arrive and to my surprise these 3 guys told  the Taxi driver who had just dropped off a fare to go and leave. So I lent in the Taxi  and the Taxi driver asked where do you want to go "PinkLao" Taxi driver nodded I jumped in and off we went!
This whole experience really annoyed me, and made me realize that at Main Transport Hubs and.Main Touristy Areas this is a real common place occurence.
My Business is all about promoting Quality in Thailand and this is Disgusting that this may be  a Tourists first impression of Thailand or Bangkok You know Bangkok is a really great City to live in and life is very enjoyable here!.
So I'm more determined to try to create a price guide now and really promote awareness!
My actual trip with The Good Guy, was fine, just like normal! A fairly quick, simple trip with no scams and no rip offs. Most Thai Taxi Drivers are OK they drive a bit crazy, but not too bad, they're just trying to make ends meet!

MY ORIGINAL QUOTE FROM MR. BAD-UGLY TAXI DRIVER WAS 400 BAHT !

The Final cost from HUA LAMPHONG TO PINKLAO.........81 BAHT

.

A SAVING OF 319 BAHT ON THE ORIGINAL TAXI QUOTE.............RIP OFF!!!!!

HUA LAMPHONG BAD BOY TAXI DRIVERS.......

TAXI-TIP

THE TAXIS THAT ARE WAITING AND HANGING AROUND WITH THEIR TAXI PARKED ARE USUALLY THE BAD-UGLY GUYS AVOID THEM ...DO NOT USE THEM!

A TAXI DRIVER IN BANGKOK WHO OFFERS YOU A PRICE IS BAD-UGLY GUY DO NOT USE !

EASY SOLUTION IS TO MOVE TO THE NEXT TAXI, OR WAIT FOR A TAXI WHO HAS JUST DROPPED  A FARE OFF!

OR

JUST WALK AWAY GO, GO A FEW METRES AWAY AND YOU SHOULD FIND  A

GOOD-GUY USING HIS TAXI METER.

A TAXI DRIVER SHOULD USE HIS METER HE IS A GOOD GUY, USE HIM!

A TAXI DRIVER CAN REFUSE TO TAKE YOU TO ANY DESTINATION, IT'S VERY COMMON AND HAPPENS ALL THE TIME TO THAI AND FOREIGNER, IT'S NORMAL TO BE REFUSED,
USUALLY A SHAKE OF THE HEAD OR A HAND GESTURE.
wwTAXI DRIVERS  SHOULD DISPLAY A RED SIGN IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT SIDE ( AS YOU LOOK AT IT) OF THE WINDSCREEN WHEN THEY ARE FREE TO PICK UP A FARE!

TAXI DRIVERS SHOULD BE REGISTERED AND SHOULD HAVE A TAXI BADGE  SHOWING HIS DETAILS  DISPLAYED INSIDE HIS TAXI.

BANGKOK HAS THOUSANDS OF TAXIS , SO IF ONE REFUSES OR IS GIVING YOU A PRICE, IT'S OK THERE WILL BE ANOTHER ONE ALONG VERY SOON!

TAXIS ARE VERY CHEAP IN BANGKOK AND FOR THE MAJORITY OF SHORT TRIPS IT SHOULD NOT COST TOO MUCH, TYPICALLY I PAY 50 TO 100 BAHT FOR MOST OF MY CITY CENTER TRIPS! THE TAXI METER STARTS OFF AT 39 BAHT, THIS IS YOUR MINIMUM FARE.

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU EXIT A TAXI, LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER, MAKE SURE THE TAXI HAS STOPPED AND WATCH OUT FOR MOTOR CYCLES COMING UP ON THE INSIDE.

I HOPE YOU FIND THIS USEFUL IT'S ONLY A GUIDE AND IS IN NO WAY A GUARANTEE OF GOOD DRIVING STANDARDS , THAT IS A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME!

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE A GREAT TRIP!

www.lok8rboutique.com

Discovering

Affordable-Quality Local Indy-Biz

Laos and Thailand.

A TAXI RANK AT MO CHIT BUS STATION, GOOD-GUYS

COME AND JOIN US , SHARE YOUR DISCOVERIES!

THAILAND TO LAOS BORDER CROSSING AT THE FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE

THAILAND TO LAOS CROSSING THE BORDER AT THE FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE.

                                                                                                                       
GETTING A VISA ON ARRIVAL, 

THAI BORDER

A SHORT WAIT TO PASS THROUGH PASSPORT CONTROL.

THE BUS ACROSS THE BRIDGE TO LAOS

                                                                                     AND ONWARDS TO VIENTIANE..


It's always a struggle and often very stressful crossing Borders anywhere in the World, but even more so after a very long bus or train trip, and add to that it's early morning, around 6am.  Can be a real headache! So, I decided to try to reduce all the hassle and stress and make things a little bit easier.
 I've been travelling to Laos from Thailand for more than 6 Years now and things are evolving , changes are frequent, I will do my best to update you as often as I can.
Your basic choice of getting from Bangkok to Laos is , Bus, Train or Plane.Your Budget and Time will play the major part in what you choose.
 Here we'll look at Buses and the crossing at The Friendship Bridge, You can cross here when you travel by train to Nong Khai, it's simple enough just catch a Tuk Tuk to the friendship Bridge.
 Usually I travel by overnight Bus from Bangkok to Nong Khai I prefer to get the Direct or International Bus to Vientiane, Laos, YOU WIIL NEED A VISA FOR LAOS IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS!
This trip I didn't have a Visa for Laos,so I had to Cross The Friendship Bridge And Get a Visa at the Border or Get a Visa on Arrival!
Actually this is a really easy solution it's not difficult, the only downside is it can be very time consuming and if it's early in the morning you may waste a lot of time!
So you arrive at  The Friendship Bridge from Nong Khai, I caught a Tuk Tuk around 60 Baht, and on The Thai Side everything is  laid out and is simple to find.

FACILITIES ON THE THAI SIDE.

TOILETS. The Toilets are really esay to find just before the main  Passport Inspection crossing point on the left side, they are clean and really OK to use! There is a small Fee about  3 to 5 Baht.

ATM's. There are several ATM's on the left handside as you enter the main area, close to the toilets.

PHOTO's. When you apply for your Laos Visa you will need a Passport size Photo, if you don't have one get one here it's not too expensive.About 90 Baht for 6. TIP always check your photos and have a stash of 5 or 6 you'll never run out then, Passport photos in Bangkok are cheap!!!( 12 about 100 Baht).

Now you'll need to go through Immigration Passport Control and show your Departure Card, make sure you complete the details!
Once you're through, Buy a 20 Baht Bus ticket to cross the bridge, this little bus will take you across the Bridge and over to the Laos Side.

WELCOME TO LAOS!

Now you can apply for your Visa on Arrival.
The Visa Application is really Easy, The Application Form is Available from the windows infront of you as you enter The Laos Border Point.
Window 1 and 2. Ask for your Visa Application and Arrival Card.
Sit down and relax, There are plenty of Seats, Complete All The Paper Work and Include your Photo and fee,the fee can be paid in USDollars or Thai Baht.Usually it's 1500 Baht.Hand everything over and you'll need to go to Window 3 to collect your Passport and Visa and if you are owed any change you'll get it when you collect your passport at Window 3. A Big Plus you;ll get your entry Stamp at the same time as your Visa, so there's no need to queue at the entry gate, you can walk straight through, you may need to pay a small overtime fee, it depends on when you arrive itjs only a few Baht!

LAOS BORDER FACILITIES.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE.
Next to Visa Application Window.

ATM'S.
There are several to choose from within metres of
the application area.

TOILETS.
Not the best I've ever seen so give it a misss!

TRAVELLING TO VIENTIANE..




TAXI OR VAN. These are OK and you will need your bartering skills, they will start at 400 Baht and then it will drop to 200 Baht  or maybe 150  Baht  ( per person) is better, it depends on how many you share with and your destination..You may get a nice Van or an old beat up car,  usually with A.C.

SONG TAUW/ TUK TUK. These are usually waiting as you leave the Border Crossing, they can be Hot and Dusty, but a lot cheaper than the Van Option,  60 to 100 Baht.(BARTER).

BUS TO VIENTIANE. This Service has been recently updated and improved. The Buses are modern, clean, have A.C. and are very reliable. They are also really cheap about 25 Baht! They will drop you at The International Bus Station which is only a short walk into The City Centre and Hotels and Restaurants. The Buses run from The border and you will find the Bus Stop on The Right hand Side of The Road as you exit the Border Crossing, not Far just past the Song Tauws.

TRANSPORT OPTIONS TO VIENTIANE.

CHEAP AND COMFY LOCAL BUS, THE GREEEN ONE!

A COOL, CLEAN AND COMFY TRIP TO VIENTIANE.

THE INTERNATIONAL BUS STATION, VIENTIANE.

NOW YOU HAVE ARRIVED IN VIENTIANE HAVE A GREAT TRIP AND PLEASE COME AND VISIT US AGAIN, WE ARE CONSTANTLY UPDATING OUR BLOGS AND WE ARE MAKING LOTS OF VIDEOS FOR YOU TUBE, CHECK US OUT!

 www.lok8rboutique.com

 WE ARE  GROWING AND HELPING YOU TO DISCOVER

 AFFORDABLE QUALITY LOCAL INDY BIZ IN LAOS AND THAILAND.

BOUTIQUE HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, CAFES, SHOPPING, HANDICRAFTS, SPORT, LEISURE, MASSAGE, SPA AND SO MUCH MORE.