We're planning to come over for 6 months from Nov this year and get a feel for the place. Currently on Gozo, Malta, but the winters are too cold!

Will have a lot of questions to ask but will start with :

Given the cost of hiring/buying cars in Thailand, do any farangs drive their own Tuk Tuk?

Cheers,

Stuart

Not seen any farang driving a tuk tuk. They have a special license plate that deems them as passenger vehicles for hire. I think you should get a motorbike.

i have on the odd occasion, open top ones but without the go faster stripes. No idea where they rented them form but I would imagine either from their hotel or orgnised from their hotel. Small bikes are the most useful vehicle in the city and cheap to rent and run. If you rent a bike for more than a few days then you can talk discount. If you look elsewhere beyond the big multi national car renters to local ones that offer something other than a new car you might find the price a littl emore agreeable. Just depends on what you want to do with it.

Not seen any farang driving a tuk tuk. They have a special license plate that deems them as passenger vehicles for hire. I think you should get a motorbike.

Not correct .Tuk-Tuks are made in many different shapes and sizes and for many different end uses. Only those used as Taxis , have Taxi registrations. Even the Chiang Mai police have one .There is a Manufacturer in Chiang Mai . You can Google .Better still ,There is a thread here ,entitled "Thai Farm Trucks" , in the Farming Forum, that you might find very interesting. It has posts and photos of Different use Tuk-Tuks.

Even the Chiang Mai police have one ..

It's actually the Chiang Mai traffic police, equipped with bells, whistles and blue sirens.......... soon they'll have four wheels, cant slow down progress.

Saves the BIB from having their partner squashing up too close I guess

I bought one some years ago, and there is nothing to stop you having it privately registered, but be warned ......As soon as you have friends in the back the local tuk-tuk drivers will give you a real tought time including side swiping you and other dirty tricks. They think you are plying for hire, even thought it does not have PSV plates. I had to get rid on mine in the end because of this

You can not be serious?! Why on earth would you want a tuktuk....noisy, smelly, slow etc etc.

Sounds a romantic idea but try a few out when you get here....reckon you will definitely change your mind!

I'd buy an old pick-up instead. Low maintenance and they don't really lose value if it's old enough.

as we have the tuk-tuk 'club' gathered here . . .

curious as to how many places still have the three-wheel tuk-tuks (as in the pic)

Chiang Mai does (or did when we were there); we were in Chachoengsao last month and they have them, though on their 'last legs' I had to help push-start the one we used, both times.

At our last home in Sa Kaeo there is a fleet of the three-wheelers held together by string and bungee cords that should have been retired years ago.

Phuket has small (are they Daihatsu or Suzuki?) purpose-built vans; now we are in Chanthaburi and here it's all pickups, mainly Mazdas from what I've seen. Didn't see any three-wheelers in Rayong, or maybe just didn't notice.

My partner says there are still of the old ones in Bangkok, but can't say I've seen any.

Are they becoming extinct?

as we have the tuk-tuk 'club' gathered here . . .

curious as to how many places still have the three-wheel tuk-tuks (as in the pic)

Chiang Mai does (or did when we were there); we were in Chachoengsao last month and they have them, though on their 'last legs' I had to help push-start the one we used, both times.

At our last home in Sa Kaeo there is a fleet of the three-wheelers held together by string and bungee cords that should have been retired years ago.

Phuket has small (are they Daihatsu or Suzuki?) purpose-built vans; now we are in Chanthaburi and here it's all pickups, mainly Mazdas from what I've seen. Didn't see any three-wheelers in Rayong, or maybe just didn't notice.

My partner says there are still of the old ones in Bangkok, but can't say I've seen any.

Are they becoming extinct?

The Thai Government wants to get rid of Tuktuks, skylabs and any other 3-wheeled "public" transport.

as we have the tuk-tuk 'club' gathered here . . .

curious as to how many places still have the three-wheel tuk-tuks (as in the pic)

Chiang Mai does (or did when we were there); we were in Chachoengsao last month and they have them, though on their 'last legs' I had to help push-start the one we used, both times.

At our last home in Sa Kaeo there is a fleet of the three-wheelers held together by string and bungee cords that should have been retired years ago.

Phuket has small (are they Daihatsu or Suzuki?) purpose-built vans; now we are in Chanthaburi and here it's all pickups, mainly Mazdas from what I've seen. Didn't see any three-wheelers in Rayong, or maybe just didn't notice.

My partner says there are still of the old ones in Bangkok, but can't say I've seen any.

Are they becoming extinct?

The Thai Government wants to get rid of Tuktuks, skylabs and any other 3-wheeled "public" transport.

Fat chance of that. How many thousands of Tuk-Tuks in Bkk.?Who drives them?Who did they vote for in the recent election?

as we have the tuk-tuk 'club' gathered here . . .

curious as to how many places still have the three-wheel tuk-tuks (as in the pic)

Chiang Mai does (or did when we were there); we were in Chachoengsao last month and they have them, though on their 'last legs' I had to help push-start the one we used, both times.

At our last home in Sa Kaeo there is a fleet of the three-wheelers held together by string and bungee cords that should have been retired years ago.

Phuket has small (are they Daihatsu or Suzuki?) purpose-built vans; now we are in Chanthaburi and here it's all pickups, mainly Mazdas from what I've seen. Didn't see any three-wheelers in Rayong, or maybe just didn't notice.

My partner says there are still of the old ones in Bangkok, but can't say I've seen any.

Are they becoming extinct?

The Thai Government wants to get rid of Tuktuks, skylabs and any other 3-wheeled "public" transport.

Fat chance of that. How many thousands of Tuk-Tuks in Bkk.?Who drives them?Who did they vote for in the recent election?

Well I have seen Tuk Tuk's that say Taxi on them.

Isn't the government going to give them a credit card?

I know of farangs that own them,one of them at udon.I think they'd be ok,if ya had them closed off and had them airconditioned.

I bought one some years ago, and there is nothing to stop you having it privately registered, but be warned ......As soon as you have friends in the back the local tuk-tuk drivers will give you a real tought time including side swiping you and other dirty tricks. They think you are plying for hire, even thought it does not have PSV plates. I had to get rid on mine in the end because of this

I would love a little tuk tuk runabout.

At one time I almost bought one, but later gave up the idea for the reasons you mentioned.

I think if it looked sufficiently different from a taxi tuk tuk then you'd be okay. Then again, other tuk tuk drivers aren't the smartest people in the world; otherwise they wouldn't drive tuk tuks but have a real job.

I mentioned the tuktuks on Phuket in my earlier post - here's a pic from another thread.

Daihatsu Hi-jet I think, 660 or 680cc?

They'd be handy little vehicle to have for local driving.

Farang don't drive tuk tuk`s? These two drove one all the way from Bangkok to Brighton....

http://www.gapyear.com/fundraising/sponsored_tuk_tuk_adventure.html

http://www.worldrover.net/archive/0710Autmn/aTukTuk.htm

OP Pm me and I will send you the number of my driver in Chiang Mai a really nice guy and very honest.

If you want a farang to drive you in a Tuk tuk.

Paul Collins is your man.

Speaks fluent Thai he is a USA/Thaii citizen.

THE BEST TUK TUK TOURS IN CHIANG MAI

http://besttuktuktours.yolasite.com/

There are also those tiny, cute little mini-trucks and mini-minivans...I think they are like those Phuket tuk tuks in the picture above, only they are usually white in color and (obviously) vans and trucks in one piece, not modded into tuk tuks like the vehicles in the pic. I saw them for sale brand new below Big C for 450,000....that's what I'd get! (Or a used truck like WTK said.)

There are also those tiny, cute little mini-trucks and mini-minivans...I think they are like those Phuket tuk tuks in the picture above, only they are usually white in color and (obviously) vans and trucks in one piece, not modded into tuk tuks like the vehicles in the pic. I saw them for sale brand new below Big C for 450,000....that's what I'd get! (Or a used truck like WTK said.)

Hmm and I had you placed in a sleek sporty little number.

Check this link out. You can buy your custom built tuk tuk from this company in Udorn. There was an add on TV the other day.

http://moreudon.forummotion.com/t278-falang-custom-built-tuk-tuk-s-made-in-udon-thani-siam-tuktuk-mfg

There are also those tiny, cute little mini-trucks and mini-minivans...I think they are like those Phuket tuk tuks in the picture above, only they are usually white in color and (obviously) vans and trucks in one piece, not modded into tuk tuks like the vehicles in the pic. I saw them for sale brand new below Big C for 450,000....that's what I'd get! (Or a used truck like WTK said.)

Suzuki Carry

Drove past a dealer yesterday they had one outside with a sign - 399,000 baht; some used ones for sale here

There are also those tiny, cute little mini-trucks and mini-minivans...I think they are like those Phuket tuk tuks in the picture above, only they are usually white in color and (obviously) vans and trucks in one piece, not modded into tuk tuks like the vehicles in the pic. I saw them for sale brand new below Big C for 450,000....that's what I'd get! (Or a used truck like WTK said.)

Suzuki Carry

Drove past a dealer yesterday they had one outside with a sign - 399,000 baht; some used ones for sale here

On the forecourt of Tesco Lotus Hang Dong Rd this morning - 289,000 and 339,000. The cheaper one is 1.1 Litre, not sure about the other or if they are Suzuki. You can have them in any colour as long as it's white. That's still $10,000++ not cheap and if it were me I'd stick by WTK advice and look for one of those used Mighty X type trucks that hasn't been abused. They go forever and if you're schmucked,you've got a bit of a chance.

On the forecourt of Tesco Lotus Hang Dong Rd this morning - 289,000 and 339,000. The cheaper one is 1.1 Litre, not sure about the other or if they are Suzuki.

Think they're some Chinese brand. Cherry or some such. They don't look very solid. (But then, neither do tuk tuks of any kind. )

You can have them in any colour as long as it's white. That's still $10,000++ not cheap and if it were me I'd stick by WTK advice and look for one of those used Mighty X type trucks that hasn't been abused. They go forever and if you're schmucked,you've got a bit of a chance.

Yup!

Also, the Suzuki Carry is a petrol engine. So cheap if (and only *IF*) you get it to run on LPG/CNG.

Think they're some Chinese brand. Cherry or some such. They don't look very solid. (But then, neither do tuk tuks of any kind. )

If they fall apart as easily as the shoes I had from China, then I'd steer clear.