Putin's Nuclear Threats: Rhetoric or Reality?

[Jingthing]

Well, not real tuk tuks but a sea change has happened in Pattaya regarding the local MEANING of the word tuk tuk when communicating with baht bus drivers here.

Thanks to the Russian contingent, and who knows where or how they got this idea, the local drivers now all understand when you say:

TUK TUK with a questioning inflection -- you are asking if the truck is a normal bus service 10 baht or not

So if the driver agrees, you're going on a bus and you can be confident paying 10 baht will be accepted

OR

If he doesn't, you're talking a charter situation.

This has become so widespread, I suggest EVERYONE adopt this local linguistic peculiarity, should you ever need to ASK a driver if it's a bus or not. I guarantee, all the local drivers understand TUK TUK from a foreigner in this way. They must think it's funny, I think it's funny, but it's all about communication and it might be useful to all to know the new lingo.

Edited July 10, 2013 by Jingthing

[KittenKong]

I never talk to bahtbus drivers except to say "thanks" as I hand over my 10B at the end of my journey. Anything else is pointless and counter-productive.

Where the Russians go wrong is that they talk to the drivers in first place before boarding the vehicle. Just dont do it.

[somtampet]

I never talk to bahtbus drivers except to say "thanks" as I hand over my 10B at the end of my journey. Anything else is pointless and counter-productive.

Where the Russians go wrong is that they talk to the drivers in first place before boarding the vehicle. Just dont do it.

Agree,there is a designated area for these drivers,one jumps on,rings bell when vacating and stick your hand thru said window and pay sip baht,doesnt get any easier

[jbrain]

When you ask Tuk Tuk, the driver thinks you're Russian and an easy rip off prey ?

[innerspace]

If you jump on a charter bus without telling them where to go they tell you to get off.

Jump on without talking and slowing down all traffic in Pattaya. 10B

Waste time asking a song tao if it is a tuk tuk. Why bother?

[Jingthing]

I agree I don't have much use for talking to drivers. However some people do. So I thought it was worth noting what tuk tuk means these days in Pattaya.

[fakename]

Jing, you seem overly obsessed with baht buses and tuk tuks. We are not Russian, so no need to try and teach us how to speak Russian. You must have dreams of baht buses, or food!

[Jingthing]

Jing, you seem overly obsessed with baht buses and tuk tuks. We are not Russian, so no need to try and teach us how to speak Russian. You must have dreams of baht buses, or food!

There are no tuks tuks in Pattaya. Hard to be obsessed about them here!

I don't really know what I dream about but I think I get enough food and baht buses in real life so I hope I'm not dreaming about those.

[KittenKong]

There are no tuks tuks in Pattaya.

The other day I did see something very like an open tuktuk going along Sukumvit with a farang or two in it, though confusingly it was in Pattaya taxi colours and had a taxi sign, so I dont really know what it was.

[Jingthing]

There are no tuks tuks in Pattaya.

The other day I did see something very like an open tuktuk going along Sukumvit with a farang or two in it, though confusingly it was in Pattaya taxi colours and had a taxi sign, so I dont really know what it was.

There are some private businesses that might have a service for their customers. Tuks tuks are not part of the overall mix of public transport in Pattaya.

[ARGUSEYE]

Maybe the baht bus drivers get reminded of

"took - took" = cheap cheap... if you pronounce it right!

[Tolley]

I never talk to bahtbus drivers except to say "thanks" as I hand over my 10B at the end of my journey. Anything else is pointless and counter-productive.

Where the Russians go wrong is that they talk to the drivers in first place before boarding the vehicle. Just dont do it.

+1

[Wavefloater]

Jing, you seem overly obsessed with baht buses and tuk tuks. We are not Russian, so no need to try and teach us how to speak Russian. You must have dreams of baht buses, or food!

Well, I'm not going to go so far as to say "obsessed", but I was thinking somthing along the same lines.

I'm getting the impression that Jingthing spends the great majority of his time riding around in Pattaya baht buses looking for restaurants. (I am honestly not trying to be insulting or nasty. It just seems that most of his posts deal with one of those topics -- baht buses or food/restaurants). Each to their own, and if I didn't have to go to work everyday, I might be doing the same -- life could certainly be worse and Jingthing could be be doing more hareful things. Besides, he often has informative reviews for us. Thanks JT.

Jingthing, have you ever thought about writing a column for one of the local paper? Something along the lines of "The Baht Bus Gourmet". (I'm serious -- it might catch on and even be a bit of an earner for you.) You could let people know how to get to the chosen restaurant by bb and provide a review of the place.

Edited July 11, 2013 by Wavefloater

[blackman]

my friend in UK has a wedding Tuk Tuk service

might work here