Tuk-Tuk

The Tuk-Tuk was so named after the phrase 'cheap cheap' or some say after the noise their original much smaller engines made, "tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk".
They originated in Japan, being built by the Daihatsu motor company, and were imported into Thailand in 1959. They are now perhaps just as much a national symbol of Thailand as the elephant.

It is said they began by people adapting bicycles, attaching a rattan seat, then adding another rear wheel to keep the whole thing balanced. In Thailand it became known as the Samlor (Sam = Three, lor = wheel).
Today there two main engine sizes, 550cc and 650cc. Their engines are water-cooled and they have 4 forward gears and one reverse.
There are reputedly some 8000 tuk-tuk's plying their trade on or around the streets of Bangkok.

If you have the nerve and the stomach, a ride in one will leave you both shaken and a little worse for ware, mainly due to the noise, vibration and exposure to the elements.

While Tuk-Tuks are most commonly used for transporting passengers, many industrial uses for the vehicle have been initiated with dramatic changes incorporated into new designs and models. The relatively small size of the Tuk-Tuk finds the vehicle navigating small alleys on delivery routes, rolling about golf courses and scooting around narrow factories taking advantage of its agility and tight turning radius.

They are now widely exported to many countries around the globe.