I've also got a story about our 1st Tuk Tuk ride in Bangkok
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It was 20 years ago & because there was no internet our first trip to Asia we did with an organized Tour.
We were staying at the Sheraton but had booked dinner at the Oriental. At the moment we left the Sheraton there were no taxis outside so we decided to cross the road as there were taxis outside another hotel, just as we were about to cross the road a Tuk Tuk pulled up & practically shoved us in. I said Oriental hotel & the guy nodded. We were in the bloody thing for about 15 minutes & I was absolutely terrified he was going round corners on one wheel & darting between cars, I was so relieved when he stopped that I didn't really pay attention to where we were. I just staggeded out thankful to be alive. We entered an extremely shabby lobby & looked at each other. I said "this can't be the number 1 hotel in the world" We returned outside & looked up at the hotel name & of course it wasn't the Oriental. We looked about & didn't have a clue where we were, then some very nice young people stopped us & asked if we needed any help, I assume they were students because the spoke very good English & had books under their arms. The told us that taxi's were few & far between in that area & that we should get a bus, they accompanied us to the bus stop & waited until the bus came, the problem was we didn't know when to get off. We suddenly saw a large hotel that had taxis outside & decided to get off there & get a taxi which we did. When we arrived at long last at the Oriental, we went straight to the restaurant as we were late. Just as the hostess approached us I looked at my husbands shirt & trousers, he was wearing a white shirt with beige trousers & they were completely splattered with mud, I then looked at my own white silk blouse & saw that it was in the same state. There had been a tropical rain shower before we left the hotel & the roads were all wet & muddy, the bloody lunatic was driving that tuk tuk so fast we were all splashed with mud, it was even on our faces. I didn't know what to do but realised there wasn't much we could do other than wipe the mud off our faces. I was completely horrified to be in the most beautiful restaurant in Bangkok looking like I had been through the wars, we laugh about it now but at the time I felt like crying.

Have you taken any more TT rides? ((*))

Clark
Great story!!

Not all Thai drivers "know" where all the hotels are. I was in a taxi one time, and was on my way back to the Peninsula Hotel. The driver took me to the "NEW Peninsula" Hotel (very seedy looking). I was horrified. But I managed to tell him Saphan Taksin, a name I thought he would know... and yes, I did make it to the Peninsula. I did hand motions (like crossing a bridge... haha). These experiences are fun to look back on and have a laugh...

Carol

being the oriental they took the mud in stride.....a lesser hotel would have made you feel uncomfortable...