CPA Media

Trains and boats and planes; trishaws and trucks and tuk-tuks; motorbikes and mountain bikes and buses; ponies and elephants and bamboo rafts; the vast range of transport alternatives in Thailand means that travelling round the 'Land of Smiles' can quickly turn into an adventure. Of course, most short-term visitors hardly consider the means of getting about when they book their holiday. Their minds are full of pristine beaches, of peaceful temple grounds, of festival parades and bargains in backstreet markets. But an equally tempting itinerary would be to sample as many forms of transport as possible during a visit. As wise travellers know, exciting experiences abroad are often encountered while on the road, and a close look at Thai transport shows how the concept of 'sanuk', or having fun, pervades all aspects of life here.

Planes are essential to modern travel. Their existence has changed our lives as much as any other aspect of technology; without them we would never be able to take a two-week break on the other side of the world. Even within the country, planes can be great time-savers, especially since Thailand is over 2000 kilometres from north to south. With domestic routes servicing such out-of-the-way destinations as Nan (north), Ubon Ratchathani (north-east) and Narathiwat (South), the plane can be a great route to discovery.

Many visitors shun such speed in order to see more of the country from the window of a train. Thailand's rail system is not extensive, but the northern route to Chiang Mai and the southern route to Malaysia include comfortable and reasonably priced sleeper cars which are often booked well ahead. These offer the chance to take in scenes of rice paddies, coconut palms and thatched houses in the countryside, before a relaxing sleep and refreshing arrival the following day.

Historically, the most significant form of transport for Thais has been the boat in one form or another. In the central plains, for example, rice barges move sedately down the Chao Phya River while locals paddle their way to market or to visit friends along an intricate system of canals. Longtail boats, painted in bright colours and powered by enormous diesel engines, are used to ferry passengers along the Mae Kok River to Chiang Rai, and around such scenic spots as Phang Nga Bay near Phuket. In the clear waters of the Andaman Sea, reed-covered boats which are also home to the 'sea gypsies' move from one idyllic island to the other, often in the shadow of a luxury liner, providing a sharp contrast of floating forms.

With a constantly improving network of roads, modern Thais have taken to buses, cars and motorbikes as the most convenient forms of transport for day-to-day use. Upcountry buses and trucks are often painted in bright colours, giving a 'holiday' feel even to a trip to the market. Thai ingenuity is easily seen in the uses to which basic forms of transport have been adapted. The motorbike, for example, serves as a vehicle for an entire family, a mobile food-stall, an ice cream stall, even a cargo transporter. And at festival time, pick-ups are so smothered in flowers, umbrellas and beauty queens that the driver can often only guide his vehicle with the help of frantic shouts from team members around.

Bangkok's constant traffic jam is world-famous and demands a special kind of patience from anyone caught in it. Fortunately, the city's skytrain and subway routes are swift and efficient, and river taxis also offer a pleasant alternative to sitting trapped in a gridlock.

Thailand's most unique vehicle is the tuk-tuk, whose name is an inadequate attempt to imitate the raucous noise made by these bright and screaming demons. They look like oversized toys with their compact and economical design, shielding driver and passengers with little more than a narrow canvas roof. They squeeze between lanes of traffic, offering a close encounter with other travellers and near heart attacks when they take corners on two of their three tiny wheels.

Perhaps the only activity less enviable than sitting in a traffic jam is trying to get it all moving, the job of Thailand's traffic police. Though their methods are sometimes unorthodox (such as manual control of traffic lights), they are often effective with their flashing white gloves, shrill whistles and pirouettes. Thailand is far from being a paradise for pedestrians, and the use of masks to protect faces from fumes and dust is becoming as common a feature as mobile phones.

Up in the hills there are no traffic jams, but nowhere is without its problems. Here the difficulty comes in the rain season (July-October), when dirt roads become too rutted even for four-wheel-drive vehicles. Few trekkers come at this time, so the hill people are given a brief respite from the steady stream of visitors. Of course, such conditions act as a challenge to some who slither up slopes on trail bikes and judge how good a day was from the amount of mud on their clothes in the evening.

Fortunately, among the alternative forms of Thai transport are those that use no engine and allow us peace of mind as we take in the surroundings. Trishaws are typical all around the country apart from Bangkok and are often to be found pulling away from markets, their riders' thigh and calf muscles straining to move a passenger buried beneath mounds of onions and cabbages. Visitors can use trishaws to take a look round town or rent a bicycle or mountain bike to explore by themselves.

Riding elephants is frowned on these days, yet there is an inevitable thrill that comes from being perched on top of such stately creatures. Bamboo rafting is another leisurely and natural way to move through the countryside. At the mercy of the current, the craft is steered by prodding a long bamboo pole in the riverbed. The only sounds are the lapping of the river on the banks, the twitter of birds in trees and a warm wind rustling through the grass. We have finally got away from it all, and were propelled there by the wonders of Thai transport.

Story by Ron Emmons; Photo by Ron Emmons