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It may seem odd to you that most of the Tuk Tuks on the road in Chiang Mai are made down south not in Chiang Mai. That is because most are owned by a very few local companies which just rented to private drivers by the day. Since a commercial taxi license for new tuk tuks are near impossible to attain, they just keep rebuilding and patching up the old and polluting two cycle tuk tuks. Since the fuel is paid by the renter the owners seem not to care about millage or pollution
However there is a producer of Tuk Tuks in Chiang mai who not only make a similar style tuk tuk but also a vintage 1960's style one as well as a popular limo style one that hold up to 6 foreigner or 9 Thai passengers as well.
Reproduction of Vintage 1962 Style Thai Tuk Tuk
The advantage of these newer tuk tuks over the average Tuk tuk found on Chiang Mai streets, are that they are not two cycle engines which pollute way too much, as well as being safer and some are a far better size for western passengers and the newer generation of Thai people who are taller that their parents were, which is about the era most were made in and that are still on the road.
The latest design innovation in tuk tuks is the electric Tuk Tuk which is made by Chinnaraje Co. ltd.
The Chinnaraje electric Tuk Tuk only has a range of about 70km which is fine for many applications, where the load capacity is needed but the range requirements are not too great. They are of course rechargeable in about 5-6 hours plug in time. To be truly green they should be set up to an in-house solor charging system, as the electricity in northern Thailand is mostly made from the burning of lignite, so is more like moving the pollution more than stopping it.
The more normal looking sets 3 a pinch is of course still available as well, along with garbage truck style, truck styles and well your imagination s the limit.
They mostly come with 660cc new 4 cycle engines, made by Daihatsu and can be supplied to run on gasoline, propane, or natural gas. They can be equipped with a four speed or an automatic (so handicapped people could be self-employed if they could get a taxi commercial license in the future..just an idea) and all are custom made to suit the owners taste and needs.
So if your seeking a tuk Tuk for personal use or for say, your resort maybe you should consider checking out a Chinnaraje tuk tuks.
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