Cultural Immersion: Transportation

As we wrap-up our first week in Thailand, even though education is our primary goal, cultural immersion, and really trying to get to experience a new country is also important! A huge part of cultural immersion is transportation. As we had learned earlier this week, the number traffic accidents in Thailand is number two in the WORLD, so knowing how to safely get from here to there is important! There are cars, Tuk Tuks, motorcycles, cabs, water taxis and tour busses, so when getting from here to there, it is important to chose the right form of transportation! For tourists in small groups, taking a cab is usually the safest and cheapest way to go! However, we have learned that in Thailand, you actually have to ask the driver to turn on the meter before you get in the cab! The drivers will ask where you are going before making the decision to turn it on, and if they don't like the distances, they say no to the meter and you're on to the next!

This is a photo of a Tuk Tuk taken on the street!  

A typical family with a child riding in front of the mother and toddler being held by the father on a motorbike