Bangkok: Crazy Tuk Tuks and the Temple at Night

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While in Bangkok, Thailand, my family hopped on a couple of tuk tuk (pronounced took-took). These are fun mini-taxis that zip around Bangkok like crazy golf carts, weaving in and out of traffic with wild abandon. Lots of them are outfitted with bright, neon lights and/or interesting decorations as if to say "Hey, jump on board a party on wheels!"

They typically cost more than a regular taxi or using the Grab app (the Asian version of Uber/Lyft). However, it's one of those things you've got to do at least once!

My wife @raynie and youngest kid (@koolitime) rode together (they will seat two people comfortably). I hopped in the other one with the older kid (@reggyaguila). My wife later told me that the driver let her bluetooth her phone's playlist through the speakers, so that's cool. Sounds like they were rockin' out pretty good.

Riding a tuk tuk reminded me of the ride at Disneyland called Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. You know...the family-friendly one that teaches kids to steal their parents' car, drive through buildings and pedestrians like a crazy person, then finally end up in Hell to be tortured by demons. Yeah, that ride.

Well, that's basically what it's like to be in the back seat of a tuk tuk, haha.

To add that extra bit of Bangkok flavor to the experience, BOTH our drivers stopped mid-journey in the middle of a street. They didn't look for parking or detour through an alley or driveway. They just stopped in the left-most lane and got out of the vehicles. They then proceeded to jaywalk across the street to the other side, leaving their passengers to amuse themselves as they saw fit.

We soon realized that this was a bathroom break. And by bathroom break, I mean that both drivers were wigglin' their willies at the shrubbery in public. They stood there, a polite distance apart, presumably testing distance and accuracy with full bladders on tap.

The whizzing literally took minutes, which explains a lot. If all the tuk tuk drivers are holding it in this long, that's probably why they drive around like maniacs (trying to desperately get to the next toilet with their foot heavy on the pedal).

After the "show", we were dropped off at our destination:

The Temple of Wat Phra Chetuphon (otherwise known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha).

It's one of the few temples that is open at night. I think we were there around 11pm. Even better yet, by going at night, the temperature is cool and there's nobody around. For a period of time, we seemed to be the only ones there. This is in stark contrast to the daytime when I'm told it's crowded with tourists and visitors. Not only is it crowded during the daytime, but there's an admission price. I think I saw a sign that started at 200 Bhatt and up (per person) to get in.

When we arrived, there was nobody at the counter, nobody selling tickets, and nobody demanding money. Of course, that also means no tour guides. But that's what the internet is for, right?

This made for an extremely peaceful (and less expensive) experience.

The buildings, statues, and monuments were beautifully crafted. Many were immense in size and caused us to crane our necks upward in awe. And the place was HUGE. It was like entering another time and place in history. The temple grounds were so immense that the city sounds of Bangkok faded away.

We found ourselves talking in almost-whispers, such was the impact of our surroundings.

I would definitely recommend a visit if you're in Bangkok. In a tuk tuk. At night time.

Stay tuned for more adventures in Thailand!

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