Songthaews: Thailand’s Most Underused (and Best) Transport

The red truck that goes everywhere

A songthaew is a pickup truck with two rows of bench seats in the bed, a roof, and a bell you ring when you want to stop. They’re used throughout Thailand as shared taxis on fixed and semi-fixed routes, and they’re one of the most authentic ways to get around smaller cities and towns.

Tourists consistently ignore them because they’re not in ride-hailing apps and you have to know the system. That’s a shame, because they’re brilliant.

How they work

In Chiang Mai, red songthaews (rot daeng) operate as semi-public taxis throughout the city. Flag one down, tell the driver where you’re going. If it’s on his loose route, he’ll take you — ฿30–50 per person for most journeys within the old city and Nimman area. If he already has passengers going a similar direction, he’ll collect them too. If not going your way, he’ll wave you off and another will come.

In Phuket, songthaews run fixed routes between Phuket Town and various beaches — ฿25–30 per person. Dramatically cheaper than taxis for the same journey (taxi charges ฿400–600 for what songthaew does for ฿30).

The confusion tourists have

Songthaews don’t have fixed stops like buses. You flag them anywhere on their route. You ring the bell (or knock on the roof) when you want to get off. The driver collects fares when you exit, not when you board. It seems chaotic at first and becomes second nature by day two.

When to use Grab instead

Late at night, when you’re carrying luggage, when you need to reach a specific destination that’s off the songthaew routes, or when you want air conditioning. Songthaews are open-sided — fine in dry weather, uncomfortable in rain.