Samlors are similar to tuk-tuks without a motor. The driver pedals you to your destination; the ride is slow, but you'll enjoy it. Samlors have been used in Thailand for over 60 years. They are also used in Malaysia. Visit the Sriwittayapaknam School to see a video clip of students arriving at their school on a samlor.
There is a legend that tells that the samlor began in Nakhon Ratchasima by Commander "Loean" Pongsopha. He was the inventor of the tricycle. In 1933, he combined a rickshaw car with a bicycle in order to create the samlor. Today it is a very popular form of transportation in the south of Thailand.
If you're looking for a relaxing ride you should try the samlor. These three wheeled "beauties" are good for short distances (please note that long distance trips may anger your host). Most samlors have a driver at the front of the vehicle and a two-wheeled covered passenger seat behind. In some samlors (especially in Malaysia), the passengers ride in a sidecar.
The passenger samlor can be found in almost every province in Thailand. The samlor has been banned from the streets of Bangkok (the capital city of Thailand), but are still pedaled on the streets of other Thailand cities. In Bangkok, they are not allowed on the main streets. Instead they are only allowed on side streets in older housing developments.
If you ever go to Thailand, samlors should be part of your experience!
"Getting Around Thailand ." Gay Thailand. 4 November 2004
"The Samlor." Thai Chaiyo. 14 March 2005. <http://www.coltrane-electronics.com/tuktuk/samlor.html>.
"Samlors in Thailand." The Hua Hin Pages. 14 March 2005 <http://www.frangipani.com/huahin/huahin.htm>.
use copyrighted photographs of samlors from <http://www.frangipani.com/huahin/samlor.htm>: