Songtheaws are often rod-daeng, as the majority are red in color.
Songtheaws parked at a Chiang Mai temple.
Songthaew are converted pick-up trucks used to transport people. They are often called rod daeng, meaning "red color" because most of the songthaews on the road are painted red. In Chiang Mai, the red songthaew ply the main streets of the city. Then there are songthaews painted in other colors. The white songthaews travel the eastern route to Sankampaeng, the yellow songthaews go north, to Mae Rim; the blue ones go to Sarapee and Lamphun to the south; while the green songthaews travel northeast to Mae Jo. There's a flat charge of 15 baht, and unlike the tuk tuk / samlor, you don't usually hire songthaew to be your own private transport. You can, and it will be more costly than tuk tuk.
To board a songthaew, first ask the driver if he can take you to a specific place. His level of English will probably allow him to nod for yes and shake his head for no. If the answer is in the negative, no worries, there are plenty more songthaews on the road, so try the next one. Inside the songthaew are two rows of benches, one on each side. Some times, there's an additional row in the middle. Sit down and wait. The songtheaw usually wait to collect more customers and will go only once it is full.
To get down from the songthaew, press the buzzer located at the roof - pay attention to how the locals do it.
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