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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Rebecca Root in Bangkok

Thailand’s tuk-tuks go green amid rising demand for electric models

A line of electric tuk-tuks in Bangkok
Electric tuk-tuks in Bangkok. Their number in Thailand nearly doubled to 498 last year. Photograph: Setthasiri Chanjarhatpong/MuvMi

Thailand’s iconic, gas-guzzling tuk-tuks are being replaced by a greener, more energy efficient model, offering travellers a more environmentally friendly way of getting around what is one of the world’s worst countries when it comes to air pollution.

“The benefits are quite clear in terms of the environment”, says Krisada Kritayakirana, co-founder and CEO of start-up Urban Mobility Tech. “When you use traditional tuk-tuks, you can smell the gas and it sometimes could be unpleasant. With the electric tuk-tuks, basically you don’t have any noise and you don’t have any emission from tailpipes.”

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