Tuk Tuk Ride, Bangkok Thailand

Tuk Tuk Ride, Bangkok Thailand

Enter the tuk-tuk. Those who are fortunate enough to have holidayed in Thailand will have at least a passing aquaintance with these strange pottering devices. These crude, noisy, smelly three- wheeled vehicles have been motorising that particular emerging economy for decades, and many a tourist has enjoyed their charm (provided they settled their fare before rather than after the ride).

That, you might think, was that. The tuk-tuk: OK in Bangkok, but not likely to stray far beyond. Wrong. Imports to the UK have already begun. You may reasonably expect one to be tuk-tukking along a street near you soon.

Well, maybe not. Only a handful have been brought in so far by Steve Webb of the Tukshop (geddit?) in London. On the basis of the Indian and Thai models he's sold so far, he's confident about their success in this country. 'I first caught sight of a tuk-tuk on holiday in the Far East in 2002. I was instantly captivated at how something so functional could ooze so much style. These iconic vehicles were clearly 'people's champions' in their respective countries, much as the Mini was in the UK or the Citron 2CV was in France. I was hooked and now the only challenge was to get them running on the roads here.'

Following UK road approval at the end of 2003, the response has been 'fantastic' according to Steve, with Asian restaurants quick to see their potential. Curry houses in Glasgow, Swansea, Luton, Torquay and Southampton are currently running them.