Thailand’s iconic tuk-tuks get a makeover as start-up gears up for tests of self-driving models in Bangkok

Thailand’s ubiquitous tuk-tuk, the noisy, colourful three-wheeled taxi that has been belching exhaust fumes on local roads for almost a century, is getting a cutting-edge makeover to help carry the local auto industry into the future.

Beginning in November, a public-private partnership will test the nation’s first self-driving tuk-tuk in an effort to nudge Thailand toward the forefront of developing autonomous-vehicle technology in Southeast Asia. Start-up Airovr, investor Siri Ventures and the Thai government will run the months-long trial inside a gated Bangkok community, hoping that what they learn can be transferred into bigger vehicles like minibuses.

Most autonomous-driving advancements in Asia come from Chinese and Japanese companies - such as Baidu, Pony.ai and Toyota Motor Corp. - spending billions of dollars on software development, partnerships and road tests. Southeast Asia does not have a local champion, so Thailand views the technology as a way to bolster - and keep relevant - an auto industry generating 12 per cent of its gross domestic product.

“The program can build confidence among regulators and users that these vehicles can be used on public roads,” said Ekkarut Viyanit, principal researcher for the government’s National Science and Technology Development Agency. “This will accelerate acceptance of the technology in Thailand.”

The tuk-tuk was chosen as a test vehicle because the three-wheeler is more energy-efficient than a car, requires fewer parts, is cheaper and is more suitable for the country’s hot weather, said Amares Chumsai Na Ayudhya, founder of Bangkok-based Airovr.

But this isn’t the usual ornate three-wheeler you see on the chaotic streets of Bangkok and other tourist spots in Thailand. The Airovr model has a minimalist design, with screens depicting speed and how much electricity is in the tank.