As Thailand’s hospitality industry races to meet global green standards, Amari Bangkok’s new EV tuk-tuk signals a fundamental shift in how luxury hotels approach guest experiences
Amari Bangkok has introduced something you rarely see in the capital: an electric tuk-tuk. The fully powered three-wheeler allows guests to explore Bangkok’s bustling Pratunam and Ratchaprasong neighbourhoods whilst eliminating the fumes and noise typically associated with Thailand’s most iconic transport. What might seem like a single hotel’s bold experiment actually reflects something far larger—a sector-wide race to embed sustainability into the core of the hospitality experience.
The service works like this: guests ride in a zero-emission vehicle past the Four Faces Buddha, Siam Square, the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre and the Jim Thompson House. But they’re not alone. Each ride includes a City Explorer—a knowledgeable local host who shares stories about Bangkok’s landmarks, traditions and lesser-known gems. Technology and cultural immersion merge seamlessly.
This approach reflects what conscious travellers increasingly expect: environmental responsibility that doesn’t come at the cost of experience. It’s the difference between a sustainability gesture and a sustainability strategy.
Amari Bangkok’s electric tuk-tuk. Source: Amari Bangkok
Thailand’s Hospitality Moment
Why does a single hotel’s tuk-tuk matter? Because it signals where Thailand’s entire hospitality sector is heading. The numbers tell the story: whilst fewer than 1% of Thai hotels currently meet internationally recognised sustainability standards, over 2,300 businesses have joined Thailand’s Sustainable Tourism Acceleration Rating (STAR) initiative, with some sources indicating the figure has grown to over 2,500 certified tourism businesses nationwide.
This isn’t leisurely progress. There’s genuine pressure accelerating this shift. European markets and other regions have adopted stricter sustainability regulations—particularly affecting business-to-business travel segments like MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions). Hotels that fail to align with green standards risk being excluded from lucrative international contracts. What was once a competitive advantage has become an operational requirement.
The Thai government has set ambitious targets to match. The Thailand Green Tourism Plan 2030 has launched the “Thailand Good Travel” mark—a trusted standard designed to enhance competitiveness among Thai tourism businesses and reinforce the country’s ambition to rank among the world’s top 100 sustainable destinations by 2030. This isn’t aspirational rhetoric. It’s policy, backed by government workshops and industry training programmes rolled out across provinces including Chachoengsao, Chiang Rai, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Nakhon Ratchasima in October 2025. For more on how Thailand is pursuing top-100 sustainable destination status, see our coverage of Thailand Launches “Good Travel” Mark as Nation Targets Top 100 Global Sustainability Ranking.
The Tuk-Tuk Context
The tuk-tuk itself isn’t merely transport in Bangkok. Since emerging in Thailand after World War II and becoming widespread by the 1960s, these three-wheelers have remained culturally embedded—popular with locals for short trips and tourists seeking the “classic Thai” experience. By electrifying this icon, Amari preserves its cultural role whilst addressing legitimate environmental concerns.
Thailand’s commitment to electric vehicle adoption extends well beyond hotels. The government’s EV 3.5 Package includes import duty cuts of up to 40% for electric passenger cars priced under THB 2 million (imported during 2024-2025), excise tax reductions, and consumer subsidies of up to THB 100,000 per EV buyer. The results are visible in Bangkok’s EV registrations, which rose from 23,838 (2.81% of total private vehicles) in 2019 to 194,222 (7.09% of total private vehicles) in 2023.
For hotels, electric tuk-tuks represent a practical way to align with these national trends whilst offering guests a tangible sustainability story. MuvMi, an app-based ride-sharing service, operates over 600 electric tuk-tuks across 12 Bangkok neighbourhoods, with their entire fleet powered by electricity. This helps cut noise, air pollution and PM 2.5 emissions—addressing one of Thailand’s most pressing urban challenges. Thailand’s transport sector accounts for 18.4% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, with Bangkok’s congestion directly worsening air quality.
Bangkok street featuring traditional tuk-tuks
What This Means for Conscious Travellers
For guests choosing where to stay, Amari’s offering signals a broader truth: sustainable choices no longer mean compromise. An electric tuk-tuk tour isn’t tokenism—it’s a lower-emission way to experience Bangkok that directly supports the city’s long-term air quality goals. By choosing hotels that integrate electric transport into guest experiences, travellers strengthen the business case for similar initiatives across the hospitality sector.
The wider hospitality push toward sustainability includes energy-efficient technologies such as heat exchangers that reduce energy consumption and minimise carbon emissions, alongside the introduction of environmentally friendly menus prioritising locally sourced ingredients. These developments work alongside transport innovations to create genuinely integrated sustainable experiences.
Thailand’s hospitality sector isn’t adopting sustainability reluctantly. The STAR initiative evaluates businesses across four core dimensions: Good Governance, Socio-Economic Impact, Cultural Preservation, and Environmental Responsibility. This framework requires hotels to demonstrate measurable commitments across economic, social, environmental and governance dimensions. It’s a serious standard—not a marketing checkbox.
The Bigger Picture
Amari’s electric tuk-tuk is emblematic of how Thailand’s hospitality sector is responding to changing expectations. The old model—beautiful places to sleep—is evolving into something more sophisticated. Hotels are becoming entry points into destinations that take their environmental responsibilities seriously. Your choice of accommodation increasingly shapes the sustainability footprint of your entire trip, from how you explore the city to what you eat to how the property manages energy use.
Thailand’s ambition to rank among the world’s 100 most sustainable destinations isn’t marketing language. It’s reflected in decisions like Amari’s investment in electric guest transport, and in the hundreds of other properties actively pursuing sustainability certification. The Thailand Green Tourism Plan 2030 is underpinned by 20 key partners from public and private sectors who have pledged commitment to advancing sustainable tourism goals through 2030—including government ministries, the Thai Hotels Association and major hospitality groups.
For travellers seeking meaningful stays in Southeast Asia, this shift isn’t marginal. It’s reshaping the entire value proposition of luxury travel in Thailand. Environmental stewardship, cultural preservation and genuine community benefit are no longer add-ons. They’re becoming fundamental to what “luxury” means. For a deeper dive into how Thailand is redefining premium travel, read our Thailand’s Sustainable Luxury Revolution guide.
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