Sam means 3 in Thai and Lor means wheel. So a 3-wheel bicycle that in the old days was a normal way of public transport taxi in town. But with the arrival of the Tuk Tuk and cars this old fashioned way of transport is almost disappearing in Thailand and actually all Southeast Asia. A bit a pity as traveling slow thru a city is the perfect way explore and see a new city. Luckily you can still find samlors in some places like Phitsanulok, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and even in the suburbs of Bangkok. And in Chiang Mai you can even make a tour with a samlor as local tour operator is offering Samlor Tours. For more information see Chiang Mai On Three Wheels.
There are many kind of samlors, for more information & photos about other types of samlors see Samlors in Thailand. Photo above was my samlor driver in Chiang Mai. If you are interested to visit Chiang Mai or any other place in Northeast or North Thailand, feel free to contact me by email at The Little Elephant Traveling in Thailand.