The single horse carriage (Rot ma taxi) was the only real means of transportation in Lampang province during the reign of King Rama the Fifth. The first horse carriages were originally bought up from Bangkok. The use horse carriages became in wide-spread from Lampang to Ratchasima in the Northeast and from Si Thammarat in the South to Chiang Rai in the North. Lampang remains the only real area, the horse carriages are still used as a daily transportation for the locals.
The Lampang small version was developed by Khun Uthankhadee in 1949 A.D. In 1952 A.D., Chow Boonsong Na Lampang officially changed the name of the Rot ma taxi to “horse carriage” to add a trendy and fashionable image to their use. Today there are still 70 horse carriages in daily use in Lampang and only two thirds of the carriages are even ridden by the tourists around the city area.
Historically the Rot ma taxi was used by upper class Thai tourist that used the railways system to explore the north before the airlines served the north. They hired them daily and to go to fro as wells a basic transport from the station to the town center. The horse carriages are still made locally in Lampang and can be custom made with their iron wheels or the more traditional wooden spokes if desired.
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