Hard to fake licenses and new driving test procedures to make Thai roads better

[rooster59]

Hard to fake licenses and new driving test procedures to make Thai roads better

 

Image: Daily News

 

The Department of Land Transport has said that its new "Smart Card" licenses are of an international standard and hard to fake.

And they have come up with a list of "E-measures" for applicants.

The licenses - introduced from September 4th - are better and more long lasting than the old ones and feature both a magnetic strip and a QR code.

DLT chief Sanit Phromwong said you would need to go in person to get the "Smart Card".

The DLT has also announced a swathe of new measures designed to bring Thailand up to scratch.

According to Daily News after applicants have passed the first identification stage known as the "Kiosk" they then have to satisfy the following driving tests and requirements all done electronically: E-Performance, E-Learning, E-Exam and even E-Driving.

These innovations are now available at all DLT centers.

 

Source: Daily News

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-09-23

[KhunBENQ]

7 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

E-Driving

Sounds interesting.

Driving on the simulator?

[Cadbury]

12 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Hard to fake licenses and new driving test procedures to make Thai roads better

Supreme optimists if they think a magnetic strip and a QR code will reduce the road toll from the second highest in the world.

[marko kok prong]

All very well,but what about the thousands of Thai's that think a driving licence is an optional extra,and the state of some of the vehicles,i saw a pickup the other day, sitting outside my local bar,every light was broken ,no tax, cracked windscreen ,no wipers and it looked like it had been in a demolition derby,how can it be on the road ? Because the Police know the driver has no money,therefore it is not worth stopping him.

  My girlfriend has no bike licence, she was stopped at Songkran and issued with a 200 (i think) baht fine payable at Wichianburi police station,i asked her the other day if she had payed it, "soon" she replied,i told her that her insurance is worthless with no licence,she just shrugged "i no have accident",  so it hardly matters about updating the licence's as thousands do not think they actually need one.

[marko kok prong]

May i just add,that if it was made law that any shop selling motorbike's or car's are not allowed to sell the vehicle unless the buyer produces their licence, they would have to decline the sale,would be effective,of course ways around it,but it would be a step in the right direction.

[Thian]

49 minutes ago, marko kok prong said:

All very well,but what about the thousands of Thai's that think a driving licence is an optional extra,and the state of some of the vehicles,i saw a pickup the other day, sitting outside my local bar,every light was broken ,no tax, cracked windscreen ,no wipers and it looked like it had been in a demolition derby,how can it be on the road ? Because the Police know the driver has no money,therefore it is not worth stopping him.

  My girlfriend has no bike licence, she was stopped at Songkran and issued with a 200 (i think) baht fine payable at Wichianburi police station,i asked her the other day if she had payed it, "soon" she replied,i told her that her insurance is worthless with no licence,she just shrugged "i no have accident",  so it hardly matters about updating the licence's as thousands do not think they actually need one.

Those wreckcars are just in the moobaan's by gardeners and so.

 

But loads of Thai also have one (or a crappy uninsured motobike without plates) to drive to the markets over backroads.

 

I wonder what happens if a rich guy with a new Benz get's into an accident inside a moobaan with one of those gardeners' cars...

[maoro2013]

Well I  see any number of school kids riding bikes past my place every day. Do they have licences? Well some might but most are too young and no hats either. Where do they start to fix the problem smart licences don't seem to be the solution 

[quandow]

[trainman34014]

Female friend of ours went for her Motorbike test last week.  She has been riding for 30 years with no papers of any kind but recently could afford to buy a new Scooter, which came with one year insurance and tax included in the price, so she decided it would be good to get a driving licence as well and be 'all legal' for the first time at the age of 36.

 

She was given the Traffic Light test and then told to go and watch the road safety movie for two hours.  After that she was given the written test of 45 questions concerning road rules and was told that after that she would be asked to do a riding test outside.

 

She failed the written test twice that day so had to go back the next day when she failed it twice again after 'swatting' all the previous evening on papers supplied to her and looking at youtube.  On the third day she could still not pass the written test until one of the office girls 'helped her a little'.   She then went to do the riding test, which consisted of riding between six cones and along a straight painted line 30cm in width and 3m long.

 

Eventually all done and 110 Baht the cost for a 2 year licence, renewable for 5 years thereafter.

 

I asked her why it was so difficult for her to pass the written test and she said that before she went she didn't know any rules, even after 30 years of riding.   She also told me several other people didn't pass on the first day but just didn't bother coming back next day to even try again.

 

Well done to this Lady for getting through the tests but how this will make her or anyone else a better, safer rider on today's roads in Thailand is beyond my comprehension.   I would think the first thing that needs to be done is make the sellers of new vehicles responsible for checking peoples credentials before selling them anything......but i know that's pissing in the wind !

[oxo1947]

 

 

And Then we stopped.............

 

 

Edited September 23, 2017 by oxo1947
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUU_jVCaQ1A

[JAG]

I don't think it will make any difference. There will be no enforcement.

 

There was a terrible accident in my village yesterday. A lorry went out of control, hit a car (three dead) and then a motorcycle (child dead). It is the third accident here in as many years. The lorry had 60% of its windscreen obscured by coloured film, and curtains on the side windows. Both illegal when being driven, as of course is speeding and children riding a motorcycle. I have never seen any sort of police presence enforcing driving rules ion the road here apart from helmet checks outside the local police station at the end of the month.

 

A tragedy.

[soalbundy]

Nothing wrong with Thai roads, it's the crap on them that needs improving.

[maxpower]

[PatOngo]

I renewed mine last week, I have felt bullet proof ever since.

[Lingba]

it will take a Helluva lot more than this to make Thai roads better...who are they kidding

[ChrisY1]

Baht can solve anything!

[irwinfc]

if it looks like a license, smells like a license... then it must be a license. sadly, the same goes for thai motorists.

[WorldTravellerMUC]

5 hours ago, marko kok prong said:

May i just add,that if it was made law that any shop selling motorbike's or car's are not allowed to sell the vehicle unless the buyer produces their licence, they would have to decline the sale,would be effective,of course ways around it,but it would be a step in the right direction.

This is already in place but only for foreigners. You must produce a license to buy a motorbike or a car on your name. As Thai you can buy what you want without a license.

[Jonmarleesco]

'The Department of Land Transport has said that its new "Smart Card" licenses are of an international standard ...' A pity that the holders most often aren't.

 

'DLT chief Sanit Phromwong said you would need to go in person to get the "Smart Card".' So a smart Thai official has to assess the applicant in order to ensure they are smart enough to understand the Smart card? 

 

'... E-Performance, E-Learning, E-Exam and even E-Driving.' Then they are allowed to hit the non-E roads... 

[connda]

For those who have licenses.  Licensure doesn't really mean much to the folks in my necks of the woods.  

[Kadilo]

Anything has to be an improvement on the "test" that is in place now. 

[RichardColeman]

If they drive without insurance, number plates, MOT's, etc, whilst bladdered, what makes them give a hoot about a licence ? 

[Jonah Tenner]

An estimate in this newspaper about a year ago said that 12.5% all vehicle operators in Thailand lacked a licence. I believe that might be low.

[inThailand]

11 hours ago, WorldTravellerMUC said:

This is already in place but only for foreigners. You must produce a license to buy a motorbike or a car on your name. As Thai you can buy what you want without a license.

I have never been asked for my drivers license when buying or even from my insurance company.

[Confuscious]

I don't see how this new license and the new safety measures could make a difference as long as the fine for driving without a license is 500 baht (250 baht without a receipt).

[Ossy]

22 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The DLT has also announced a swathe of new measures designed to bring Thailand up to scratch

It depends what Sanit means by 'up to scratch' . . . better than 66 road deaths every day or better than Thailand's roads being the second deadliest in the world? It'll take more than a clever e-licence to make an impression on those sad stats.

If he thinks that Thai driving standards will even approach internationally accepted ones, within the next 10 years, he is self-delusionary. Interesting, too, that they need the 'L' in the title, to be reminded exactly what they're supposed to be drafting these measures for. Don't tell me there's a DWT and a DAT as well . . . . aghhhhhhh!!!

[jvs]

I have seen it first hand again recently,the driving schools do not teach you how to drive,they try and teach you how to pass the test.

It really is a laugh but nowadays if you need to get your DL in a hurry you have to take lessons otherwise there is a four months waiting period over here.

 

Edited September 24, 2017 by jvs

[retarius]

How about actually the BiB doing their job and enforcing traffic laws? And having some road signs that indicate who has right of way instead of the current ambiguity. People buy proper driving directly from the test centres so there is no point in making the license more difficult to copy; and if you are selling the license, you don;t really care whether the purchaser can pass the tests or not.

[mikebell]

Nothing will improve whilst the Thai police view all roads as Toll roads.  The only time the BIB break into feverish activity (known as work in other countries) is when they smell money.  Tourists in high season = Bonanza.

[chrisinth]

Because someone is in possession of a 'Smart' driving license does not make them a 'Smart' driver. The clever part of 'Smart' in this instance is towards the design of the license and not the ability to drive. Fact is, to drive a vehicle, a license is not a requirement to achieve the physical action. Only by law. 

 

Even if it was, add substance or alcohol (or both) to the driver and all bets are off the table.

 

If they are serious about "make Thai roads better" then correct implementation of  improved traffic laws is the only way this is going to be achieved. The laws have not been updated to cope with the vast increase in road traffic in this country, hence you get things like undertaking, weaving, speeding, etc as part of the normal practice and usually overlooked by the traffic police with speeding being the exception as it provides a tea money income. Written tests have been around for years and I don't see the figures of people being killed on the roads improving, the same, IMO, will be true for so called E-Testing.