Thai woman "learner driver" ends up in the Chiang Mai moat

 

Pictures: Manager Online

 

A Thai woman learning to drive ended up driving her new Mitsubishi Attrage and family into the Chiang Mai moat.

 

But Nitchapat Thaiwichai, 40, and her three passengers including girls aged 3 and 8 in the back were all saved thanks to a man who dived in to help.

 

The accident happened downtown near the Chiang Mai Ram hospital where the company employee was doing a U-turn.

 

She apparently mistook the brake for the accelerator as they are very close.

 

A video and still pictures on Manager showed the clear Thai lettering on the back of the car that the driver was new and learning how to drive.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-10-27

 

Well, it's either that or driving in flooded streets..

9 minutes ago, webfact said:

She apparently mistook the brake for the accelerator as they are very close

So too are the nose and the mouth...I hope she's more careful eating rice.

Left foot braking....again....probably

U-Turn lor... is there a legal U-Turn outside Ram?

Looks like a busy road, how can she plan to make a U-turn there?

 

I bet she bought her driverslicense.

That side of the moat is the last place any student should be driving. Lots of swerving going on, and often congested.

 

 

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6 minutes ago, Thian said:

Looks like a busy road, how can she plan to make a U-turn there?

 

I bet she bought her driverslicense.

it amazes me that people feel the need to offer up a comment without even reading the headline, let alone the entire article.

she did not buy he license, she had a learners permit.

it,  however, begs the question, why she was "learning" with her entire family in the car, but thats another issue altogether.

Never seen a learners permit

1 hour ago, HooHaa said:

 

she did not buy he license, she had a learners permit.

 

There is no such thing in Thailand. I wish there was. First hand knowledge as my kid has just gone through the process of getting her first Thai DL

 

 

9 minutes ago, GLewis said:

 

How on earth do they learn to drive (or not as the case may be) in registered driving schools of which there many in Chiangmai without some form of license ?

hmm. so they learn without a permit of any sort?

 

interesting.

8 minutes ago, HooHaa said:

hmm. so they learn without a permit of any sort?

 

interesting.

They don't actually learn usually, hence the road carnage

Seems like a really bad place to learn how to drive.

4 minutes ago, Myran said:

Seems like a really bad place to learn how to drive.

more like a place to learn how to dive.

I had my first driving lesson in Melbourne, (accompanied by a monitor, who had his own brakes etc.).  It was 6ish at night in full traffic with a blinding, thunder and lightning  rainstorm. ( I remember that the GPO was flooded).  I nearly pee'd in my pants I was so frightened.  I was a complete wreck when I got out, I could hardly stand, but I tell you, I became one hell of a good driver after.

 

Whilst I agree with most of the comments above, I do not with the remarks about why she was driving around the Ram.

learning in heavy difficult traffic is the best thing.  BUT BUT B UT where was the monitor and why were there children in the car.

2 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

more like a place to learn how to dive.

..there's a car-wash at the servo on the left.

The article is a bit light... She is learning to drive...... So she is not a driver yet then... So why were there passengers in her car? 

Hope she stays of the roads in the future.

Stupid kow go learn to drive with 2 children in the back.

3 hours ago, Maejo Man said:

How on earth do they learn to drive (or not as the case may be) in registered driving schools of which there many in Chiangmai without some form of license ?

Where is a driver school? I live in Chiang Mai 5 years non stop, and I never saw any driverschool or any car from a drivingschool anywhere in Thaialnd. And we are living in the moat.

Congratulations. You have passed your test, here is your licence and scuba kit. That'll be 2000Bt please.

1 hour ago, chickenrunCM said:

Where is a driver school? I live in Chiang Mai 5 years non stop, and I never saw any driverschool or any car from a drivingschool anywhere in Thaialnd. And we are living in the moat.

you just saw a marked learner's car passing by IN the moat.

joking aside, there are schools where people can get the training needed, IF they want.
But who wants to spend 4000 B to learn how to reverse around the corner or park the car in a space 2 meters longer than the car, let alone go learn how to drive up and down doi saket a few times staying in lane with an average speed of 50 or over, or drive on the road around the moat in rush hour ....
Rather have the kids learn that in the driving school's car than in mine.

 

Scary, but it explains a lot

Never seen a learners permit

This country has not figured out how one can learn to drive.. there is no learning method. You must be 18 TO legally drive.. no learning pAth if under 18.

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11 hours ago, webfact said:

She apparently mistook the brake for the accelerator as they are very close.

They are very close. ???

 

I hope she learnt a good lesson from this...

9 hours ago, LannaGuy said:

U-Turn lor... is there a legal U-Turn outside Ram?

Yes.  for sure!   it's just a bit wet when you try it.

6 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

They don't actually learn usually, hence the road carnage

 

haha, they just buy a car and get on with it, what a great system. the results are plain to see and what does anyone do about it? absolutely nothing.

you just saw a marked learner's car passing by IN the moat.

joking aside, there are schools where people can get the training needed, IF they want.
But who wants to spend 4000 B to learn how to reverse around the corner or park the car in a space 2 meters longer than the car, let alone go learn how to drive up and down doi saket a few times staying in lane with an average speed of 50 or over, or drive on the road around the moat in rush hour ....
Rather have the kids learn that in the driving school's car than in mine.
 

That's what I did with my wife and daughter, driving school near Changpuak Gate, dual controls, to be honest they weren't bad.

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So what happened to the new strict test?

 

"video and still pictures on Manager showed the clear Thai lettering on the back of the car that the driver was new and learning how to drive. "

 

The article says nothing about a learner's permit, just about the small writing on the back window.

 

I saw one today do a right turn and completely misjudge it and almost knock over several parked motorbikes in a marked parking area. Then reverse into the main road to complete the turn making traffic screech to a halt.

Completely hopeless, and lethally dangerous...