Experiences with the color-blindness test for a driving license

[Exploring Thailand]

I've read different reports of what exactly is involved with the color test. It seems that it might vary between provinces.  If it's an ishihara test, I'll probably fail, other types I might have a chance.  

 

I'm just looking for general advice and experiences.  I'm trying to get a feel for the different types of tests that they use. There are now glasses available that claim to help, but they're not cheap and I don't want to buy them if I don't have to. 

 

Has anyone here failed it? Can you retake it if you fail it? 

[stubuzz]

Its like an Ishihara test, but it is made of red yellow, and green bubbles. You only have to identify the colors not a hidden number.

Don't worry. You will probably find that the tester wont care if you make a few mistakes.

[Exploring Thailand]

1 minute ago, stubuzz said:

Its like an Ishihara test, but it is made of red yellow, and green bubbles. You only have to identify the colors not a hidden number.

Don't worry. You will probably find that the tester wont care if you make a few mistakes.

So he shows you a bubble, and you have to say what colour it is. If you get it wrong, you can try again. Is that the way it works?

[wgdanson]

And if you do or do not pass you will not have to conform to lights of any of those colour !   LOL

[wgdanson]

7 minutes ago, Exploring Thailand said:

So he shows you a bubble, and you have to say what colour it is. If you get it wrong, you can try again. Is that the way it works?

For Thais.....yes. 3 in one chance of being right.

[NanLaew]

The OP should make thorough inquiries at the test station he will be attending about what precise formalities and protocols need to be complied with for the examining officer to knowingly issue a driving license to a legally color blind person.

[KhunBENQ]

For me it was just these color bubbles.

Officer points to three different bubbles.

She only pointed to red, yellow, green.

Sometimes they might challenge you and point to blue.

You name the color and that's it.

 

Edited October 25, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[Exploring Thailand]

59 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

For me it was just these color bubbles.

Officer points to three different bubbles.

She only pointed to red, yellow, green.

Sometimes they might challenge you and point to blue.

You name the color and that's it.

Thanks for that. I see you're in Kohn Kaen. Is that where you took the test?

[Exploring Thailand]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

The OP should make thorough inquiries at the test station he will be attending about what precise formalities and protocols need to be complied with for the examining officer to knowingly issue a driving license to a legally color blind person.

As I understand it, different test stations use different tests. I thought I'd try to get a feel for the range of different tests before I choose which station to attend.

[naboo]

I'm colourblind, passed. Test as above. Only problem was a doctor far too keen to do everything thoroughly for the medical. Don't do the medical at a government hospital!

[Spidey]

Just now, naboo said:

I'm colourblind, passed. Test as above. Only problem was a doctor far too keen to do everything thoroughly for the medical. Don't do the medical at a government hospital!

Got my medical certificate at a local clinic. Walked in asked for the certificate, receptionist asked me for 100 baht and gave me the certificate. No doctor, no questions no examination.

[Exploring Thailand]

3 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Got my medical certificate at a local clinic. Walked in asked for the certificate, receptionist asked me for 100 baht and gave me the certificate. No doctor, no questions no examination.

That sounds like a plan. Which centre was that?

[CharlieH]

A suggestive post was removed.

[Spidey]

9 minutes ago, Exploring Thailand said:

That sounds like a plan. Which centre was that?

Soi Buakhao Clinic opposite LK Metro.

[Denim]

I had a different test. No bubble chart.

 

I had to put my chin on a depression that held my head steady and was told to look straight ahead. Next they did a test to determine my peripheral vision by turning on small lights on both the left and right side of my head and I had to say what the colors were.

 

I failed. Could see the lights but not their color. So they did everyone else and I had to repeat the test.

 

Knowing I would perform no better, cheating was called for and I moved my eyes to left and right very quickly to determine the color.

 

They spotted my cheating and laughed but passed me anyway.

 

The only test they were strict on was the emergency stop reaction. Anyone failing was sent home and told to practice honing their reflexes

 

[Spidey]

Just now, Denim said:

The only test they were strict on was the emergency stop reaction. Anyone failing was sent home and told to practice honing their reflexes

 

When I did mine, Chinese girl failed 3 times but passed on the fourth attempt.

[Denim]

9 hours ago, Spidey said:

When I did mine, Chinese girl failed 3 times but passed on the fourth attempt.

Same when I went.

A pretty young woman, who looked neat , tidy and well educated also failed 4 times but did not get a fifth chance. Same for an old man in scruffy clothes.

 

It was amazing to watch her. Almost no reflex action at all.

The red light came on and it was a good long 2 seconds before she braked.

[HampiK]

9 hours ago, Denim said:

I had a different test. No bubble chart.

 

I had to put my chin on a depression that held my head steady and was told to look straight ahead. Next they did a test to determine my peripheral vision by turning on small lights on both the left and right side of my head and I had to say what the colors were.

 

I failed. Could see the lights but not their color. So they did everyone else and I had to repeat the test.

 

Knowing I would perform no better, cheating was called for and I moved my eyes to left and right very quickly to determine the color.

 

They spotted my cheating and laughed but passed me anyway.

 

The only test they were strict on was the emergency stop reaction. Anyone failing was sent home and told to practice honing their reflexes

 

Yes this Test I think is the most difficult one. I also had problems, especially as the yellow and green bubble looked very similar in my view. Maybe I have a problem with yellow/green or their bubbles look really somehow similar, at least when you should spot the color without moving the eyes.

 

 

6 minutes ago, Denim said:

Same when I went.

A pretty young woman, who looked neat , tidy and well educated also failed 4 times but did not get a fifth chance. Same for an old man in scruffy clothes.

 

It was amazing to watch her. Almost no reflex action at all.

The red light came on and it was a good long 2 seconds before she braked.

When I was there I saw even 1 person, who asked which food she have to take to break. I something thinking how they even think for drive a car, when they have so basic questions. and yes there were some which had really slow reactions. But most of them tried to break even before the read light appears after 1-2 failed attemps. and who wonders.. somehow they pass.

[KhunBENQ]

11 hours ago, Exploring Thailand said:

Thanks for that. I see you're in Kohn Kaen. Is that where you took the test?

Actually in Chum Phae, a district town in KK province. My only visit to KK city DLT was in 2011 and had no test there.

[transam]

When I did mine the colour board was that old and faded I said pink when I should have said red...????

[giddyup]

I have sat for the colour test 3 times, first for my initial 1 year licence, and then two 5 year renewals. I would have failed every time but for help. I have been lucky enough to have had a falang standing next to me on the 3 occasions who whispered the colours to me as the tester pointed at the dots. There is no way in hell I could pass without help. It's a joke anyway, I doubt that many countries in the world insist on a colour test, and I have been driving near on 60 years and never gone through a red light yet, unlike the Thais who do it regularly and with fatal consequences.

[Cricky]

18 hours ago, stubuzz said:

Its like an Ishihara test, but it is made of red yellow, and green bubbles. You only have to identify the colors not a hidden number.

Don't worry. You will probably find that the tester wont care if you make a few mistakes.

The old guy doing this test in Pattaya is ruthless.

 

The little guy has a power issue (Short man syndrome).

Doesn’t speak a word of English so any questions, he won’t answer them.

 

There’s an English guy hanging over the partition which explains the Thai guys instructions but he is useless also – won’t answer questions.

[giddyup]

14 minutes ago, VYCM said:

The old guy doing this test in Pattaya is ruthless.

 

The little guy has a power issue (Short man syndrome).

Doesn’t speak a word of English so any questions, he won’t answer them.

 

There’s an English guy hanging over the partition which explains the Thai guys instructions but he is useless also – won’t answer questions.

The last time I renewed, about 6 months ago, it was a young lady doing the testing, and she pretty much turned a blind eye (no pun) to the falang helping me out with the colours.

[Cricky]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

1 hour ago, VYCM said:

The old guy doing this test in Pattaya is ruthless.

 

The little guy has a power issue (Short man syndrome).

Doesn’t speak a word of English so any questions, he won’t answer them.

 

There’s an English guy hanging over the partition which explains the Thai guys instructions but he is useless also – won’t answer questions.

The last time I renewed, about 6 months ago, it was a young lady doing the testing, and she pretty much turned a blind eye (no pun) to the falang helping me out with the colours.

Ha, ha. You’re not that useless English volunteer that I was talking about are you?

 

BTW, I heard on the radio that there has been some changes regarding R.C. for driving licenses’.

Apparently you must present a form from the DLT to receive your R.C.

 

Anyone hear the same?

[connda]

Not sure why Thailand bothers with color-blindness tests.  No body pays attention to the color of the lights anyway. 

[Cricky]

2 hours ago, giddyup said:

I have sat for the colour test 3 times, first for my initial 1 year licence, and then two 5 year renewals. I would have failed every time but for help. I have been lucky enough to have had a falang standing next to me on the 3 occasions who whispered the colours to me as the tester pointed at the dots. There is no way in hell I could pass without help. It's a joke anyway, I doubt that many countries in the world insist on a colour test, and I have been driving near on 60 years and never gone through a red light yet, unlike the Thais who do it regularly and with fatal consequences.

It's only recently they have removed the colored numbers and now have the colored spots.

 

I’ve had a 1 year and 3 x 5 year licences, this is my first test that I have not seen the colored numbers.

[watcharacters]

18 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

For me it was just these color bubbles.

Officer points to three different bubbles.

She only pointed to red, yellow, green.

Sometimes they might challenge you and point to blue.

You name the color and that's it.

 

 

What blue?..

 

[AhFarangJa]

In Cha-Am two years ago the test was a copy of a traffic light with three lights. The tester held a remote with several buttons on it. No way could I identify some of them, three attempts and I "passed".........

p.s. I have looked at the circle posted earlier, and although I am partially colour blind I could identify some of those colours......there may be hope for me yet when I do my renewal in January...????

[Cricky]

4 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

18 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

For me it was just these color bubbles.

Officer points to three different bubbles.

She only pointed to red, yellow, green.

Sometimes they might challenge you and point to blue.

You name the color and that's it.

 

Yes, you’re correct.

This is new, in the past it was numbers.

 

[Oxx]

17 hours ago, Denim said:

I had a different test. No bubble chart.

 

I had to put my chin on a depression that held my head steady and was told to look straight ahead. Next they did a test to determine my peripheral vision by turning on small lights on both the left and right side of my head and I had to say what the colors were.

 

This is a ludicrously designed test.  The colour-sensitive cells in the retina (known as "cones") are clustered in the centre.  This means that peripheral vision is very bad at identifying colours.

 

If the aim were to determine angle of vision, then simply indicating "right" or "left" would be sufficient.  And if the aim were to evaluate colour perception, something like the Ishihara tests should be used.