9 minutes ago, HaoleBoy said:

Most big bike riders are taught when buying a new big bike how to pick it up if it goes down.  Even women can pick up a big Harley Cruiser if taught right ....

You just confirmed what I was relating to. Taught. Small bikes are no problem. So if they want to reclassify the distinction then perhaps it should be based on acceleration and speed. anyway, for me I don't care either way as there should be more bike riding education all around. I will get my bigger bike license as have no problem with it at all.

Makes more sense that people under 25 can't drive bigger bikes. In any event it is more important to enforce the law about wearing crash helmets than fiddling with drivers licenses for relatively few big bikes. 

In the UK, when New driving rules are introduced, 

People who already qualify from their old licence are still permitted, but any new applicants have to take a test to qualify. 

I wonder if anyone who holds a motorbike licence now will qualify? 

Saying that, there are one or two issues spring to mind. 

One is the people who like to "help" people get a licence will be very happy for the prospect of more tea money to share around the office. 

The mib won't be too disappointed eather. 

And two, 

Apart from checkpoints, how will anyone know weather the rider is qualified or not? 

Im sure big bikes are way down the list of causes of accidents on the highways and byways of this wonderful country. 

Would save more lives if they simply said No Big Bike Rentals.

In Finland all over 125 cc is big pike. You can get 125cc motorpike licence 16 years old and it chance to normal licence when you are 18 years old. Tractor licence you can get 14 years old and moped 50cc 15 years old. All motor vehicle need licence like in many normal coundrys . 18 years old you can get car licence and truck license 21 years old.

If your farangland licence includes big bikes do you automatically get the big bike licence here too?

1 hour ago, Brunolem said:

France has (had?) the two licence system for decades now, with big bikes starting at 400 cc. 

 

There are pretty few of those in Thailand where the large majority rides scooters and bikes with less than 200 cc. 

 

Japan also has different licences though they effectively have 4.

with a car licence up to 49cc

small, up to 150cc (95% pass rate) 

medium, up to 400cc (50% pass rate)

unlimited (5% pass rate)

The test for the unlimited licence is tough and includes things I have never done in 50 years of riding most sizes of bikes and hundreds of thousands of miles.

Once again we are upside down in Thailand, the land of 'almost right'.

 

Millions of bikes, most are under 150cc, and most accidents are those smaller bikes. The existing test is no test at all, and now a new test for bigger bikes! Well done, shut the door after the horse has bolted, had kids and involved them all in a pile up!

 

A more comprehensive test is a necessity, but for all riders, not specifically bigger bikes. The skill level of the average Thai on a bike is paltry; many consider the front brake dangerous and less effective than the rear! There are no skills that are specific big bikes, only road strategy and how to pick the <deleted> up if/when you drop it.

 

Singapore operates three licenses for bikes: up to 150, up to 400, and open class. The tests are almost precisely the same and the sole purpose of re-testing is to ensure no bad habits have crept into the riders MO. But the initial course in Singapore is mandatory, takes weeks to a couple of months to take all the lessons and produces riders that are trained to check their blindspots whenever they do anything, to brake effectively and safely, and to ride slowly and in good control. I am a 'graduate' of Singapore's system having ridden here with no prior training before I moved to Singapore. They erased all my bad habits.

 

The irony of it is that the system that is compulsory there was first seen here. The bike manufacturers operated classes for customers to learn because too many were dying. Singapore got wind of the program and came to see it before enforcing it as a mandatory program. Here they can't get over 50% helmet compliance after 20 + years of not really trying.

 

A good percentage of riders on larger bikes do the courses provided by those manufacturers, not enough, but more than the 0% who do real training on smaller bikes. All the younger riders at events I've been to were all pushed towards training by their older friends - there is a reasonable attitude to safety in some sectors of the Thai big-bike market. I've seen riders with improper footwear and jackets were told to get themselves sorted before they could ride with the group again. It is far from true that all Thai riders are clueless and unconscious to safety. However, it is mainly the big bike riders that are conscientious and make efforts to be safe.

 

The basic test needs to be massively upgraded. Policing needs to be effective - no more letting helmet-less riders get away with it. By all means have a second test for a second-tier license, but erase the bad habits early not after years of riding smaller bikes.

1 hour ago, Brunolem said:

France has (had?) the two licence system for decades now, with big bikes starting at 400 cc. 

 

 

 

Most EU countries have. In NL you need another license for everything over 50 cc.

 

 

34 minutes ago, mahjongguy said:

Would save more lives if they simply said No Big Bike Rentals.

The Problem i see regarding your comment is that this ministerial act is not about those renting when visiting, as those folks need to be properly licensed from there home country to be insured and able to ride a larger bike here, which is never checked.  This act I believe is aimed at all of the Big Bike riders who reside here in Thailand, and not just expats and tourists.  Plenty of young men who get a brand new high powered bike and seem to kill themselves shortly thereafter trying to ride fast.  A lack of headlights on at night, darkened streets, and I could go on forever..... 

 

I learned a along time ago, when I started to ride Police bikes, that its not about if you will be going down on your bike, but when.  There are those that have not gone down, but more than likely it will occur sometime in your bike riding life, because of someone else, or because of the roadway conditions you do not see.  More accidents occur from a lack of a high visual horizon, and looking narrowly forwarded as well as when you come onto the main roadway from an unimproved shoulder, or when merging onto a roadway from a side street.  Been down a few times myself, and they were because of someone hitting me from the side, or from my not seeing a condition like black ice on the road during a cold spell.  Like I said, its not a matter if but just a matter of when.  Be safe folks is all I can say.

2 hours ago, pineapple01 said:

I and 3 other Cars pulled out in front of one whilst crossing a Hi Way, technically our fault but it tried to whiz between 2 of us. The Bike ended up so far down the Hi Way the Cops did all but apologise for the young lad. It was a top end Ninja, doing guesstimated 150kph and in this case a test would have saved the lads legs imo.

Your blaming the rider for an accident you caused which took his legs ??? 

 

Unreal !! 

3 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

In theory this should only affect Thais, as most expats are presenting an unrestricted home license to get a Thai license.

Interested to know whether we will need to start again, showing home license etc.

Not for the French citizens who get a driving licence for their a motorcycle under 250 CC along with the car licence. 

I wonder what kind of tests....been riding a bike 20 years over here actually so, hopefully it will help.

A bit of a bother now as I am looking at buying a new "big" bike. On the other hand maybe some "new" second hand bikes will be on the market shortly at an interesting price

3 hours ago, HaoleBoy said:

Would like to see a requirement for headlights to be on from dusk and when raining.    More cars and scooters riding around at night with no lights.  Start ticketing these drivers!

How are you going to do that - the police don't come out after dark!

2 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

How are you going to do that - the police don't come out after dark!

a few years back, I was stopped by a police officer at a traffic box, and had to pay a fine of 200 baht because I had my headlights on during the dark and cloudy day while riding the motorbike.  He told me "No lights on during the day allowed", I told him I have my lights on because I want to be noticed by other vehicles because its pretty dark, my bike is gray and without the lights on I blend in with the surroundings.  He told me pay the fine, and no lights.......gotta figure safety was important, but not.

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

a few years back, I was stopped by a police officer at a traffic box, and had to pay a fine of 200 baht because I had my headlights on during the dark and cloudy day while riding the motorbike.  He told me "No lights on during the day allowed", I told him I have my lights on because I want to be noticed by other vehicles because its pretty dark, my bike is gray and without the lights on I blend in with the surroundings.  He told me pay the fine, and no lights.......gotta figure safety was important, but not.

I've got a little Yamaha 110cc " step through" - about nine years old - and the lights on that are permanently on, turning the ignition key turns the light on. I thought that was the law here anyway?

3 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

should really start at 250cc or more. But realistically should be a bike that you can't pick it up if you drop it, or it takes you more than 5 minutes to do so..

You mean ‘snatch and jerk’ above the head???

 

Pretty much any bike can be uprighted by a normally abled / sized person - its just technique. Perhaps you are unfamiliar with how to pick up a heavy bike. 

 

 

It will be up to the cop that stops you, if they can find nothing else wrong to get money for.

2 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

You just confirmed what I was relating to. Taught. Small bikes are no problem. So if they want to reclassify the distinction then perhaps it should be based on acceleration and speed. anyway, for me I don't care either way as there should be more bike riding education all around. I will get my bigger bike license as have no problem with it at all.

I agree that everyone riding a ‘bigger bike’ should have a licence for that classification of bike.

 

The classification obviously needs to be based on power / capacity.

400cc up would make sense.

 

All of that said: There seems to be a daft degree of sanctimony in this deal of ‘big bike rider needing a separate licence’ as this will do very little to limit the accidents for the following reasons.

 

- Most accidents / deaths involve smaller bikes

- Most deaths are are a result of no helmet

- Shops will still rent out big bikes to those with no licence

- Police will not police it - so its a moot point anyway, no one will get it

 

 

7 minutes ago, KhunKenAP said:

It will be up to the cop that stops you, if they can find nothing else wrong to get money for.

 

In Bangkok I’ve been stopped 3 times on my motorcycle in the past 4 years. 

 

The first two times, as soon as I opened my helmet they saw I was a westerner and waved along without even asking for my license. 

The third time I was riding down the middle of Vihabvaidi road (cars only) - it was my first time riding a motorcycle in that area of Bangkok and I missed the no motorcycle signs. I was waved aside by the Police, it cost me 100B.

 

From my experience - the BiB targeting foreign drivers of cars or motorcycles is not a ‘thing’ in Bangkok. This seems prevalent in Pattaya and perhaps Hua Hin. 

Thai version of a big bike with small riders 

 

            

Why don't they make ALL people who apply for a new licence be time limited to riding 250cc or smaller bikes. Then after say 2 years, them them move up to bigger bikes. This is what many countries with a functioning Ministry of Transport do.

Also, it wouldn't hurt to ensure X number of hours at a riding school, and more rigorous practical tests too.

Those who already have licenses, from either Thailand or abroad, would only need to do a stripped down version, which would still include a practical examination.

This is my bike.  It is 1800cc.  It is a big bike!

are there more death with big bikes or the regular 125CC whatevers on the road...

 

can you go onto highway with big bike ?

Enforce the 110 cc limitation on young riders, plus crash helmet, driving on the correct side of the road, observing traffic lights and quite a few more.   Of the "few more", even the most "experienced" car drivers appear to not be aware.   The 110 cc ruling is there for a reason though you wouldn't think so when looking at a school or college's bike park.   

 

If you are not aware of the 110 cc rule, look on the back of a bike license. 

Who is going to do this training - lol - not another 2 hour DVD in Thai? 
Judging by the regular test this shouldn’t be too difficult and might keep a few cocks off the road, but then they won’t take the test anyway - the police won’t enforce it .: so nothing to see. 

Nanny state rubbish. Copying stupid rules from the West.

And tomorrow they will regulate the softness of the toilet paper, according to the size of the a***

 

My view:

 

This big bike ticket is a very good idea. And a good start for accident reduction.

Not sure where to draw the line, big/small, but I think 250 cc should fall in the big bucket.

 

Congrats.

 

 

The question should be how many Thai people do you know that 'have' a bike license?
A quick ask around i did came up with a figure of zero.
 

i wish they would also test the bike...especially the sound they make. scares me...day and night.

5 hours ago, jackdd said:

The summary of the Cabinet meeting https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/34287

 

 

 

Google translate of this summary

 

 

 

As we can see, they don't tell us yet how they classify a big bike.

As usual, so much waffle but surely the 1st point they should be stating is - what do they define as a big bike??!!!!!

 

There is so much confusion in this country for these very reasons.     There's NO clarity from the top!!!!