'Big Bike' Licence

[KhaoYai]

I haven't been back to Thailand since I left in March and unless things change regarding quarantine etc. I probably won't be back until next March at the earliest.  My existing Thai bike licence isn't due to expire for a couple of years + I have a UK unlimited licence to fall back on.

 

I understand that full details of the requirements for the new Thai 'big bike' licence are still to be announced but its getting fairly close - does anyone have an update on the situation?  I'm hoping that my UK licence will suffice to show my experience and to be honest, expect that any changes only apply to new licence applicants.  If the requirements go against me, given that I am not a full time resident, I believe I will be OK to show my UK licence?

 

They better not penalise me, I'm already miffed that I will be fined for not taxing my bike this year - even though I wasn't allowed to enter the country when it was due for tax and annual safety check - it may only be 100 baht or so but its the principle! ????

[papa al]

 

If papa goes Colorado next summer,

will be charged extra $100 per vehicle re-registration.

DL is expired too.

Prolly be screwed blued & tattooed there too.

Edited December 6, 2020 by papa al

[KhaoYai]

1 minute ago, papa al said:

One baht per month.

Ya screw 'em.

I was also wondering if I could apply for a refund on my Muti Entry Non O - seeing as I've only been allowed to use it once. ????????????

[Damrongsak]

1 hour ago, KhaoYai said:

I was also wondering if I could apply for a refund on my Muti Entry Non O - seeing as I've only been allowed to use it once. ????????????

Are you sure you don't have a Multi Entry No-No visa?

[KhaoYai]

1 hour ago, Damrongsak said:

Are you sure you don't have a Multi Entry No-No visa?

It would appear so.

[Damrongsak]

1 hour ago, KhaoYai said:

It would appear so.

That sucks.  They just can't respond to conditions and get this stuff right.  

[Kwasaki]

5 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

does anyone have an update on the situation?

I believe I will be OK to show my UK licence?

No updates on what will happen to people with a Thai 5 year motorcycle DL's who already own and have been riding riding big bikes.

If you have category 'A' on your UK DL then you should not have any problem getting your big bike Thai DL.

 

I don't know what I will have to do yet, I have my expired UK DL with category 'A' but was unable to renew it because I don't live in UK anymore.

 

[Agusts]

You can always show your UK license, but even better get a international driving permit  (IDP) from post office before you come, valid for a year and cost £5 - if not changed...

 

Also late tax fine is 1 baht per month - yes, read it right, 1 baht...!!! It baffled me for a while when I had to pay 102b last year, when I was 2 months late, and 101b this year, when I was late 1 day - count as one month...!? But now I know why...., Thai wisdom.... ????

 

[KhaoYai]

8 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

If you have category 'A' on your UK DL then you should not have any problem getting your big bike Thai DL.

Yes, my UK licence has a category A marker and my Thai licence is a 5 year one.  One would hope that the new rules, when announced, don't affect those who already have a bike - there will be quite a significant number of riders, Thai and foreign who rely on their bike for their daily transport.

 

Just seems a bit crazy that no details have been given yet - I believe the new rules, whatever they may be, are due to come in in February.

[jackdd]

I have seen no further information yet.

But considering that traffic checkpoints have been scrapped and the official fine for driving without license has been lowered to 200THB.... the only relevant question is what does a potential voluntary insurance policy require to payout in case of an accident.

[Kwasaki]

4 minutes ago, jackdd said:

I have seen no further information yet.

But considering that traffic checkpoints have been scrapped and the official fine for driving without license has been lowered to 200THB.... the only relevant question is what does a potential voluntary insurance policy require to payout in case of an accident.

Well no Thai insurance company will insure my bike so it's CTPL only.

DL or no DL at lest with CTPL you are insured.

[Kwasaki]

42 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

.Just seems a bit crazy that no details have been given yet - I believe the new rules, whatever they may be, are due to come in in February.

Big bike DL is just another stupid idea if you ask me and just another money maker for govt DLT's because a lot more Thais are riding and getting big bikes as I see it, nothing more IMHO.

With the usual run of meal bikes/scooters and bigger 390cc scooters coming out the carnage of motorcycle accidents will continue.

[canthai55]

20 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Well no Thai insurance company will insure my bike so it's CTPL only.

DL or no DL at lest with CTPL you are insured.

Did you try MSIG ?

Thru AA Insurance Pattaya - they were the only company who would give me First Class for my new bike last year.

Switched all my bikes to them now - great coverage and low rates

[KhaoYai]

30 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Well no Thai insurance company will insure my bike so it's CTPL only.

DL or no DL at lest with CTPL you are insured.

My bike came with First Class insurance from the previous owner - when I tried to renew it in my name, the company refused as it was almost 5 years old.  I tried lots of companies and all said the same.  Then a friend suggested I tried a broker in Bangkok - Lockton Wattana in Bangkok. Strangely, they were able to get insurance for me from the original company that had refused!

 

https://www.locktonwattana.co.th/en/home-en/

 

Since then I've also had very cheap quotes from Roojai.com although their medical cover was half of what I already have.

Edited December 7, 2020 by KhaoYai

[Kwasaki]

5 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Did you try MSIG ?

Thru AA Insurance Pattaya - they were the only company who would give me First Class for my new bike last year.

Switched all my bikes to them now - great coverage and low rates

Thanks but I cannot or want to budget for a new bike that's why I bought a 27 year old bike I like.

No Thai company will insure my bike unlike UK and western insurance companies it only has the Thai govt CTPL. 

[KhaoYai]

3 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

I bought a 27 year old bike

Understand now.  Don't understand the Thai insurer's position on this though - they'd get a reasonable premium with a low total loss payout.

[Kwasaki]

6 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

My bike came with First Class insurance from the previous owner

My 27 year old bike was dumped for nearly 7 years.

I restored it to ride the road no Thai insurance company will insure it.

[Kwasaki]

3 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Understand now.  Don't understand the Thai insurer's position on this though - they'd get a reasonable premium with a low total loss payout.

I figure that Thai ins companies decide when a bike gets to a certain age that CTPL is cover enough. 

[canthai55]

2 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Thanks but I cannot or want to budget for a new bike

New to me - not a brand new bike

[alx123]

New proposed max speed for motorcycles:

 

below 400cc:

max 80 kph

 

above 400cc:

max 100kph

 

Said speed cameras will be everywhere..

[MartinL]

5 hours ago, alx123 said:

New proposed max speed for motorcycles:

 

below 400cc:

max 80 kph

 

above 400cc:

max 100kph

 

Said speed cameras will be everywhere..

 

Where did that come from, alx?

 

So killing off the online alcohol selling businesses such as Wishbeer isn't enough for Prayut's nanny-state, ban everything enjoyable government, now they want to kill-off dealers selling any bike above Wave-size. Nobody's going to buy a 250/300/399 cc bike if it's restricted to sub-80 kph speeds and, even more so, 400+ cc bikes restricted to 100 kph. If true, this will make overtaking other vehicles - especially out-of-town - on a bike practically illegal.

Edited December 8, 2020 by MartinL

[johng]

Quote

Smaller motorcycles will not be allowed to exceed 80kph, while those with 400cc engines and 35-kilowatt engines and above are limited to 100kph.

School buses must not exceed a speed limit of 80kph.

The speed limit for vehicles travelling in the furthest right lane is no less than 100kph.

 

So small bikes and school buses  wont be allowed to u-turn   as they are limited to 80kph but have to be doing 100 kph to use the u-turn lane    ????

[metisdead]

A post with a link to Bangkok Post has been removed:

 

26) The Bangkok Post and Phuketwan do not allow quotes from their news articles or other material to appear on Thaivisa.com. Neither do they allow links to their publications. Posts from members containing quotes from or links to Bangkok Post or Phuketwan publications will be deleted from the forum.
 

[canthai55]

7 hours ago, alx123 said:

Said speed cameras will be everywhere..

I never get speeding tickets. And I speed all the time.

Google is your friend

[jackdd]

3 hours ago, MartinL said:

and, even more so, 400+ cc bikes restricted to 100 kph. If true, this will make overtaking other vehicles - especially out-of-town - on a bike practically illegal.

The current speed limit is 90km/h for everybody, but people still buy big bikes.

[MartinL]

12 hours ago, jackdd said:

The current speed limit is 90km/h for everybody, but people still buy big bikes.

You're right of course but I was looking at this from my own perspective, as a biker who likes smaller bikes on smaller roads - my current one is 250. No longer legally allowed to safely and quickly overtake general traffic travelling at less than the current speed limit of 90 kph on the main carriageway, although my bike's quite capable of doing so - as am I as a rider of about 50 years experience.

 

If I was deemed sufficiently well trained, by Thai standards, to be issued with a 'big bike' licence, why would I then be further speed-restricted because I choose to ride a smaller bike sometimes? Can ride a 1000 cc bike at 100 kph but, if I later went out on a sub-400 bike, I wouldn't be considered capable of riding that bike at 100 kph. Daft!!

 

Similar to an argument on another 'big bike licence' thread here - 'Is a 'big bike' licence needed for bikes of 400+ cc AND 35 kW  or is it 400+ cc OR 35kW?'. The consensus was that 'OR' would be the better wording - i.e. also related to power rather than only capacity. 250 cc/40 kW = small bike licence, 500 cc/30 kW = big bike licence.

 

Nice to express these thoughts but ultimately pointless, of course.

Edited December 9, 2020 by MartinL

[eisfeld]

5 hours ago, MartinL said:

If I was deemed sufficiently well trained, by Thai standards, to be issued with a 'big bike' licence, why would I then be further speed-restricted because I choose to ride a smaller bike sometimes? Can ride a 1000 cc bike at 100 kph but, if I later went out on a sub-400 bike, I wouldn't be considered capable of riding that bike at 100 kph. Daft!!

 

Similar to an argument on another 'big bike licence' thread here - 'Is a 'big bike' licence needed for bikes of 400+ cc AND 35 kW  or is it 400+ cc OR 35kW?'. The consensus was that 'OR' would be the better wording - i.e. also related to power rather than only capacity. 250 cc/40 kW = small bike licence, 500 cc/30 kW = big bike licence.

 

Nice to express these thoughts but ultimately pointless, of course.

 

The speed limit is for bikes vs cars vs trucks, not based on cc.

 

The new license rule uses AND the way I understood it. I could be wrong there, have not seen the actual regulation. OR would make a bit more sense but in the end the whole cc part is useless. Should be just about the power, especially in light of electric bikes becoming more common in the future.

 

I agree fully with your last sentence.

[KhaoYai]

9 hours ago, MartinL said:

Similar to an argument on another 'big bike licence' thread here - 'Is a 'big bike' licence needed for bikes of 400+ cc AND 35 kW  or is it 400+ cc OR 35kW?'. The consensus was that 'OR' would be the better wording - i.e. also related to power rather than only capacity. 250 cc/40 kW = small bike licence, 500 cc/30 kW = big bike licence.

I'm not aware of any power limitation - just cc.  If we are talking about the same 'other thread' - it could be me that's confused you byt talking about power restrictors in the UK.

[MartinL]

2 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

I'm not aware of any power limitation - just cc.  If we are talking about the same 'other thread' - it could be me that's confused you byt talking about power restrictors in the UK.

 Other thread was:-

 

35 kW (47 hp) was first raised by Eisfeld so it definitely wasn't you and no confusion involved.

 

There was also an article in 'The BPaper that Cannot be Mentioned' on 2nd. December re. 120 kph speed limit where a power limit is mentioned. Found it yesterday. Still short on detail. 

Edited December 9, 2020 by MartinL