Thai Drive License and Theory Exam

[zhounan]

I enrolled in a driving school to get a Thai driving licence. I don't have any problems with the practical test as I already have a driving license in my country. But what about the theory test, do you know how it is structured?

 

Thank you in advance to all those who reply.

[Peterw42]

There is no theory or practical test if you already have a license from home country. You present your home licence, do an eyesight/reflex test and watch a video.

[johng]

1 minute ago, zhounan said:

But what about the theory test,

Theory test is a multiple choice computer test you have to get a  certain percentage of the answer "correct"  to pass but  some of the answers do not make sense or are just plain wrongly coded into the computer programYour driving school most likely can point you towards the online  practicetest  which I'd advise you to try before actually doing the test for real.

[johng]

2 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

if you already have a license from home country

Not sure if that applies to all countries licences  it does for most "western" and "developed" countries  that have a photo and writing in English upon them...some report that they have had to go to their embassy/consulate to get the licence translated before the DLT would except it as valid.

[zhounan]

12 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

There is no theory or practical test if you already have a license from home country. You present your home licence, do an eyesight/reflex test and watch a video.

Yes, I know, but I wanted to sign up anyway because there was a big discount and because in my country people drive in the opposite direction, so I need practice.

[JackGats]

The driving school will let you practise on their computer until you consistently score high enough (95/100 I think). The difficulty lies in the questions where the translation is misleading. A few question have twisted logic too.

[Yellowtail]

1 hour ago, zhounan said:

Yes, I know, but I wanted to sign up anyway because there was a big discount and because in my country people drive in the opposite direction, so I need practice.

 

I think the only real issues driving on the opposite side of the road are:

1. Looking the wrong way when pulling out onto a not so busy road from a parking lot/side road. 

2. Using the windshield wipers rather than the turn-signals .

 

It was much easier to get used to than I thought it would be...

 

[JackGats]

15 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

 

I think the only real issues driving on the opposite side of the road are:

1. Looking the wrong way when pulling out onto a not so busy road from a parking lot/side road. 

2. Using the windshield wipers rather than the turn-signals .

 

It was much easier to get used to than I thought it would be...

 

I felt driving too close to the curb was also an issue (ie keeping right in the middle of your lane). Overall I think if you stop driving on the right for good and drive henceforth only on the left you get used to it once and for all. What messes things up is if you fly back home and drive on the right for a couple of months each year.

[arick]

I can teach you how to drive. 

[mvdf]

20 hours ago, zhounan said:

I enrolled in a driving school to get a Thai driving licence.

 

It makes sense for some to enroll locally and get the licence on the strength of having completed a local driving course. In Cambodia, converting a foreign licence entitles you to a 1 year local licence, whereas completing a local course gets you (like Cambodians) a full 10 year licence. 

[chilly07]

With a home country licence you don't have to do the theory test or in most cases even watch the video. The driving school will walk you through the application. Don't worry about driving on the left. Thais drive on both sides anyway! On the left side of a dual carriageway you will have Thais driving towards you on your left and right plus Thais undertaking  and overtaking you at the same time. Thais believe driving regulations don't apply to them and merit making and amulets protect them

Edited June 19, 2021 by chilly07

[jomtienisgood]

21 hours ago, johng said:

Theory test is a multiple choice computer test you have to get a  certain percentage of the answer "correct"  to pass but  some of the answers do not make sense or are just plain wrongly coded into the computer programYour driving school most likely can point you towards the online  practicetest  which I'd advise you to try before actually doing the test for real.

Absolutely agree with some ' nonsense' answers. 

[jomtienisgood]

1 hour ago, arick said:

I can teach you how to drive. 

Bicycle.?? 555555

[jomtienisgood]

1 hour ago, mvdf said:

 

It makes sense for some to enroll locally and get the licence on the strength of having completed a local driving course. In Cambodia, converting a foreign licence entitles you to a 1 year local licence, whereas completing a local course gets you (like Cambodians) a full 10 year licence. 

BUT, we are not in Cambodia....So completely different..

[jomtienisgood]

20 hours ago, JackGats said:

The driving school will let you practise on their computer until you consistently score high enough (95/100 I think). The difficulty lies in the questions where the translation is misleading. A few question have twisted logic too.

Next to the twisted question / multiple choice there are 50 questions? maximum errors allowed = 4.

[MrJ2U]

Bring someone who speaks Thai.  It helped me when I messed up on some tests with the rope.

They just laughed and passed me.

[mrfill]

20 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

 

I think the only real issues driving on the opposite side of the road are:

1. Looking the wrong way when pulling out onto a not so busy road from a parking lot/side road. 

2. Using the windshield wipers rather than the turn-signals .

 

It was much easier to get used to than I thought it would be...

 

But left hand drive cars don't have the controls the other way round. Years ago a few Japanese RHD cars did have indicators on the right but very rare now. Before the days of electric windows, it was common to try and change gear with the window winder.

If you only look one way when pulling out, you  have adopted Thai driving style (advanced). Always check both ways - wherever you are.

[jomtienisgood]

23 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Bring someone who speaks Thai.  It helped me when I messed up on some tests with the rope.

They just laughed and passed me.

Why bring someone who speaks Th?? In the eventuality of a theoretical test it is in English. They probably laughed because they imagined you would hang yourself with the rope. 5555????????

[Gandtee]

22 hours ago, zhounan said:

Yes, I know, but I wanted to sign up anyway because there was a big discount and because in my country people drive in the opposite direction, so I need practice.

They do here on occasions.????

[Presnock]

21 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

 

I think the only real issues driving on the opposite side of the road are:

1. Looking the wrong way when pulling out onto a not so busy road from a parking lot/side road. 

2. Using the windshield wipers rather than the turn-signals .

 

It was much easier to get used to than I thought it would be...

 

I too thought it would be more difficult to drive on the "wrong" side of the road but after living around the world in many countries that do that, and the fact that most of their vehicles were manual transmissions I found that even that wasn't any problem at all.  As mentioned above, the turn-signals and windshield wipers still (after 50 years) occasionally cause a problem.

[Yellowtail]

16 minutes ago, mrfill said:

But left hand drive cars don't have the controls the other way round. Years ago a few Japanese RHD cars did have indicators on the right but very rare now. Before the days of electric windows, it was common to try and change gear with the window winder.

If you only look one way when pulling out, you  have adopted Thai driving style (advanced). Always check both ways - wherever you are.

 

I can tell you with certainly that all the cars in the US, or at least every vehicle I have owned, rented or otherwise driven in the US in the last fifty years have all had turn signals on the opposite side of the steering wheel than do any of the vehicles I have driven in Thailand in the last twenty years. There are some other hand controls that are different, but none of any consequence I can think of. The foot-pedals all seem to be the same.

 

I've never tried to change gears with the window crank, although grabbing a girl's knee by "accident" when attempting to change gears happened a few times....

 

That the gear-pattern seems to be the same makes sense as they can use the same transmission  in all countries. 

 

Please note  I said turning on to not so busy roads. You look both ways on a busy road, the traffic tells you which way to go. You look both ways on a not busy road, there is no traffic to tell you which way to go....

[Aliflair]

21 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

 

I think the only real issues driving on the opposite side of the road are:

1. Looking the wrong way when pulling out onto a not so busy road from a parking lot/side road. 

2. Using the windshield wipers rather than the turn-signals .

 

It was much easier to get used to than I thought it would be...

 

Can solve 2 easily by buying an MG

[jomtienisgood]

7 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

 

I can tell you with certainly that all the cars in the US, or at least every vehicle I have owned, rented or otherwise driven in the US in the last fifty years have all had turn signals on the opposite side of the steering wheel than do any of the vehicles I have driven in Thailand in the last twenty years. There are some other hand controls that are different, but none of any consequence I can think of. The foot-pedals all seem to be the same.

 

I've never tried to change gears with the window crank, although grabbing a girl's knee by "accident" when attempting to change gears happened a few times....

 

That the gear-pattern seems to be the same makes sense as they can use the same transmission  in all countries. 

 

Please note  I said turning on to not so busy roads. You look both ways on a busy road, the traffic tells you which way to go. You look both ways on a not busy road, there is no traffic to tell you which way to go....

I enjoyed reading the ' accident ' part.5555

[sawadee1947]

1 hour ago, mrfill said:

But left hand drive cars don't have the controls the other way round. Years ago a few Japanese RHD cars did have indicators on the right but very rare now. Before the days of electric windows, it was common to try and change gear with the window winder.

If you only look one way when pulling out, you  have adopted Thai driving style (advanced). Always check both ways - wherever you are.

If you got problems then it's better for you to grab a Grab 

[zhounan]

22 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

 

I think the only real issues driving on the opposite side of the road are:

1. Looking the wrong way when pulling out onto a not so busy road from a parking lot/side road. 

2. Using the windshield wipers rather than the turn-signals .

 

It was much easier to get used to than I thought it would be...

 

 

The second one is my current problem.

[zhounan]

3 hours ago, arick said:

I can teach you how to drive. 

 

Do you have two beautiful legs? ????????

[Yellowtail]

2 minutes ago, zhounan said:

 

Do you have two beautiful legs? ????????

 

I like the kind with feet on one end and p***y on the other...

[thailand49]

Based on your story as noted by one poster you really don't need to go through the whole process if you show you License back home or show them a International permit.

Regarding their test there is no " theory " no critical thinking to their written test reason why they drive the way they do!????

[Scott Tracy]

2 hours ago, mrfill said:

But left hand drive cars don't have the controls the other way round. Years ago a few Japanese RHD cars did have indicators on the right but very rare now. Before the days of electric windows, it was common to try and change gear with the window winder.

 

My Thai built American vehicle has the turn signal on the right of the steering column, as did my Audi A6 in UK. Other cars that I had were either left side or right side. Not sure if there are any rules on this, but probably not.

[Aarin]

You don't do a Theory Test if you already have a license. Watch a video.. do a basic reflex test that a blind man would pass and that's it. Get your Thai license an hour later.