Driver License Testing: No Win (Catch 22)

[NotEinstein]

I renewed my licence a few months back, taking the Thai version of the online test which had videos of a couple of Thai lads explaining the obvious - there were English subs. The answers to questions after each video were really obvious having paid attention and using google translate. I didn't get any wrong, but a wrong answer would have been indicated.

 

Has the test changed recently from the two guys more interested in eating than getting started and showing poor driving such as only one hand on the wheel and turning to chat with the passenger?

[gmmarvin]

Did my online drivers test in August.  Missed 3 of the 4 question asked.  Passed and went to DLT the next day and received my new 5 year extension.

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, kennw said:

Obvious from the way they drive that many drivers dont know what a road safety rule is about, thats why they fail.

The test is somewhat superfluous, even if the questions were logical with sensible answers there is a disconnect between an exam and what happens in a car because there is very little if any training. 

 

In the UK we were told that we only truly learn to drive a car once we have passed our test. i.e. taking lessons and driving gets us to a certain point, the rest of the learning we do ourselves and primarily take 'hints' and 'make observations' of the road traffic around us and mirror that behavior. 

 

If a nations roads are made up of people who have flicked on the eff-you switch and are driving carelessly, selfishly, dangerously, then anyone else around them is picking up on that and mirroring much of that behavior.... 

... as a consequnce the driving standards of society on a whole diminish to the extent we see in Thailand where it is quite normal it see a range of issues on a daily basis from the utterly dumb to the outright dangerous. 

 

I want to also complement Thai drivers - its astonishing that there isn't more road rage. Perhaps there isn't because everyone knows how many other are armed and minor confrontations escalate to nuclear in seconds. 

Edited September 5, 2023 by richard_smith237

[JayClay]

18 hours ago, NokYai611 said:

Each time he has pleaded with the “diligent” staff to help him…..by showing him which questions were answered wrongly.  These folks couldn’t be bothered!  They refused every time. What an operation!

 

43 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I think that you're missing the point of a test!  They were doing the right thing.

It is hardly abnormal to "go over the answers" after completing a test, of any description and at any level.

 

As has been mentioned in this thread a couple of times, the machines used to give you this information without even having to ask.

[rct99q]

Just did the test in Nong Khai in February. Nearly fell asleep during the video. About 50 people, 40 Thai, 2 English, and a couple of others not sure what language their tests were in. Scored 49 and got a big thumbs up from staff. Results are shown at the end if you want to review. Nearly every question was covered in the video.  

Staff at Nong Khai could not have been more helpful. The driver test lady spoke great English and we had a good laugh at two Thai guys doing the motorcycle test who could not stay on the raised beam in a straight line. Both fell off multiple times half way through. She was making fun of them in a nice way in English and they had no idea what she was saying. Overall not a bad day. Have had a license for about 10 years before covid, but expired for more than three years. At the end there was a small box right hand side of the screen to click on to see wrong answers. I remember as after completing test I still had time for review and you could pick which question or questions you wanted to review. I did and after rereading some questions changed my answers. 

[dingdongrb]

WT4, are you saying that one cannot slip a brown envelope to the clerk and obtain a license these days?

[JBChiangRai]

2 minutes ago, dingdongrb said:

WT4, are you saying that one cannot slip a brown envelope to the clerk and obtain a license these days?

No need, they come free with a bag of rice.

[jacko45k]

6 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Since when has anyone in a uniform been helpful?

A nurse maybe?

[NokYai611]

8 hours ago, JayClay said:

When I did the computer test, going back many years now, you were shown which questions you got wrong after the test along with the "correct" answer. Is that no longer the case?

Yes, your experience matches mine (from about 8 years ago)….but now they do not show which questions were incorrect …..and worse, when asked for that insight, they say NO!!

Farcical! 
 

Good News……just learned my staff guy FINALLY passed the car computer test……no thanks to the warm-hearted folks at the Land Transport Office!!!!!!!

[NokYai611]

2 hours ago, dingdongrb said:

WT4, are you saying that one cannot slip a brown envelope to the clerk and obtain a license these days?

Certainly you can…….I simply won’t.

[NokYai611]

2 hours ago, rct99q said:

Just did the test in Nong Khai in February. Nearly fell asleep during the video. About 50 people, 40 Thai, 2 English, and a couple of others not sure what language their tests were in. Scored 49 and got a big thumbs up from staff. Results are shown at the end if you want to review. Nearly every question was covered in the video.  

Staff at Nong Khai could not have been more helpful. The driver test lady spoke great English and we had a good laugh at two Thai guys doing the motorcycle test who could not stay on the raised beam in a straight line. Both fell off multiple times half way through. She was making fun of them in a nice way in English and they had no idea what she was saying. Overall not a bad day. Have had a license for about 10 years before covid, but expired for more than three years. At the end there was a small box right hand side of the screen to click on to see wrong answers. I remember as after completing test I still had time for review and you could pick which question or questions you wanted to review. I did and after rereading some questions changed my answers. 

Good to learn of a better experience - thumbs up Nong Khai - and another finger for Pattaya DLT!

[KannikaP]

7 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

Coming from the UK, the only major differences I found were that most Thai's rarely see roundabouts and despite white stop lines being painted on the exit, local customs tend to apply.

 

And more importantly, if you are driving down a road and turning right into a side road, any traffic waiting in that side road to turn right in front of you has right of way, it's completely the opposite in the UK.

But more logical as it frees up the side road to let you turn into it.

But of course, you've both got to wait until there is nowt coming the other way.

Edited September 5, 2023 by KannikaP

[JBChiangRai]

1 minute ago, KannikaP said:

But more logical as it frees up the side road to let you turn into it.

I agree, I also like being able to turn left on red traffic lights

[NokYai611]

4 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Strange! When I made the test, it was possible to go back and look up what was wrong. Why he not do that?

Now, at Pattaya at least, this cannot be done……and DLT staff won’t assist!

[NokYai611]

4 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

You mean "wouldn't it be nice/reasonable (?) to be given the correct answers in advance"?!

You seem quite obtuse…..reviewing a test result to improve your understanding is hardly the same as what you suggest.  

[NokYai611]

4 hours ago, Lazybones said:

At the end of the test it displays the answers you got wrong and the correct answer

Actually no, at least not at Pattaya DLT…….but they did some years ago.

[Photoguy21]

If they know they have answered 44 of the 45 questions correctly then presumably they know what question was wrong.

[JenksB]

Its the same in UK, my wife  (Thai)took the Theory test 4 times, all she got was a sheet of A4 with sorry you failed to reach the standard required,

there was a section that said which area she had failed eg awareness, road signs etc but no details and staff have no access to the actual exam taken to tell you where you went wrong,she consistently got 44 right but with no idea what she got wrong it was very difficult to correct, jus went through hundreds of pat papers until she got it right

[mrwebb8825]

On 9/4/2023 at 6:21 PM, NHPT said:

l have had my car and motorcycle license in my country since I was 16 and I was a professional driver for 30 years. Have driven in more than a dozen countries.

 

The first time I got my Thai license, all I had to do was show my home license and my International Drivers Permit and have necessary paperwork.  I got 2 year car and motorcycle licenses in about a half hour, no tests at all. After 2 years renewed my temporary 2 year licenses for permanent 5 year licenses. No written or road test then either.

My permanent Thai licenses expired when I was away during COVID. To my surprise (and to the surprise of the agent helping me) they required me to do a written exam for each license. Passed the motorcycle (48) test and failed the car test (43).

 

Since the motorcycle one was the only one I really needed, I took a few months before I wrote the car test again.

I got a link from the agent. https://thaidriveexam.com/   I must have done the test 50 times with about a 45% success rate.

I finally took the test a few weeks before leaving Thailand and passed, they gave me another 2 year temporary license.

 

The English translation of these tests are really bad in my opinion. The questions are barely understandable, poorly worded, a lot of double negatives. I suspect it is a machine translation from Thai that doesn't handle Thai grammar well. I have come across a few questions that have an absolutely wrong answer. Study the questions and answers. Learn the answers they are looking for, not necessarily the "correct" answer.  This site does show you what you got wrong. 

 

I would be surprised if any foreigner was able to pass both test on the first try

I got 47/50 ????

 

Loved the sign with the buffalo - was tempted to pick "Caution, Students Ahead" ????