Report Thailand Tightens Rules for Foreign Drivers: Tests Now Mandatory

[hanbla]

Well, it's a proposal, not a new law yet. It affects mostly people who stay here on a short time visa or tourist visa, they only get a two year driving licence not people on long-term like non-immigrant O  or so. This is not affecting us who already have a 5 year driving licence .

If you live here on a non-immigrant or so,  convert your driving licence from your home country to a thai driving licence. 

 

[lordgrinz]

14 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

In 15 years here, I have yet to see a patrol car on the side of the road writing a ticket for any motorists.

 

I see patrol cars, but they are dedicated to guiding high-ranking police officers in black vehicles and Elites through traffic and traffic lights.

[Donga]

So easy to get the bitter or depressed farang bitching away about diddly.

[harryviking]

18 hours ago, watchcat said:

 

Then they should remove as many Thais from the roads as possible. They are the ones who can't drive

As a person with 50 years experience on motorcycles and been around Thailand many times on big bikes, I can definitely agree! The Thai need to upgrade their skills for obtaining a driver license like they do in Europe/Scandinavia! That would help a lot. More Police on the roads in "undercover" police cars would help too! Not a small control once a month to collect money for a party or something! Thai driving licenses are a JOKE!!! BUT...I am sure there are nations with similar useless drivers....lets say India, Russia, China....... 🙄🙄😆 Just take a look at China. Anyway, a written test will NOT make you drive better! You should TEST DRIVE to do that!

[Watawattana]

18 hours ago, Cornish Pasty said:

Thai’s are the worst drivers I have ever seen, and believe me, I have been around!

 

Mark.

As bad as in Plymouth? 😆

[trainman34014]

18 hours ago, Briggsy said:

Is this related to the spate of accidents involving Chinese drivers?

In China a Chinese Man once said to me several years ago that the reason Asian Drivers are so poor is because they have narrow eyes and we have bigger, round ones !

[Lacessit]

37 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Your style to answer doesn't show any hint of literacy. But I will tolerate it😂

"your style to answer" is grammatically incorrect, and you are lecturing me about literacy?

 

Help, I am being savaged by a dead sheep.

[newbee2022]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

"your style to answer" is grammatically incorrect, and you are lecturing me about literacy?

 

Help, I am being savaged by a dead sheep.

You're digging a deep hole to stumble into. Don't know who would come for help? Or just put a lid on it?

[Toby1947]

18 hours ago, Cornish Pasty said:

Just yesterday I saw a man driving a bike with his helmet on, and a child on the front and back without them….. couldn’t have been older than 5.

 

Are they really that thick?

 

Mark.

Yes

[Photoguy21]

18 hours ago, Cornish Pasty said:

Thai’s are the worst drivers I have ever seen, and believe me, I have been around!

 

Mark.

They are bad I cant disagree with that but Saudi beats them hands down as do some drivers in Qatar.

[GanDoonToonPet]

1 hour ago, cjinchiangrai said:

It sounds reasonable to expect a written test, I would hope that they get some expats to review the test questions so they make sense. I would suggest a three person team from UK, US and Australia to avoid confusing vocabulary.

 

Very doubtful they'll get an NES to proof read it. It'll end up like the old teaching licence test (which I passed BTW) with garbled translation, subjective answers and questions with no / multiple correct answers.

[BarraMarra]

just another way to relieve you of your money.

[Toby1947]

18 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

         Nowhere does it say that a tourist cannot drive using their own licence with and IDP  so quick access to Thai roads is not affected.

        Although the article is very badly written and for some reason seems to be trying to imply that a Thai licence is required for anybody wishing to drive.  just scaremongering

Spot On 

[GanDoonToonPet]

Misleading headline and misleading article. 🤔

 

Written tests are not yet mandatory and the article confuses IDP with home country driving licence. Tourists can still legally drive with home licence and IDP as before.

[kimamey]

18 hours ago, Cornish Pasty said:

Just yesterday I saw a man driving a bike with his helmet on, and a child on the front and back without them….. couldn’t have been older than 5.

 

Are they really that thick?

 

Mark.

I used to have a picture of a policeman wearing a helmet on a bike. He had 2 children without helmets with him. 

[Blueman1]

18 hours ago, Cornish Pasty said:

Just yesterday I saw a man driving a bike with his helmet on, and a child on the front and back without them….. couldn’t have been older than 5.

 

Are they really that thick?

 

Mark.

Are they really that thick?......I Think YOU Already know the answer to your own question,Anyway it begins with the letter " Y "

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

The fact that they’re going to review their practices for issuing drivers licenses is a good thing. The fact that they actually think foreigners are the problem is laughable.   most people that come from other countries have drivers licenses they  actually had to learn rules to obtain.  Hopefully this will help them realize that most of the problems they have on the roads are  caused from within  their own country. and the cure is drivers education and law enforcement from within. If you remove every foreigner from the country, the statistics for accidents and fatalities would not change.

[TheFishman1]

Just busting balls for foreigners wants to do the same for the ties to drive here they’re the worst I’ve ever seen now I understand the why a lot of experts are thinking about leaving and going over to an in Jason  like Vietnam Cambodia etc. TIT

[Blueman1]

1 minute ago, TheFishman1 said:

Just busting balls for foreigners wants to do the same for the ties to drive here they’re the worst I’ve ever seen now I understand the why a lot of experts are thinking about leaving and going over to an in Jason  like Vietnam Cambodia etc. TIT

 leaving and going over to an in Jason ?? Where's That.....

[818Pilot]

Not sure why everyone is up in arms, I don't see this as a bad thing at all. Actually, for those of us that live here long term, we should look at it as a positive.

 

We all know that going to the DLT for renewals can be a headache and the place is packed with Tourist. In some cases you can't get an appointment for months. With this change we should see that greatly reduced. be eliminating all the tourist who read on the internet how easy it is to get a Thai license, but don't need one and only do it to look cool to their friends back home after holiday. 

 

The license from their country, with an IDP will work fine and is valid for the 60 days they currently get on visa exempt.

 

I'm taking this as a win 

[Cat Boy]

19 hours ago, watchcat said:

 

Then they should remove as many Thais from the roads as possible. They are the ones who can't drive

Its their country, NOT yours. 

[ChrisKC]

The written test is not as important as a test of actual driving skill and behaviour on the roads, particularly for your own citizens.

 

What about that DLT?

[WHansen]

19 hours ago, Upnotover said:

Having done the written test last year, twice in fact as failed the first attempt, I hope that they will get someone who can actually speak/read English to translate the often bizarre questions/answers.  And in a 4 answer multi-choice exam there is usually 1 correct answer...not here, some questions had 3 correct and one incorrect....I was told I failed the first attempt because I didn't select the "most correct" answer.

Agreed. Had to do the written exam online this year for my 5 year renewal and it is not easy as some areas are lost in translation.

[lordgrinz]

6 minutes ago, Cat Boy said:

Its their country, NOT yours. 

 

Yes, and they are not following the laws and rules established by their own government. 

[cjinchiangrai]

36 minutes ago, GanDoonToonPet said:

Misleading headline and misleading article. 🤔

 

Written tests are not yet mandatory and the article confuses IDP with home country driving licence. Tourists can still legally drive with home license and IDP as before.

Actually it is not. They have been issuing Thai licenses for years with just an IDP, a clear mistake. Fixing that error is definitely needed, the test, not so much. Far too many have been issued to foreigners on short term visas though. They need to reinstate the TM47 requirement.

[Cat Boy]

1 minute ago, ChrisKC said:

The written test is not as important as a test of actual driving skill and behaviour on the roads, particularly for your own citizens.

 

What about that DLT?

As far as I know both are required. 

 

When I got my Thai driver's license I had to take both a "written" test (it was point and click multiple choice questions on a desktop computer after watching a long video that was at least 90 minutes), and a hands-on driving test. 

 

For the driving test they had a car, or cars, at some nominal cost, like 100 baht. Test was like parallel parking and backing into spaces. 

 

I failed the driving test the first time, I think I bumped a cone or something. I hadn't driven for 10 years. Second test went fine. 

 

I used the license as an ID card. I never actually drove. Driving was fun as a teenager, later commuting to and from work it became a tedious bore. Having moved to Thailand if I never drove again that would be great for me. 

[lordgrinz]

Just now, Cat Boy said:

For the driving test they had a car, or cars, at some nominal cost, like 100 baht. Test was like parallel parking and backing into spaces.

 

That is not a proper test, a Road Test should be on the road incorporating laws and rules of the road. I would suggest they include roundabouts, red lights, Stop signs, merging, lane changes, seatbelt use, proper speed control, right-of-way, etc.

[Cat Boy]

3 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

Yes, and they are not following the laws and rules established by their own government. 

That's an enforcement issue. 

 

And again, their country, their law enforcement, their citizens abidance to their laws. 

 

Your position as a farang is limited to endless whinged about it on social media, or better yet, not driving at all, and keeping your negative views to yourself. 

[Chongalulu]

19 hours ago, Cornish Pasty said:

Just yesterday I saw a man driving a bike with his helmet on, and a child on the front and back without them….. couldn’t have been older than 5.

 

Are they really that thick?

 

Mark.

Short answer - Yes. And cheap helmets for cheap heads..

[Cat Boy]

1 minute ago, lordgrinz said:

 

That is not a proper test, a Road Test should be on the road incorporating laws and rules of the road. I would suggest they include roundabouts, red lights, Stop signs, merging, lane changes, seatbelt use, proper speed control, right-of-way, etc.

True enough. There was none of that. It was a closed course. Kinda artificial situation.

 

In the US it was on the actual streets and roads. 

 

The US is actually a bad example for leniency. I'm to understand that the UK by contrast is quite strict, with many nationals choosing not to drive, and foreigners giving up. 

 

Both standards are better than presently in place in Thailand, particularly where motorbikes are concerned - the primary cause of vehicular accident and fatalities.