First Driving Licence Application

[gennisis]

Deceided that if I want a bike I'd better get a driving licence....so read up on the requirements,gathered and copied..1..Passport and Visa.....2....2 x 1inch sq photos....3..Proof of address with UK consul letter...4..UK Driving licence.

Went with a thai friend( Good job I did) to clinic for medical form.....passport and address proof. required..Blood pressure check (high as usual) told to cut down on salt...but chips without salt??? paid up 70 baht and came away with the form.

Into the licencing building...handed over my paperwork with a smile...photos not accepted...not on glossy paper,so downstairs to pose and get 12...150 baht....nice photos as well,which makes a change from the Frankenstein pics I usualy take.

Back to admissions...paperwork accepted.

What licence do I want?...."Motorbike please..cant afford your car prices in Thailand."..."You should have car licence as well"...."Oh well.if you say so..OK"

Off for tests..I had read about these so knew roughly what to expect.

Fely very confident pointing out the coloured spots on the board.....Pass!!

Depth perception test...in all fairness I had no idea when the two pins were level ,but guessed by the time I was pulling on the left pin that it might be...I also remembered the tip on TV to watch the shadow of the moving pin and at about the 1-2 oclock position the pins should be about level.

Periphial vision test....left flashes all caught and identified by colour....no problem! Right flashes?? never saw them!!!...Girl operator very concerned..gets the boss over...repeat test...left OK ,right Uh Uh no chance......Boss smacks the machine.....PASS !!!

Breaking test...seemed easy until the inspector didnt like the way I pivoted my foot from the "on" pedal on to the brake pedal...."No No...like this" and she raised her foot off the start pedal and stamped down on the break pedal...now ..I believe my way was better,having been taught to pivot from the heel when 40 years ago I took my UK car driving tests....but this is Thailand...so...passed the test with 3 good stamps on the pedal and was rewarded with a smile and a nod from the inspector.

Feeling very proud of myself take test report forms to desk...pay 150 baht,wait 5 mins....Hey Presto

Picked up two licences,Bike & Car.....20 baht for them to be laminated...the end..mission achieved!!

So...off to the 2nd hand bike market Sunday...went two weeks ago to look arround and it seemed that between 24-28K baht I can get an automatic..many Meo's there...seemed OK...so this weekend we will see....and must remember the decent crash helmet as well.

Edited September 27, 2007 by gennisis