New Language Requirement

[edwinchester]

Tough new requirements before foreigners can get driving license

It will be officially announced later today that there will be a new Thai language requirement before a Drivers License is issued to all foreigners.

After an exhaustive investigation, a Government Committee has decided that all foreigners should be able to read Thai as one of the conditions for the issue of a drivers license.

The Committee was convened during the 1st Thaksin administration before being mothballed by the CNS only to be revived by the new Government of Samak Sundaravej.

Their findings showed that the inability of many foreigners to read Thai led to them being confused whilst driving. This had in turn led to a disproportionate number of foreigners being involved in major accidents whilst driving in Thailand.

It was thus deemed neccessary to bring in the new condition and with immediate effect all drivers license renewals must be submitted with a Thai Language Reading Poficiency Certificate. The proposal to make it a requirement with immediate effect for all license holders was dropped due to the uneccessary hardship it may cause some foreigners.

The language test will be administered by the major Department of Land and Transport Offices to ensure fairness and continuity of standards. It is accepted that the more rural offices will not have the resources to oversee the new requirement so all foreigners will now have to renew their license in a large city office.

To help foreigners meet the new language conditions each Department of Land and Transport will be running a language school in the 12 weeks prior to license renewal. Fees have yet to be determined but 500 Bht per hour has been suggested as 'reasonable' by a Department spokesman.

It has not yet been determined how non-resident foreigners, mainly tourists will be affected by the new requirment but it has been suggested that a short test be taken by anyone hiring a vehicle. The test should be kept simple enough to be performed by an employee of the hire company.

Source: TNA - 1 April 2008

[dave_boo]

Tough new requirements before foreigners can get driving license

It will be officially announced later today that there will be a new Thai language requirement before a Drivers License is issued to all foreigners.

After an exhaustive investigation, a Government Committee has decided that all foreigners should be able to read Thai as one of the conditions for the issue of a drivers license.

The Committee was convened during the 1st Thaksin administration before being mothballed by the CNS only to be revived by the new Government of Samak Sundaravej.

Their findings showed that the inability of many foreigners to read Thai led to them being confused whilst driving. This had in turn led to a disproportionate number of foreigners being involved in major accidents whilst driving in Thailand.

It was thus deemed neccessary to bring in the new condition and with immediate effect all drivers license renewals must be submitted with a Thai Language Reading Poficiency Certificate. The proposal to make it a requirement with immediate effect for all license holders was dropped due to the uneccessary hardship it may cause some foreigners.

The language test will be administered by the major Department of Land and Transport Offices to ensure fairness and continuity of standards. It is accepted that the more rural offices will not have the resources to oversee the new requirement so all foreigners will now have to renew their license in a large city office.

To help foreigners meet the new language conditions each Department of Land and Transport will be running a language school in the 12 weeks prior to license renewal. Fees have yet to be determined but 500 Bht per hour has been suggested as 'reasonable' by a Department spokesman.

It has not yet been determined how non-resident foreigners, mainly tourists will be affected by the new requirment but it has been suggested that a short test be taken by anyone hiring a vehicle. The test should be kept simple enough to be performed by an employee of the hire company.

Source: TNA - 1 April 2008

01-APR-08

[Thaddeus]

Tough new requirements before foreigners can get driving license

It will be officially announced later today that there will be a new Thai language requirement before a Drivers License is issued to all foreigners.

After an exhaustive investigation, a Government Committee has decided that all foreigners should be able to read Thai as one of the conditions for the issue of a drivers license.

The Committee was convened during the 1st Thaksin administration before being mothballed by the CNS only to be revived by the new Government of Samak Sundaravej.

Their findings showed that the inability of many foreigners to read Thai led to them being confused whilst driving. This had in turn led to a disproportionate number of foreigners being involved in major accidents whilst driving in Thailand.

It was thus deemed neccessary to bring in the new condition and with immediate effect all drivers license renewals must be submitted with a Thai Language Reading Poficiency Certificate. The proposal to make it a requirement with immediate effect for all license holders was dropped due to the uneccessary hardship it may cause some foreigners.

The language test will be administered by the major Department of Land and Transport Offices to ensure fairness and continuity of standards. It is accepted that the more rural offices will not have the resources to oversee the new requirement so all foreigners will now have to renew their license in a large city office.

To help foreigners meet the new language conditions each Department of Land and Transport will be running a language school in the 12 weeks prior to license renewal. Fees have yet to be determined but 500 Bht per hour has been suggested as 'reasonable' by a Department spokesman.

It has not yet been determined how non-resident foreigners, mainly tourists will be affected by the new requirment but it has been suggested that a short test be taken by anyone hiring a vehicle. The test should be kept simple enough to be performed by an employee of the hire company.

Source: TNA - 1 April 2008

01-APR-08

Indeed....... but they shouldn't go and give them any stupid bloody ideas

[dave_boo]

Meh.

It's actually not a bad idea. Driving is a privilege, not a right. And if someone is willing to show that they're willing to go through such measures to ensure they receive that privilege, than they're obviously commited to the rules.

Not that I believed this anyways....but I could see it happening to line the BiB's pockets while they let the real menaces continue on--and yes I'm talking about Fortuner drivers (sorry couldn't resist the jab).

[garro]

I think that there should also be a personality test as well.

[Bluelotus]

Got Me

[moneyshot]

[PhilHarries]

It had me going until I saw the date. But it is a good example of just how stupid the government can get that we could get taken in by such a spoof article. For any further proof of this stupidity just look at yesterday's Bangkok Post and the ban on camoflage clothing.

btw 10 out of 10 edwinchester.

[retiredusn]

With all the bull going on with visa's ect. I find this post dam_n dumb and should be stopped before someone takes it serious and makes a mistake by going to the driving issue office and makes a fuss.

[jaiyenyen]

With all the bull going on with visa's ect. I find this post dam_n dumb and should be stopped before someone takes it serious and makes a mistake by going to the driving issue office and makes a fuss.

Calm down man. You know what day it is, so where is your sense of humour?

Maybe you should go back to bed and get out the 'other side'

Have a good day

[moneyshot]

With all the bull going on with visa's ect. I find this post dam_n dumb and should be stopped before someone takes it serious and makes a mistake by going to the driving issue office and makes a fuss.

Now that would make this thread even funnier - A post from you saying you have just been down to the licence office for the last two hours......

[apetley]

With all the bull going on with visa's ect. I find this post dam_n dumb and should be stopped before someone takes it serious and makes a mistake by going to the driving issue office and makes a fuss.

Now that would make this thread even funnier - A post from you saying you have just been down to the licence office for the last two hours......

Maybe he has, that's why he's so pissed!

[husskydog]

Nearly brought on my old affliction.....ar// ho//....ha bloody ha, i read OP At 03.15 am after half bottle of captain morgans and shooooook me

[mickba]

Excellent - so very well written and so totally believable alongside the camo' rules.

Must get around to getting one before it becomes a reality.

What's up dave_boo, do you mean you want one? (Fortuner rules ha ha)

[PeaceBlondie]

daveboo and Crowboy and mcgriffith and ten more ThaiVisa members who drive CBR150R's have just crashed our motorbikes into the Chiang Mai Land Transport Office, after which we nonviolently restrained 89 officers and made them memorize the Gettysburg Address in Spanish, the Magna Carta in Olde English, the US Bill of Rights in Tlingit, and the entire CBR150R owner's manual written in Magyar.

[fm2002]

Got me good. Good one !

[dave_boo]

PeaceBlondie, it would have been more fun if the documents that we had them memorise were in Laos, Vietnamese, Burmese, Cambodian, etc.

[Petch01]

Tough new requirements before foreigners can get driving license

Great post. Thanks.

[micksterbs]

You bugger; the penny didn't drop 'til I was near the end. I need a drink now...

[Brigante7]

It wouldn't really matter,just buy the license.

[sunny747]

dam_n..i almost bought it......

[Thaiboxer]

I thought a 100 Baht note under your driver's license was all the speaking you needed. Actually, pretending not to speak Thai worked great for me...I was pulled over once and there were six of them there. No way I could pay my way out of that one. The police were polite though and their boss who did speak some English just gave me back my license and let me go.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Tough new requirements before foreigners can get driving license

The Committee was convened during the 1st Thaksin administration before being mothballed by the CNS only to be revived by the new Government of Samak Sundaravej.

Source: TNA - 1 April 2008

This is one line that gave the OP's "report" a certain veracity. Well done, sir.

[BigSnake]

Tough new requirements before foreigners can get driving license

It will be officially announced later today that there will be a new Thai language requirement before a Drivers License is issued to all foreigners.

After an exhaustive investigation, a Government Committee has decided that all foreigners should be able to read Thai as one of the conditions for the issue of a drivers license.

The Committee was convened during the 1st Thaksin administration before being mothballed by the CNS only to be revived by the new Government of Samak Sundaravej.

Their findings showed that the inability of many foreigners to read Thai led to them being confused whilst driving. This had in turn led to a disproportionate number of foreigners being involved in major accidents whilst driving in Thailand.

It was thus deemed neccessary to bring in the new condition and with immediate effect all drivers license renewals must be submitted with a Thai Language Reading Poficiency Certificate. The proposal to make it a requirement with immediate effect for all license holders was dropped due to the uneccessary hardship it may cause some foreigners.

The language test will be administered by the major Department of Land and Transport Offices to ensure fairness and continuity of standards. It is accepted that the more rural offices will not have the resources to oversee the new requirement so all foreigners will now have to renew their license in a large city office.

To help foreigners meet the new language conditions each Department of Land and Transport will be running a language school in the 12 weeks prior to license renewal. Fees have yet to be determined but 500 Bht per hour has been suggested as 'reasonable' by a Department spokesman.

It has not yet been determined how non-resident foreigners, mainly tourists will be affected by the new requirment but it has been suggested that a short test be taken by anyone hiring a vehicle. The test should be kept simple enough to be performed by an employee of the hire company.

Source: TNA - 1 April 2008

Darn you had me going there for a second.