Thai Driving School / Thai Driving Licence

[MART]

I lost my European driving licence a few years ago because of speeding issues. To get it back, I would have had to go to the driving school again which clearly was beyond my "forces". As far as I did not really need to drive (I've always lived in big cities), I just did without.

Now I am wondering if I could get a Thai driving licence; I mean take the Thai driving exam without having a driving licence from my home country. I've never seen any driving schools in Thailand. Do Thais have to take driving lessons in order to take the exam? Could I just do the same? How many lessons are compulsory? How much would it cost?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[peterd1961]

Hi Mart,

The driving test is so easy tha't you don't need a driving school!!!

Regards peter

[Cuban]

>How much would it cost?

Just take the full test here - you would probably need local help with some of the theory test questions - I understand that the 'correct' answers are not always the most logical. Just go to the local test center and spend some time watching the standard of new drivers.

[MART]

Hi Mart,

The driving test is so easy tha't you don't need a driving school!!!

Regards peter

So there is no compulsory amount of driving hours to take the test, right?

Just go to the local test center and spend some time watching the standard of new drivers.

Sorry I don't understand that one. Do you mean I can just go and look at applicants being tested? Or at theory lessons?

[peterd1961]

Hi mart,

You have to watch a video for 2 hours! and after that the call you in for the test in english! I did the car and a couple off weeks later the motercycle test in one time. In Mo chit the have itt in english! I am dutch but no problem! and the practical test is a joke.

So succes!!!

Regards Peter

[MART]

Hi mart,

You have to watch a video for 2 hours! and after that the call you in for the test in english! I did the car and a couple off weeks later the motercycle test in one time. In Mo chit the have itt in english! I am dutch but no problem! and the practical test is a joke.

So succes!!!

Regards Peter

Thanks for the tip but are you sure it is the same test for applicants WITH a licence from another country and for applicants WITHOUT any licence?

[MART]

Hi mart,

You have to watch a video for 2 hours! and after that the call you in for the test in english! I did the car and a couple off weeks later the motercycle test in one time. In Mo chit the have itt in english! I am dutch but no problem! and the practical test is a joke.

So succes!!!

Regards Peter

Oh yeah and how much does it cost?

[peterd1961]

Hi Mart,

I could not find my drivers licence after mover here! So I have to do the whole thing.

I payed something around 155 for the one and a little bitt more for the other.

peter

[ajarnmark]

If you are in BKK, goto Mochit and get it done.

All you need is a non-immigrant visa (I think) and a letter from your embassy confirming your residential address. If you have a non-B visa, you can use work permit in lieu of letter from embassy. You also need a doc's certificate (can make it near the license office in Mochit)

You have to go through following tests, not necessarily in the same order:

1. Color differentiation

2. Response test

3. Vision

4. Watch a video and then answer questions (you can use kiosk outside testing room, some questions are same/similar)

5. Take the written test (in English/Japanese/Korean/Thai/Chinese)

6. Drive car/motorbike (you can rent it from there, I guess 50 baht for motorbike and 150 baht for car)

If all is done then you go back to building four again and get your license for 155 baht for motorbike and 205 baht for car.

[MART]

Hi Mart,

I could not find my drivers licence after mover here! So I have to do the whole thing.

I payed something around 155 for the one and a little bitt more for the other.

peter

If you are in BKK, goto Mochit and get it done.

All you need is a non-immigrant visa (I think) and a letter from your embassy confirming your residential address. If you have a non-B visa, you can use work permit in lieu of letter from embassy. You also need a doc's certificate (can make it near the license office in Mochit)

You have to go through following tests, not necessarily in the same order:

1. Color differentiation

2. Response test

3. Vision

4. Watch a video and then answer questions (you can use kiosk outside testing room, some questions are same/similar)

5. Take the written test (in English/Japanese/Korean/Thai/Chinese)

6. Drive car/motorbike (you can rent it from there, I guess 50 baht for motorbike and 150 baht for car)

If all is done then you go back to building four again and get your license for 155 baht for motorbike and 205 baht for car.

Thanks for the good news and the great tips!

So basically it's the same procedure regardless of whether one has an international driving licence or not. A bit surprising I have to say. The fees are unbelievably low. In Europe it is not uncommon to pay the equivalent of 70-80.000 bahts to get one.

[hansgti]

I did the test after my pa asked me could she have the day off to do her driving test.

She told me i could get one without doing the test for 2500bht!

Being a tightmf opted to get up at the crack of dawn to go down to mochit, sit in front of a doctor and say yes i was ok? get a certificate,then procede to the main office and que up with everyone else who turned up, no appointment neccessary.

Went through Marks list above.

Initially failed the written theory so expect that to happen, then go back test yourself again on their computer until you remember the answers!

In the afternoon we did the real driving test which is farcical, but still, alot of people failed it, along with my pa a good percentage of thai women just didnt understand the relationship between the steering wheel and the direction of where the car was going.

Better luck next time but thank god their not on the roads.

Drive straight and reverse into a parking space big enough to get a mercedes sprinter into, then drive around to stop on a yellow strip of paint next to the kerb without touching it , proceed around the course, something akin to a go kart track, and your done, Pick up your licence!

I think it all cost under 500bht, initially i opted to hire a car but there was so many people in front of me i used my pick up.

Count on taking one full day for it all, and get there early!.

[MART]

Initially failed the written theory so expect that to happen, then go back test yourself again on their computer until you remember the answers!

Did you take the theory test several times on the very same day?

[hansgti]

Yes, same day, but you can only try 2 times per day, then you would have to go back next day or something,the lady instructor will make sure you dont have to come back if you fail first time,she will advise yo to go back on the computer outside in the main corridor and do the test over again until you get it right.

[groovyc]

Hi Mart,

I could not find my drivers licence after mover here! So I have to do the whole thing.

I payed something around 155 for the one and a little bitt more for the other.

peter

If you are in BKK, goto Mochit and get it done.

All you need is a non-immigrant visa (I think) and a letter from your embassy confirming your residential address. If you have a non-B visa, you can use work permit in lieu of letter from embassy. You also need a doc's certificate (can make it near the license office in Mochit)

You have to go through following tests, not necessarily in the same order:

1. Color differentiation

2. Response test

3. Vision

4. Watch a video and then answer questions (you can use kiosk outside testing room, some questions are same/similar)

5. Take the written test (in English/Japanese/Korean/Thai/Chinese)

6. Drive car/motorbike (you can rent it from there, I guess 50 baht for motorbike and 150 baht for car)

If all is done then you go back to building four again and get your license for 155 baht for motorbike and 205 baht for car.

Thanks for the good news and the great tips!

So basically it's the same procedure regardless of whether one has an international driving licence or not. A bit surprising I have to say. The fees are unbelievably low. In Europe it is not uncommon to pay the equivalent of 70-80.000 bahts to get one.

The procedure is shorter if one has a license (intl licenses are also accepted I believe) from a country which is a signatory to the convention (ok, pretty much from anywhere!). You do the tests 1-3 above only.....matter of 5 minutes.

But it takes time (half a day in my case) to get the paperwork done. The charge (surprisingly enough) is probably the same. I think I payed B205 for a car license. (105 for the basic fee + 100 if I wanted their new scanned photo image license, if I remember right).

Also, my "work permit" didn"t have my address on it, as it is more of an ID issued by the National Research Council, so they needed proof of residencial address. A handwritten note from a govt officer (>level 6) certifying my address, with a copy of her ID card, was accepted.

btw, in Europe you would pay that much to get a license through a driving school, isn't it? I am sure it wouldn't be more than a few 100 euros if you were to walk in and do the test. In japan, it was around 10k yen if you already had a license from elsewhere.

[MART]

btw, in Europe you would pay that much to get a license through a driving school, isn't it? I am sure it wouldn't be more than a few 100 euros if you were to walk in and do the test. In japan, it was around 10k yen if you already had a license from elsewhere.

Yes you are right, it is the driving lessons which account for most of the price I've quoted but they are compulsory: you are not allowed to take the test unless you have attended a minimum of xy driving lessons. So basically it's "same same".

[torrenova]

My missus failed hers and phoned me to tell me (she was visiting mama) so I told her to give the test people a couple of hundred baht to sort it out. She "passed" next time.

By the way, she failed the theory. She can actualy drive before you think I allowed another nutter onto the roads !