May 19, 200916 yr Been stopped twice in two days and no doubt will be collared again soon, policeman advised me to get driving license which is pretty obvious but where is the question??? He mentioned something about a test in Hang Dong near Big C, anyone know the details, how much etc etc, opening times links bla blah blah. Oh yeh can I get one on a non imm o visa?? With this visa, I might aswell ask can I buy a motorbike by monthly installments. I tried on tourist but obviously couldnt. Cheers :-)
May 19, 200916 yr Author Oh I forgot to mention I dont own a house , I rent a room. Have tenancy agreement etc etc but is that enough???
May 20, 200916 yr Yes non imigrant O is ok. Go to your embassy, get a letter saying where you live in Thailand. Go to any clinic or hospital & get a medical certificate. Go to the Hang Dong car registration place, preferably with an interpreter if you need one. (heading south, its after tesco, before Big C). Take passport & home driving licence. you need 2 copies of all your documents + 2 passport photos. If you have motorbike on your home licence you might not need to take a test. Get there at opening time in the morning.
May 20, 200916 yr Yes non imigrant O is ok.Go to your embassy, get a letter saying where you live in Thailand. Go to any clinic or hospital & get a medical certificate. Go to the Hang Dong car registration place, preferably with an interpreter if you need one. (heading south, its after tesco, before Big C). Take passport & home driving licence. you need 2 copies of all your documents + 2 passport photos. If you have motorbike on your home licence you might not need to take a test. Get there at opening time in the morning. Good advice Can you now get the certificate of residence from immigration again? I heard/read they started doing them again for 500 baht (embassies/consulates charge a lot) You'll need photocopies of just about everything but there's a place downstairs at the centre in Hang Dong where you can do this. My motorbike test a few years ago involved a 20 question multiple-guess paper exam. The 'official' road rules are very similar to the UK highway code - give way to the right etc. The practical test involved riding a few laps around a few traffic cones.
May 20, 200916 yr Author ok but I dont have a licence for a motorbike or car at home either.....?? Is that a big problem??? Also is that Thai immigration I get the residence certificate at???
May 20, 200916 yr As everyone else does you will have to take 3 very basic reaction tests and those foreigners who have taken and passed a motorbike test abroad (proven with foreign licence) then have their picture taken and get the licence. If you don't have the said licence then you have to go outside and take a very and I mean 'very' basic bike test.(Just don't fall off!) You might want to take a translater as previousely mentioned. I found the staff there very helpful in all departments. I hope immigration are doing 'proof of residency' as my licence is about to expire and last year I paid 2400b for the same thing at the British consul in CMai. Regards Bojo
May 20, 200916 yr Get on down to your local Transport office, they will tell you exactly what you will need in your case. Passport, vaild visa, medical statement from doctor for starter, reason I suggest going to speak to them first is because from my experience here all transport offices are a bit different in the way they operate, not much but may require a different document then we could you about here. By all mean take a Thai Friend, English speaker, Male if possible.
May 20, 200916 yr Get certificate from Immigration 2 photos rent reciepts/ lease + photocopy of lease /electricity bill /letter from landlord with copy of his ID but lease is enough just use what you have with your address on it. 500 baht Passport Copy of all passport pages including departure card 2 hours. remember photos for visa and this letter are different size to the ones the licence people need. Best to get them at a shop that knows what is needed.
May 20, 200916 yr Get certificate from Immigration2 photos rent reciepts/ lease + photocopy of lease /electricity bill /letter from landlord with copy of his ID but lease is enough just use what you have with your address on it. 500 baht Passport Copy of all passport pages including departure card 2 hours. remember photos for visa and this letter are different size to the ones the licence people need. Best to get them at a shop that knows what is needed. you can get photos at the center or do it the lazy way and get a smart licence where they do a plastic card with your photo incorporated rather like an uk licence, easy but more expensive, each licence you want is seperate ie you have 1 licence for a bike and a seperate 1 for a car if you are wanting both
May 20, 200916 yr Author Hey guys cheers for your help, got my test at 1 on friday. Got all paperwork etc sorted. Just a cpuple more things, is the test done on a manual bike?? I drive an automatic and have driven a manual maybe once....??? The other thing is has anyone got any ideas what is in the written test or perhaps some links that might help??? Cheers P.S, with a non imm o can I now buy a motorbike on a payment plan????
May 20, 200916 yr I don't know, james24 what bike you take the driving test on. Most probably your own bike, but correct me if I prove wrong. I can't imagine the Dept. providing motorsai at state expense.... In answer to another question posted above- yes, Chiang Mai Immigration has started issuing Certificates of Residence, again. Correctly noted, the price is 500 THB. Free before, but beats any consulate's price hands down. Do it, guys and gals! I've had a valid Thai driver license the sum time of my stay here (OK within 3 months of my arrival). 2 actually, one for auto, one for motorcycle. It is not such a big deal as may be imagined, and the 5 yr ASEAN compliant license is good in all the ASEAN nations.
May 20, 200916 yr Author cheers for your help, just wondering if i can buy a bike now on monthly installments. Anyone know the ins and outs of purchasing a bike??
May 20, 200916 yr mcgriffith. quote .... and the 5 yr ASEAN compliant license is good in all the ASEAN nations. AND in the UK ! i hired a car in Reading ( berks UK ) last week with a Thai 5 year driving licence .... for as long as i wanted with NO problems So a Thai licence works in many countries not only asean members .... : ) enjoy ..... dave2
May 20, 200916 yr The driving test is a piece of cake. You just have to show that you can slowly ride on a thin strip and balance the bike without falling off! Other than that you just ride around a few cones. You have to use your own motorcycle. They do not supply one. As far as the other tests are concerned; well the written test (you actually take it on computer) was very easy for me. I scored 90% the first time. But I saw some people who were taking it for the 5th or 6th time and still not passing. You have as much time as you need to take it and really it is quite easy. I had the most trouble with the braking reaction test! You almost have to anticipate when to brake and hit the brakes a second early. I think that their equipment is out of calibration or something. I noticed that everyone was struggling with this test.
May 20, 200916 yr James, With a non imigrant "O" & the same proof of address you got for your licence, you can get the bike registered in your name. If you buy new, the shop will register it for you. PS, pay cash, you'll get the bike much cheaper, good deals at the moment. Dummies buy on credit, its how the world got in its current mess.
May 21, 200916 yr The driving test is a piece of cake. You just have to show that you can slowly ride on a thin strip and balance the bike without falling off! Other than that you just ride around a few cones. You have to use your own motorcycle. They do not supply one.As far as the other tests are concerned; well the written test (you actually take it on computer) was very easy for me. I scored 90% the first time. But I saw some people who were taking it for the 5th or 6th time and still not passing. You have as much time as you need to take it and really it is quite easy. I had the most trouble with the braking reaction test! You almost have to anticipate when to brake and hit the brakes a second early. I think that their equipment is out of calibration or something. I noticed that everyone was struggling with this test. What kind of questions are asked on the written exam, and is it in English? I only speak a little Thai, and while I know the Thai alphabet, that doesn't mean I can read Thai. Have you tried reading Thai? Geez!. I know this is a longshot, but is there the equivalent of a drivers/rules of the road manual I can read before the exam?
May 21, 200916 yr Author http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_signs_in_Thailand http://driving.information.in.th/traffic-signs.html http://www.learningthai.com/index.php?opti...0&Itemid=61
May 21, 200916 yr The driving test is a piece of cake. You just have to show that you can slowly ride on a thin strip and balance the bike without falling off! Other than that you just ride around a few cones. You have to use your own motorcycle. They do not supply one.As far as the other tests are concerned; well the written test (you actually take it on computer) was very easy for me. I scored 90% the first time. But I saw some people who were taking it for the 5th or 6th time and still not passing. You have as much time as you need to take it and really it is quite easy. I had the most trouble with the braking reaction test! You almost have to anticipate when to brake and hit the brakes a second early. I think that their equipment is out of calibration or something. I noticed that everyone was struggling with this test. What kind of questions are asked on the written exam, and is it in English? I only speak a little Thai, and while I know the Thai alphabet, that doesn't mean I can read Thai. Have you tried reading Thai? Geez!. I know this is a longshot, but is there the equivalent of a drivers/rules of the road manual I can read before the exam? heybruce the test can be taken in English. A manual to read beforehand? Come on, that is a long shot. It's really quite simple.
May 21, 200916 yr Another note regarding some above comments. If you have a current (meaning not expired) driver license from most Western countries (meaning the UK, Canada, France....not Moldavia, and no offense intended to Moldavians)- you do not need to take the written test. One still has to do the eye, reaction time, etc. tests. I had a current US driver license when I went in initially for my 1 year (you start with a 1 year, and then on expiry get a 5 year). They did look up my license on a screen to see if it qualified for the no-test scheme (US has 50 states with 50 different certifying agencies....maybe all do not qualify?). I was sent to to the physical tests only, no written. And yes if needed, you can take it in English. It's all on a computer they have set up for the purpose. Good luck, and let us know what happens. BTW, the license works as a Thai price admission for national parks, zoos, etc.
May 22, 200916 yr If you have a current (might possibly get by with an expired one as well) International Drivers License (obtained from your home country), you will not be required to take either the written exam or the driver test. You will only have to do the color vision, reaction time, and depth perception tests that everyone has to take. I did it using my IDL and had my license in about 90 minutes, 30 of which were waiting to have my picture taken. This information obviously won't help the OP as from reading his post, I doubt he possesses an IDL. However, it might prove useful for someone else researching the topic in the future.
May 22, 200916 yr If you have a WP or Yellow Tabien Bahn you don't have to get "proof of residence". Bring double copies of everything if you intend you get MC and car.
May 22, 200916 yr If you have a WP or Yellow Tabien Bahn you don't have to get "proof of residence".Bring double copies of everything if you intend you get MC and car. What's a 'WP or Yellow Tabien Bahn?
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