Any 'decent' Driving Schools In Chiang Mai?

[venturalaw]

My Thai wife signed up for driving lessons at the cost of 2,400 baht. It included 5 lessons. She met the 'teacher' at a dirt field and drove in circles for 2 hours on 3 of the 5 days. On day 4 she was allowed to drive off of the field to our home; a distance of approximately 8 - 10 kilometers. On day 5 no driving - just test preparation - the questions that supposedly will be asked, and the proposed answers.

My wife was to meet the 'teacher' at the Chiang Mai Licensing Office; cost an additional 440 baht. However, he failed to tell her that a certificate of completion of a physical exam was required prior to a driver's license being issued, which she discovered upon arriving at the licensing office. Hence, no license was secured that day, however, she really was not practiced enough to qualify for a license.

Needless to say, we were dissatisfied with this school (which was recommended over the internet).

So, does anyone have a driving school located in Chiang Mai that they can recommend for a Thai to learn to drive a car?

[Nienke]

Based on this thread http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Driving-Less...=driving+school and my own experience a few years ago, I give you little hope.

[venturalaw]

Based on this thread http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Driving-Less...=driving+school and my own experience a few years ago, I give you little hope.

Thanks for the referral to the thread. I missed it in my search.

[eek]

Hi venturalaw,

As I said in the pm, I got fed up looking for a school as I just couldnt seem to find anything suitable, so just put it off. So sadly i have no recommendations for anyone.

So strange that CM doesnt seem to have a decent driving school.

If you do find anything in CM please post an update (and thanks for that Udon link).

Thanks and good luck.

[carlosacao]

You would be much better off to practice with a friend if available, particularly if you never drove before; driving schools just give you the very basic and often not even minimum skills to drive in Thailand. Someone with no commercial interest in mind, would show you the real issues of driving here and prepare you much better for driving 'Thai style" on the typical local roads facing the typical situations that you'll soon encounter once you begin to drive. Driving in Thailand is not for everyone by the way. Just some thoughts.

[nateheng]

Sounds like the same "driving school" my wife went to a couple years ago. Just decided to have one of our thai staff teach her. In turn that staff taught another 2 staff. I taught 2 of my former students. Yup, that's the "thai way".

[getgoin]

Near the fertilizer shop that is east, about 10 meters from the Narawat Bridge and on the south side of the street there is a small shop that gives driving lessons. The brother-in-law did it. The cost was 1500 Baht and they gave him lessons until he got the license. They took him there to get it and used their vehicle.

[Greenside]

So strange that CM doesnt seem to have a decent driving school.

I don't know why you think it's strange. There is virtually no police enforcement of driving rules so why would you spend good money on learning - I mean, how hard can it be? Of course good driving has no bearing on having an accident because, as we all know, Buddha will take care of you and when your time comes, it comes - going round a blind bend on the wrong side of the road at night with no lights after half a bottle of whisky has nothing to do with it.

Sorry for the rant, but the clear reason is there is no money to be made teaching driving properly and until the government has the police take some action and insurance companies get tough I don't anything will change.

[Puwa]

"Decent" is an ironic description because many driving instructors specialize in seducing their female students, with some success, from what I hear.

[venturalaw]

"Decent" is an ironic description because many driving instructors specialize in seducing their female students, with some success, from what I hear.

So not only does she not learn to drive, but, well, never mind. Insult to injury.

[scorecard]

Near the fertilizer shop that is east, about 10 meters from the Narawat Bridge and on the south side of the street there is a small shop that gives driving lessons. The brother-in-law did it. The cost was 1500 Baht and they gave him lessons until he got the license. They took him there to get it and used their vehicle.

Sorry this follow up is a bit old - did the CM school also teach the Thai traffic code?

Early next year I'll be looking for a driving school in CM for my Thai daughter in law, but her husand (my Thai son) is pretty fussy about learning the traffic code.

Why? Some years back my son signed up at a school here in Bangkok, about 2,500Baht for 5 lessons. He forgot to ask if that included them teachingh him the traffoic code.

The day he went for the first lesson he asked, the answer was - "There are no rules, therefore cannot teach you the rules". He asked if they knew of a book - answer, "There's no rules therefore no book".

He survived about 10 minutes of the first lesson:

- He had never been behind the steering wheel ever and he told the instructor this fact. (I had many times earlier offered to teach him but he wanted to go to a 'professional' school.)

- Instructor told him to sit in the drivers seat, it's an old very large and beat up pick up truck.

- Instructor tells son to back it out of the shophouse requiring several twists and turns to negotiate through other parked vehicles inside the shophouse.

- Son tells instructor he has no idea what to do.

- Nice instructor suddenly becomes the teacher from hel_l and starts screaming at my son 'you damage my pick-up and you'll have to pay for it'.

- Son has by now realized that the instructor wants him to back the vehicle onto a very very busy narrow road, then drive on that same road.

- Son tries several times to get the instructor to tell him what to do with the gears, clutch etc. All to no avail.

- Son turns off ignition, gets out of the car and walks home.

Still can't drive and has a 'roadblock' about learning to drive.

[Soulwy]

Near the fertilizer shop that is east, about 10 meters from the Narawat Bridge and on the south side of the street there is a small shop that gives driving lessons. The brother-in-law did it. The cost was 1500 Baht and they gave him lessons until he got the license. They took him there to get it and used their vehicle.

This sounds nice... I don't want to bother Thai friends by asking them to 'refresh' my driving skills. I only hope I get through with a Tourist visa & 6 months stay, because officially you need a non Immigrant Visa to get your drivers license.

[Beetlejuice]

In Thailand, you do not require driving lessons.

Just do what the Thais do, get in the vehicle, start the engine and aim it to wherever you are going.