How I Almost Didn't Get My Thai Driving License

[Filipplenoir]

6:00 I woke up.

7:00 after 2 refusals, got a taxi that was willing to take me to Victory monument. 70 b.

7:30 took a van Victory Monument-Mahachai market. 50 b.

8:00 in Mahachai. Air is better than it is in Bangkok

8:04 Took a motorbike taxi to Samutsakhon DMV

8:05 motorbike taxi is confused and is taking me to all government buildings in the area.

8:15 I’m in Samutsakhorn DMV. Pay 30 b.

8:15 I’m standing in line

8:17 I think I’m told that my medical certificate from Bangkok is no good

8:19 go outside to catch a motorbike taxi

8:20 I don’t know Thai word for hospital, Thais don’t understand HO-S-PITA-L

8:23 motorbike taxi is taking me somewhere , mumbling some word

8:25 she brings me to some apartment complex

Oh Buddha! It started to resemble that day when I was trying to get my provisional license. (Last year I came at 13:00. It was my second attempt since nobody in the area knew where the office was. Via her poor English and my even poorer Thai I figured out that I had to come again in the next day. She told me 2 o’clock in the morning. I looked at her. She looked at me. I looked at the clock above her head. 2 am? Yes! Am? Yes! Come tomorrow. Finally when I started pointing to the clock-it became clear to me that she meant 9 am. Thai timing system is different. A few days earlier when I went to the Samutsakhon immigration building to have my residence verified the immigration staff spent 20 minutes looking at the immigration form I brought to them. Apparently I was the first person who introduced them to the form I downloaded from their website...

8:26 I call a Thai person to act as my over-the –phone interpreter

8:27 everything is understood, I’m being driven to a 70 baht clinic

8:30 motorbike taxi woman takes my passport, and brings me into a clinic. She takes me to a series of pictures that are supposed to determine if you are color blind. I pass that test. I pay 70 b. Secretary starts typing my name. I help her. I don’t know how to say ‘space’, so we drop my middle initial.

8:45 taxi takes me back to the DMV. I give her 100 b. She is giving me 20 back as change. I insist that it is a tip. She thanks me with a traditional ‘wai’ sign.

8:50 I’m back in line.

8:53 I’m told that my visa has expired. How can I explain that ‘enter before’ is not an expiration date. The officer finally looks at the wrong visa and thinks that this is what he needs. Great!

8:56 I’m told to make more copies of my documents.

9:00 I’m back in line submitting my documents finally.

9:10 We are taken into a room where they check if you can react fast enough. You press’gas’ pedal when the light is green, and then ‘break ’ pedal when the light changes to red. I pass that test.

9:12 I have to call the colors I see on the screen. I am not confident with my Thai colors so I call them in English: Red, Red, Red, Red, green, Yellow

9:13 They check my peripheral vision: I fail several times-their yellow is almost like light green. Officer hints that I’m wrong. I pass the test.

9:15 I’m told to ‘go along’. I start wondering in the corridor.

9:17 I see the officer. He puts my file on top and says ‘Farang’ (causcasian foreigner). He gives me my number 244-I should buy a lottery ticket.

9:17-9:30 I’m waiting with the Myanmar migrant workers.

9:30 my number is called. I proceed to a table. Another officer wants to take my picture-she tells me turn right, but shows left, then the reverse. Finally my picture is taken. I’m told the sum to pay. I don’t understand it. She writes 1080b. I have 500 only. I go down and take a motorbike taxi again.20b

9:37 I get 5 year driving licenses: car and motorbike

9:40 I come down. Take a motorbike. I tell him ‘Talat mahachai, pai Krugtep’-‘Mahachai market, to go to Bangkok.’ We ride. I ask him if his bike is Fino. He tells me ‘Scoo-ppy’ with an intonation of a person who has been insulted by your question.

9:41 We are lost…

8:56 I’m told to make more copies of my documents.

9:00 I’m back in line submitting my documents finally.

9:10 We are taken into a room where they check if you can react fast enough. You press’gas’ pedal when the light is green, and then ‘break ’ pedal when the light changes to red. I pass that test.

9:12 I have to call the colors I see on the screen. I am not confident with my Thai colors so I call them in English: Red, Red, Red, Red, green, Yellow

9:13 They check my peripheral vision: I fail several times-their yellow is almost like light green. Officer hints that I’m wrong. I pass the test.

9:15 I’m told to ‘go along’. I start wondering in the corridor.

9:17 I see the officer. He puts my file on top and says ‘Farang’ (causcasian foreigner). He gives me my number 244-I should buy a lottery ticket.

9:17-9:30 I’m waiting with the Myanmar migrant workers.

9:30 my number is called. I proceed to a table. Another officer wants to take my picture-she tells me turn right, but shows left, then the reverse. Finally my picture is taken. I’m told the sum to pay. I don’t understand it. She writes 1080b. I have 500 only. I go down and take a motorbike taxi again.20b

9:37 I get 5 year driving licenses: car and motorbike

9:40 I come down. Take a motorbike. I tell him ‘Talat mahachai, pai Krugtep’-‘Mahachai market, to go to Bangkok.’ We ride. I ask him if his bike is Fino. He tells me ‘Scoo-ppy’ with an intonation of a person who has been insulted by your question.

9:41 We are lost…

Edited January 22, 2013 by Filipplenoir

[thaicbr]

Umm overcharged you were

sent from my Q6

[beano2274]

Did you get a 5 year license or a 1 years License?

If you got a five year you should have had a 1 year before, so no need to do the colour tests or reactions tests again.

[beano2274]

And when she said 2 o'clock that means 8 not 9.

[Filipplenoir]

Did you get a 5 year license or a 1 years License?

If you got a five year you should have had a 1 year before, so no need to do the colour tests or reactions tests again.

I already had 1 year. Today i was getting a 5 year

[Filipplenoir]

Did you get a 5 year license or a 1 years License?

If you got a five year you should have had a 1 year before, so no need to do the colour tests or reactions tests again.

Well, I did what I was told to do by the Samutsakhon office

[ignis]

At Nonthaburi I have always had to do the colour tests and reactions tests again. coming towards the end of my 3 rd Licence so 2 nd 5 year one..

[Filipplenoir]

Umm overcharged you were

sent from my Q6

Yes, I guess Kao San Rd documents are cheaper

[beano2274]

At Nonthaburi I have always had to do the colour tests and reactions tests again. coming towards the end of my 3 rd Licence so 2 nd 5 year one..

I did my 1 year in Nonthaburi had to do the tests, the second time to get the 5year did not do at all. Just gave my documents up, had my photo taken and paid and got my new 5 year license.

[PoorSucker]

I did my 1 year in Nonthaburi had to do the tests, the second time to get the 5year did not do at all. Just gave my documents up, had my photo taken and paid and got my new 5 year license.

First 5 year license I got I did not have to do the tests.

Next time I had to.

[krisb]

So its like you in the city

me in the country

[Filipplenoir]

At Nonthaburi I have always had to do the colour tests and reactions tests again. coming towards the end of my 3 rd Licence so 2 nd 5 year one..

I did my 1 year in Nonthaburi had to do the tests, the second time to get the 5year did not do at all. Just gave my documents up, had my photo taken and paid and got my new 5 year license.

Officials were mesmerized by the Farang and forgot the procedure

[Filipplenoir]

No. 243 was a young girl (with her head in her smart phone) accompanied by a lady in the uniform. I don't remember this young girl taking the test with the rest of us (migrant workers and me).

[Filipplenoir]

Umm overcharged you were

sent from my Q6

yes, kao san documents are cheaper

[beano2274]

Mesmerized as the Farang had a yellow book, and maybe they had not seen that before. But we all know different offices different rules, as we see it with our extensions at Immigration as well.

[edwinchester]

Did you get a 5 year license or a 1 years License?

If you got a five year you should have had a 1 year before, so no need to do the colour tests or reactions tests again.

Just got my 5 year licences for the second time and had to do the colour and reaction tests too. This was in Kanchanaburi. They said it was a newly introduced requirement.

[Stradavarius37]

Amazed you didn't take a friend who speaks Thai to make the process go faster. Sucker for punishment I guess

[rene123]

Thanks for the funny story. I could just picture it.

Unfortunately, it is true more often than not.

[Dancealot]

+3 Great report Mr. Filliplenoir

[mattk1]

Funny story

I'll help you out with the Thai words:

Hospital = roong-pá~yaa-baan

Space = rá~yá-hàang

[thaicbr]

Umm overcharged you were

sent from my Q6

Yes, I guess Kao San Rd documents are cheaper

Probably not. Driving License in Thailand are 205b each for the plastic card license.

sent from my Q6

Edited January 23, 2013 by thaicbr

[prodriver]

Did you get a 5 year license or a 1 years License?

If you got a five year you should have had a 1 year before, so no need to do the colour tests or reactions tests again.

Just got my 5 year licences for the second time and had to do the colour and reaction tests too. This was in Kanchanaburi. They said it was a newly introduced requirement.

Really? I got my second 5 year licence in Kanchanaburi in 2009. Had to do the colour and reaction tests again. So not exactly a new requirement.

[bermondburi]

Best off doing it out in the sticks for an easy ride . Last time I did a 5 year one I was only in the country for a couple of weeks so no visa . I just copied the last visa i had which was well out of date and used that and no questions asked . Don't think they really knew what they were looking at. My letter from the police was the one they wrote for me when I was applying for jobs in Saudi which is where I am now , so that was also well out of date . I didn't have to do the colour test again and this was in Nang Rong a few months ago.