Motorcycle Driving License

[capeforever]

Hi, I'm currently riding a 500cc bike using my Thai car license - does anyone know how I get a license to legally ride a bike? My UK bike license expired years ago and I don't have any record of it so I assume there is some bike skills test to pass here?

My concern is not being pulled over by the police, it's being involved in a serious accident and finding that my insurer refuses to pay because I don't have a legal license to ride a bike.

When I got my Thai car license, the staff at the office told me I didn't need anything additional to ride a bike, but I'm not sure if that is true - difficult to believe if it is - or just a communication problem.

[Gweiloman]

Hi, I'm currently riding a 500cc bike using my Thai car license - does anyone know how I get a license to legally ride a bike? My UK bike license expired years ago and I don't have any record of it so I assume there is some bike skills test to pass here?

Same way you got your car licence - by taking a test at the licensing centre.

My concern is not being pulled over by the police, it's being involved in a serious accident and finding that my insurer refuses to pay because I don't have a legal license to ride a bike.

You can also be convicted for riding without a licence

When I got my Thai car license, the staff at the office told me I didn't need anything additional to ride a bike, but I'm not sure if that is true - difficult to believe if it is - or just a communication problem

Communication problem

[NomadJoe]

TV has a search function which you can use to easily find answers to questions like this as it has been asked and answered numerous times.

Like every other government office in Thailand, what paperwork and what fees will be required will vary wildly from place to place.

It takes a full day. This is for both car and bike. Usually, you need to bring either your WP or a letter of residence from immigration and your passport to the land transport department by 9am. You will take a driving test, written test, reaction test, color test, and depth perception test. Fee is 155B or so for bike, around 250B for car. If you have a current foreign license in English and with a photo for the class you are applying, you can skip the driving and written tests. If your home license doesn't have a photo of the class you are licensed to drive (Like UK and Eu licenses do) or do not have the class spelled out in English, or your license isn't in English, you will need to bring an IDP (International Drivers Permit, which is a translation of your home license) which you can only obtain from your home country, which is usually issued by an auto club. If you don't have an IDP, you can bring a copy of the government (DMV, DVLA, DOT etc) web page which describes what class your home license authorizes you to drive. This webpage will need to be in English.

To obtain a letter of residency, bring a copy of your rental contract and a copy of the house book and your passport to immigration. Fee's for this service are from "up to you" to 500B depending on the policy of the particular office you go to, or the mood of the official you speak to.

Edited April 6, 2013 by NomadJoe

[poanoi]

Same as gweiloman, in order to apply for MC license, first make sure you have 3 weeks valid visa,

then get a paper from a government clinic that you are alive,

get your rental contract and head to immigration office and tell them you need paper for driving license,

go to the same place as you did your car license and make test, get MC license

[NomadJoe]

^ Yeah I forgot to mention you need a medical cert from Thai doctor stating you are fit to drive.

If you can't pass the tests, then the other option is you can pay 5000B and buy a license. This is what my ex's father had to do since he has bad eyes and is illiterate, but drives for a living.

[thaicbr]

^ Yeah I forgot to mention you need a medical cert from Thai doctor stating you are fit to drive.

If you can't pass the tests, then the other option is you can pay 5000B and buy a license. This is what my ex's father had to do since he has bad eyes and is illiterate, but drives for a living.

Hopefully the ex's father also spent 1000b at the opticians.

[poanoi]

Lol, and i get complaints for drunk driving

[Gweiloman]

I didn't mention anything about medical cert, proof of residence etc etc because the OP already has a Thai car driving licence so I presumed that he is familiar with all the requirements.

The only difference between getting the car licence and the bike licence is that you don't need to demonstrate how to parallel park the bike or to do a hill start. However, you do need to be able to travel for (about) 30 metres on a foot wide cement slab and to slalom around some poles.

[NomadJoe]

^ Yeah I forgot to mention you need a medical cert from Thai doctor stating you are fit to drive.

If you can't pass the tests, then the other option is you can pay 5000B and buy a license. This is what my ex's father had to do since he has bad eyes and is illiterate, but drives for a living.

Hopefully the ex's father also spent 1000b at the opticians.

It's not the kind of bad eyes that can be fixed by a visit to the optician. Some disease. He is slowly going blind.

[harrry]

Because the test is designed for small bikes it may be best to do it with a scooter.

[thaicbr]

^ Yeah I forgot to mention you need a medical cert from Thai doctor stating you are fit to drive.

If you can't pass the tests, then the other option is you can pay 5000B and buy a license. This is what my ex's father had to do since he has bad eyes and is illiterate, but drives for a living.

Hopefully the ex's father also spent 1000b at the opticians.

It's not the kind of bad eyes that can be fixed by a visit to the optician. Some disease. He is slowly going blind.

Where does he drive so I can avoid him

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[loserlazer]

^ Yeah I forgot to mention you need a medical cert from Thai doctor stating you are fit to drive.

If you can't pass the tests, then the other option is you can pay 5000B and buy a license. This is what my ex's father had to do since he has bad eyes and is illiterate, but drives for a living.

Hopefully the ex's father also spent 1000b at the opticians.

It's not the kind of bad eyes that can be fixed by a visit to the optician. Some disease. He is slowly going blind.

So after drunk farang, there are some blind farang on the roads too!

What next?...deaf farang, paralyzed farang etc?

Edited April 6, 2013 by loserlazer

[thaicbr]

^ Yeah I forgot to mention you need a medical cert from Thai doctor stating you are fit to drive.

If you can't pass the tests, then the other option is you can pay 5000B and buy a license. This is what my ex's father had to do since he has bad eyes and is illiterate, but drives for a living.

Hopefully the ex's father also spent 1000b at the opticians.

It's not the kind of bad eyes that can be fixed by a visit to the optician. Some disease. He is slowly going blind.

So after drunk farang, there are some blind farang on the roads too!

What next?...deaf farang, paralyzed farang etc?

I think his ex gf was Thai so I presume her father is as well

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[Almera]

My concern is not being pulled over by the police, it's being

involved in a serious accident and finding that my insurer refuses to

pay because I don't have a legal license to ride a bike.

This isn't actually the case in Thailand. It isn't like the UK where no license N/A's the insurance.

The likely scenario is insurance would pay, and if the police realize you don't have a license you may be fined a few hundred baht, if that, they may also let you off out of sympathy. The insurance will still pay. A different system altogether than the one you're used to back home.

That said, go get yourself a license as it is so easy to do so.

[harrry]

My concern is not being pulled over by the police, it's being

involved in a serious accident and finding that my insurer refuses to

pay because I don't have a legal license to ride a bike.

This isn't actually the case in Thailand. It isn't like the UK where no license N/A's the insurance.

The likely scenario is insurance would pay, and if the police realize you don't have a license you may be fined a few hundred baht, if that, they may also let you off out of sympathy. The insurance will still pay. A different system altogether than the one you're used to back home.

That said, go get yourself a license as it is so easy to do so.

THis applies to the compuslory PorRorBor but for Comprehensive the requirement is that you have held a licence for the apropriate vehicle. In other words an expired licence will not invalidate it but not having one will.

[Almera]

^ I know numerous people who have had accidents, no license, no problem with their comprehensive (1st class insurance) insurance.

Remember that prostitution is illegal and bribery is a capital offense.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Almera

[thaicbr]

^ I know numerous people who have had accidents, no license, no problem with their comprehensive (1st class insurance) insurance.

Remember that prostitution is illegal and bribery is a capital offense.

Well each time I have had dealings with the 1st class insurance assessor they have always insisted on taking pictures of my license.

Not saying your wrong. Just my experience.

If you live here get a license. Its easy and cheap. And means you can use it for ID rather than carry your passport

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[Almera]

^ I know numerous people who have had accidents, no license, no problem with their comprehensive (1st class insurance) insurance.

Remember that prostitution is illegal and bribery is a capital offense.

Well each time I have had dealings with the 1st class insurance assessor they have always insisted on taking pictures of my license.

Not saying your wrong. Just my experience.

I know of a young Brit who had a nasty accident/incident where the police were also trying to get in on the take, he was insured with that Tokio Marine lot, he only had an old British License which was submitted with the claim form and they paid out no problem.

Also remember, it is the vehicle that is insured by the insurance company, not the rider/driver. Difference to the UK at least where it is the driver who is insured.

But hey, people can argue about it all they want, in fact, please do. The facts of the matter are that insurance pays for insured vehicles whether the driver has a valid license or not.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Almera

[thaicbr]

The British guy had a valid license. The UK one.

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[NomadJoe]

^ Yeah I forgot to mention you need a medical cert from Thai doctor stating you are fit to drive.

If you can't pass the tests, then the other option is you can pay 5000B and buy a license. This is what my ex's father had to do since he has bad eyes and is illiterate, but drives for a living.

Hopefully the ex's father also spent 1000b at the opticians.

It's not the kind of bad eyes that can be fixed by a visit to the optician. Some disease. He is slowly going blind.

Where does he drive so I can avoid him

Thailand. (All of it)

[NomadJoe]

My concern is not being pulled over by the police, it's being

involved in a serious accident and finding that my insurer refuses to

pay because I don't have a legal license to ride a bike.

This isn't actually the case in Thailand. It isn't like the UK where no license N/A's the insurance.

The likely scenario is insurance would pay, and if the police realize you don't have a license you may be fined a few hundred baht, if that, they may also let you off out of sympathy. The insurance will still pay. A different system altogether than the one you're used to back home.

That said, go get yourself a license as it is so easy to do so.

THis applies to the compuslory PorRorBor but for Comprehensive the requirement is that you have held a licence for the apropriate vehicle. In other words an expired licence will not invalidate it but not having one will.

Having an expired license is the same as not having one. In the eyes of the law and insurance it is the same. Whether the individual cop or insurance assessor actually checks or cares is another issue.

[harrry]

My concern is not being pulled over by the police, it's being

involved in a serious accident and finding that my insurer refuses to

pay because I don't have a legal license to ride a bike.

This isn't actually the case in Thailand. It isn't like the UK where no license N/A's the insurance.

The likely scenario is insurance would pay, and if the police realize you don't have a license you may be fined a few hundred baht, if that, they may also let you off out of sympathy. The insurance will still pay. A different system altogether than the one you're used to back home.

That said, go get yourself a license as it is so easy to do so.

THis applies to the compuslory PorRorBor but for Comprehensive the requirement is that you have held a licence for the apropriate vehicle. In other words an expired licence will not invalidate it but not having one will.

Having an expired license is the same as not having one. In the eyes of the law and insurance it is the same. Whether the individual cop or insurance assessor actually checks or cares is another issue.

Not here it isn't. Just because it is where you com e from does not mean that it is here.

[NomadJoe]

^ I know numerous people who have had accidents, no license, no problem with their comprehensive (1st class insurance) insurance.

Remember that prostitution is illegal and bribery is a capital offense.

Well each time I have had dealings with the 1st class insurance assessor they have always insisted on taking pictures of my license.

Not saying your wrong. Just my experience.

If you live here get a license. Its easy and cheap. And means you can use it for ID rather than carry your passport

When I came off the Ninja 650 a couple years ago when I had 1st class insurance with Viriyah, my license was never asked for. They paid.

[thaicbr]

^ Yeah I forgot to mention you need a medical cert from Thai doctor stating you are fit to drive.

If you can't pass the tests, then the other option is you can pay 5000B and buy a license. This is what my ex's father had to do since he has bad eyes and is illiterate, but drives for a living.

Hopefully the ex's father also spent 1000b at the opticians.

It's not the kind of bad eyes that can be fixed by a visit to the optician. Some disease. He is slowly going blind.

Where does he drive so I can avoid him

Thailand. (All of it)

Oh sh#t

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[Almera]

When I came off the Ninja 650 a couple years ago when I had 1st class insurance with Viriyah, my license was never asked for. They paid.

This is always the case, as not having a DL does not effect the insurance here in the case of an accident. It is a very different situation to that of most people's homecountries, so one can understand how the newbees here find it difficult to belief and demand that they are right.