She want's a motorbike for her birthday but has no licence.....

[BKK Blues Brother]

O.K what do i do?

The wife's 16 year old daughter wants a motorbike/scooter for her 16th birthday next month.

Fair enough i said, i too got a 50cc scooter for my 16th birthday off my parents but i had a licence and insurance first.

Her family arn't much help convincing here about the importance of a licence and insurance either.

When i mentioned the licence and insurance i watch her eyes go "out to lunch", next day she says" I want an iphone instead!"

No way she is getting an iphone, she would be a target for robbery, besides a scooter would be more practable.

However, i dont want to hand her a loaded gun and for her to be another Thailand road crash statistic.

So my question is...Are there young learner driver tuition/test centres and how to apply for a licence here?

[CharlieH]

It would help if you mentioned what area etc so more useful localised knowledge can be added.

Cant help but ask, what would she be asking for, if anything, if "the ferang" wasnt there ?

Whats the mothers response ?

Edited March 14, 2014 by CharlieH

[BKK Blues Brother]

We are in Bangkok, but the step-daughter is up north near Phetchabun.

[sam sen]

buy her a helmet too and make it clear if she rides without a helmet you take away the key.

[CharlieH]

We are in Bangkok, but the step-daughter is up north near Phetchabun.

Well, speaking as someone in Phetchabun, she can get a test and licence in about an hour or less at the local ministry of transport office just near the University.

Edited March 14, 2014 by CharlieH

[CharlieH]

buy her a helmet too and make it clear if she rides without a helmet you take away the key.

Nice idea but if she is 300km away he wont know what she is actually doing, he can make sure she is legal etc , the rest is all based on trust, only the OP can answer that one.

[jackinbkk]

It's ridiculous how easy it is to get a license. No wonder there are so many fatal accidents.

You could send her to some class but will she pay attention and what's to stop her just agreeing with someone to say she did it. 'My farang step dad will pay. You can go drink whiskey and we'll say I did it ok?'

[harrry]

You really have two choices...well 3 really.

Insist on the licence or no bike.

Buy the bike on the grounds that maybe it is safer than her riding on her drunk boyfriends one.

Not buy her anything.

I think I would take the 3rd as she is not living with you.

[Hedghog]

Buy her a Dummy.(pacifier for American readers)

She can then spit it out when she doesn't get her way

[h90]

What is the point of having a licence? But you can give her the money to buy one. It is so easy everyone can do in one day. Sometimes they even send someone else to make the licence.....

You learn nothing with it.

Surely it is safer than riding with the drunk boyfriend who want to show off how good he is on racing.....

[BKK Blues Brother]

Am i hearing this correct?

You just purchase the licence without a test on any instruction?

Are there any driving schools or road awareness course's here?

Thanks

[Donnie Brasco]

Am i hearing this correct?

You just purchase the licence without a test on any instruction?

Are there any driving schools or road awareness course's here?

Thanks

Dude, haven't you noticed ?

There are NO "awareness" courses of any kind here.

"Sometimes, 'fuggedabowdit' just means fuggedabowdit."

[harrry]

Actually there are ...a few honda centres hold very good ones.

All kids at high school here should (my neice did) do a course which covers the test requirements for the driver's licence.

The practical test is all off road but does require a fair degree of bike control.

Many US states allow 15 year olds to ride a moped without a licence and while a scooter has greater capabilities than 30mph they are rarely driven at that speed round the towns here.

Things are getting tougher and you may find villages that do not worry but they are catching up just as when I grew up in Australia to get a licence in the country the first question the cop would ask was. Is that your car out front." Then "Did you drive it here?"

If you answered yes to those qquestions you left with a licence covering car truck and bike.

[watcharacters]

.

My wife hadn't driven a car at all when I met her. I wanted to buy a car but I didn't' have a license or desire to drive on the insane streets of Thailand what with all the posts on this forum as well as others.

I decided to pay for driver license training for the little lady and to this day think it was a very good investment. They taught her the basics and encouraged her natural instincts to be cautious and courteous.

I high recommend a driver school for the child. We used ID Driver but I suppose others are capable as well. The cost was not so high but I don't remember the price exactly.

I now go ahead and drive the car as well but generally I ask her if she'd like to drive and she says yes.

I don't drive the motorbike and ask her to take the car instead as well. I don't care how short the journey is, I prefer a car for safety sake

Good luck

Edited March 14, 2014 by watcharacters

[wym]

Do your research and find the best defensive driving moto course, and identify the (probably oldest) tough-love teacher there, pay him extra to not pass her until she really knows her stuff.

Then buy her a beat-up second-hand scooter, but only give it to her once she has her license, registration and of course pay for her accident insurance.

At the same time, bring home a brand new customised bright pink or red whatever-model-is-popular-among-her-peers, and lock it up very securely.

Tell her getting the nice one's conditional on the tough teacher signing off on her skills.

And it's not under any circumstances to be lent to or even driven by any of her friends - keep it in your name so you've got leverage.

Let her keep the beater to lend out.

[laolover88]

Your step daughter wants a bike????

She is in Petchabun?

Have you learned nothing, in all these years?

If she wants to kill herself on a boyfriend's bike, that is up to her.

Not your responsibility!

Pressure from who?

Wise up old chap!

Sorry to sound heartless!

Box of chocolates, maybe?

[transam]

buy her a helmet too and make it clear if she rides without a helmet you take away the key.

As they are many miles apart there is no way he can control the wearing of a helmet. If the OP buys the bike and the kid comes a cropper then his name will be shit, his fault.

Get the kids father take the risk and pay for it.

Edited March 14, 2014 by transam

[seajae]

mate, road rules are a must as is learning to ride and wearing a helmet but trying to enforce them is another matter. Definitely not a new bike unless her father pays half, fairs fair, same with the phone and remind her she has to pay for all the phone bills for it as well. Kids have to earn what they get not simply expect it, I wouldnt do it in Australia with my own daughters why in the hell would I do it here for someone elses. Just because you marry their mother does not mean you are their personal bank account as well, she wants a bike or phone, tell her to get a job and earn them, half the problem here is because kids are just given everything they want with no responsibility. Look at the people that girl killed when she was driving her new car without a licence well before she was legally allowed to, parents are to blame for simply giving them everything. I have a stepdaughter, I love her and I am proud of what she is doing/acheiving at school but there is no way I would do either of what you are looking at and she would not ask, she has been raised right and taught not to expect everything on a platter. I gave her my samsung phone(a year old) as it did too much for what I wanted and she was over the moon with it, if you are told what you are required to buy then you are not respected for who you are but what your bank account is.

[rgs2001uk]

Your step daughter wants a bike????

She is in Petchabun?

Have you learned nothing, in all these years?

If she wants to kill herself on a boyfriend's bike, that is up to her.

Not your responsibility!

Pressure from who?

Wise up old chap!

Sorry to sound heartless!

Box of chocolates, maybe?

Brilliant post, let the step daughter do what she wants with her own money.

[ABCer]

OP, I'm sorry to give you no advice.

Your way of thinking is good enough.

Why not stick to your own guns?

At 16 she is too young for 20 - 45 KBt presents.

Let her earn and save this much. Maybe she will change her mind.

From your post I can see a spoiled brat who just wants.

Dangerous trend, if you really care.

[BKK Blues Brother]

buy her a helmet too and make it clear if she rides without a helmet you take away the key.

As they are many miles apart there is no way he can control the wearing of a helmet. If the OP buys the bike and the kid comes a cropper then his name will be shit, his fault.

Get the kids father take the risk and pay for it.

Good point about me being to blame for buying it if she has an accident, i've found this outlook on life here a lot.

Damned if i do! Damned if i don't!

I'm seriously considering a holiday about the time of her birthday some where with no mobile phone coverage.

[h90]

Am i hearing this correct?

You just purchase the licence without a test on any instruction?

Are there any driving schools or road awareness course's here?

Thanks

Welcome to Asia......What do you think why there are so many accidents....

My wifes sister drove in Bangkok for years without helmet and licence....Why? Her statement was she is from the south the police should not dare to stop her. Don't know what she did or not....but she drove around for at least 3-4 years. Seems no one care....

[BKK Blues Brother]

Am i hearing this correct?

You just purchase the licence without a test on any instruction?

Are there any driving schools or road awareness course's here?

Thanks

Welcome to Asia......What do you think why there are so many accidents....

My wifes sister drove in Bangkok for years without helmet and licence....Why? Her statement was she is from the south the police should not dare to stop her. Don't know what she did or not....but she drove around for at least 3-4 years. Seems no one care....

I have found this not to be the case, as i've been pulled over at checkpoints twice here and asked for my licence.

Edited March 14, 2014 by BKK Blues Brother

[OZEMADE]

Your step daughter wants a bike????

She is in Petchabun?

Have you learned nothing, in all these years?

If she wants to kill herself on a boyfriend's bike, that is up to her.

Not your responsibility!

Pressure from who?

Wise up old chap!

Sorry to sound heartless!

Box of chocolates, maybe?

Brilliant post, let the step daughter do what she wants with her own money.

I agree, send her Tb1000 tell her to save for a bike or buy herself something for her Birthday.

[Donnie Brasco]

This may be off topic but here goes.

My daughter has never made such a request.

Until sixteen birthdays were occasions for parties with family and friends from school.

She has lots of friends and a small family.

She's an 3.5 student. We spring for a new "com" every three of four years.

She WORE he Nokia 72 to the BONES.

Bought herself a new phone from the savings she's squeezed out of her Uni expenses and a few modelling jobs.

When I see how my wife has raised her I feel guilty about not having more kids.

Re: The OP.

Just ask yourself a couple of questions.

Does she call you on YOUR birthday ?

Where would this bike be coming from if you weren't in the picture ?

Who's gonna use it ? . . . . . . . . . Stuff like that.

Good luck.

"Sometimes, 'fuggedabowdit' just means fuggedabowdit."

[wprime]

You think to much, just get her the scooter and she'll never ask you to buy anything again.

[meatboy]

You think to much, just get her the scooter and she'll never ask you to buy anything again.

you are not thinking very much,

the step daughter wants a bike,then a car,then a house if it was me I would tell her "mai me satang".

[wprime]

You think to much, just get her the scooter and she'll never ask you to buy anything again.

you are not thinking very much,

the step daughter wants a bike,then a car,then a house if it was me I would tell her "mai me satang".

I was making a satirical comment about the dangers of letting a 16 yr old drive untrained on a motorbike in Thailand, but I can see how that might go right over your head.

[impulse]

buy her a helmet too and make it clear if she rides without a helmet you take away the key.

While I do agree that a helmet is important, the studies show that riding a scooter is 20-30x more dangerous per km than riding in a 4 wheel vehicle. The helmet only reduces that danger by 40%.

The OP will have well and truly crossed the Safety Rubicon if he buys her the scooter- and the helmet doesn't change that.

I wouldn't buy the scooter just for fear of my gift being the cause of harm to her- and all the societal and family implications that go along with that. But I don't know all the circumstances.

Acknowledging that she's going to be sporting around on scooters anyway, I'd be more inclined to buy her a nice, designer helmet that she'd want to wear. But that would backfire when she started looking for the scooter (that I didn't buy) to go along with the helmet- you know, like in the movies where it's all happy-happy.

Best of luck to the OP. I feel for your predicament.

Edited March 15, 2014 by impulse

[JLCrab]

The motorbike enforcement in isaan is very efficient -- The bikes get pulled over by a dragnet of 10-20 officers The bikers have no helmet, no license, no insurance, & no registration. The officers lock up the bikes until the offender can produce 200 or 300 baht -- you see the offenders on their mobile phones calling for financial support. Then the bikes are released so the cops can pull them over again in the next few weeks.

BTW if there are more bikes going past the check-point than there are officers, the pretty girls get pulled over first.

Edited March 15, 2014 by JLCrab