Everyone's failing the new driving test in Thailand

[chotthee]

More people fail mean more have to buy their license.

This is a test created to print money.

[expatsupreme]

so how hard is it to do a motorbike test? Where to learn the theory?

[ray23]

Lot to read here I want to make sure I understand this, this will be required renewals as well?

[balo]

I took the test a few months ago, I think I was lucky to pass it then , lots of stupid questions in it.

Sent from my SM-P601 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[MichaelShort]

Michaelshort, I not only felt that way, I can with 100% confidence tell you that some of the questions are wrong. I checked rechecked and triple checked.

One of the questions is about a right curve warning sign.

The correct answer is "proceed with caution and turn to the right"

another option was "proceed with caution and turn right"

the latter was wrong. I failed that question yesterday But passed it today.

Another one is "what picture shows proper parking?"

two pictures show bad parking.

One picture shows parked cars in a parking lot.

One pic shows a car parked by the side of the road.

The parking lot pic is incorrect answer.

Then the same question comes later in the test, But at that time the options are 3 pics with illegal parking and the same pic of the cars in parking lot. This time the parking lot is correct....

yes I also got that with wron parking, just did not get it.

Another question was a crossin, it looks like two roads had traffic lights and another two had nothing...???

Since we don't have an english book to read from I think we all have good basics since we pass...even if you have to do it more than once!

In Sweden you can make it in 2 weeks, but that mean you stay there and read and practice everyday...

We also have "skid training" how to control a car if you loose control on ice or water.

Thai need to learn a "little" more than a 2 day course..

And yes it must be something wrong with some questions..

One more thing, here they say you must keep distance to the car in front and have a 2 second rule as I understand or if you drive in 100 you should keep 35 m distance...

In Sweden it is 100 km and 100 m distance, 50 km and 50 m distance... And we have a 3 sec rule, not 2...

[MichaelShort]

I am really confused here. Who has to sit the theory/practical test and who doesn't? There are numerous posts here of people sitting the tests and some saying they never did outside the colour/reaction tests.

I received my initial one year license and then renewed for a five year one and I never watched any videos, sat any written/practical tests. Just did the colour/reaction test both times. I went to Mo Chit DMT office. I only had my Oz drivers license, no IDL.

So what gives?

It is different were you are from...

Though I think everyone has to do it..

I have a Swedish license for 20 years and also trained in high speed driving/emergency dtiving, still I can not just transfor this to a thai driverlicence..

I culd be wrong but I think everyone has to do the full test in thai..

[edwinchester]

Lot to read here I want to make sure I understand this, this will be required renewals as well?

Not required for renewal according to the lady at my local DLT yesterday.

[expatsupreme]

how much does it cost to do a test?

[spidermike007]

Many Thais do not like to read. From what I hear all the answers are in the book. So, now that the test is more difficult, perhaps some reading will be required?

Sent from my SM-N900V using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Gandtee]

Here is the English written test

www.safedrivingforlife.info/official-theory-test

You probably should have said 'Here is an English written test' as it is a UK test and quite a bit not fitting Thailand. Just to clarify to members who may think it is the Thailand version of the rules of the road.

And that is also the problem with most UK and Aussie drivers here who assume the rules back home apply here. Although most do, some very important right of way rules are opposite in Thailand. Thai rules were most related to New Zealand rules, until they changed them in NZ in 2012 to be more like Aussie and UK ones.

One of the opposites is the British one of flashing your headlights to allow an oncoming vehicle to pass in front of you. Here it means I am coming! Get out of the way and the devil take the hindmost! A very dangerous mistake to make!

Edited June 8, 2014 by Gandtee

[MichaelShort]

I am amazed no one has posted this video

The danger is if someone is stoping and another car on the inside or outside of that one just continiue to drive and may hit a pedestrian who come out in front of the car that has stoped...

Since "common sense" dosen't seem to exist in thai people, they wont understand until they hit someone...

Like I say in another post, like at least 5 driving lessons and lectures should be needed since they all seem to forget the minute they got the license...or a police that start working all the time not just when they put up a checkpoint to check helmets...

Edited June 8, 2014 by MichaelShort

[Thanet]

dont matter, they will just drive around with no license, problem solved

Or buy one.

[MichaelShort]

how much does it cost to do a test?

The "old" test I paied 215 baht for. It said on the whiteboard it should cost 500 according to my wife, but apparently not...or if they missed something when I paied...

The new one I don't know.

[Seastallion]

For most Thais, when they are taught to do something, they will do it exactly that way, unquestioningly for the rest of their lives, even if you show them a better way; the way I was taught is the way it is done, full stop.

So, really, the population just needs to be taught the right, safe way to drive. Start now with this generation of new drivers.

[HOAX]

THAILAND:-- Until recently, the driver's license exam was kind of a joke.

Was? It still very much is lol.

Anyway, it`s somewhat a start in the right direction at leased, but way harder tests needs to be implemented, both theoretical and in practice. The whole point with these tests is to learn something crucially important. Hand out/sell books to read. Give people videos to watch. It should be easier to filter out who`s not taking this seriously. They will simply fail the test, and doesn`t deserve to drive.

Rules of the roads also need an extreme makeover. 46684542245277654 rules are missing, and the 4,5 rules that are said to exist, few follows.

The terrible road conditions needs to be fixed.

Traffic police (or any police for that matter) needs to take this way more seriously and do a better job. If someone is driving without a drivers license then cut the license plate, or maybe even take the car in to arrest. If this was in Norway, most of these cops would`ve been locked up for contributing to mass murder, and that`s no joke.

Edited June 8, 2014 by HOAX

[hobz]

Outside Central Kad Suan Kaew in Chiang Mai there are two pedestrian crossings without lights.

The law says to "slow down and drive with caution and stop for pedestrians that wish to cross the road" ..

I did this yesterday, the psycho asian driver behind me started honking his horn and then overtook me in an insane fashion right over the pedestrian crossings ..

Note: I was in the right lane, not because I drive super fast, but because the left lane was blocked with illegally parked song taews (they have the right to stop for loading and unloading passangers, but they stop to wait for passengers)

* Guy behind me should have driven with caution because there's pedestrian crossings - instead he made a crazy overtake

* It's illegal to overtake another vehicle within 30 meters from a pedestrian crossing - He overtook

* It's illegal to overtake on the left hand side - He overtook on the left hand side

Same crossing some months back, people are waiting to cross over, I stop to allow them to cross over,, they hesitate to cross while a motorbike behind me is hitting the brakes in panic and another motorbike behind him crashes into him. The pedestrians were too scared to cross.

Lessons learned.. Following the rules angers people and causes accidents. And the pedestrians wont cross anyway, because they don't trust people to stop and follow the rules.

Also driving carefully angers people behind you and they might "retaliate" by doing insane stunts ...

I wish they had some screening for psychopaths in the new tests..

Edited June 8, 2014 by hobz

[DLP]

Outside Central Kad Suan Kaew in Chiang Mai there are two pedestrian crossings without lights.

The law says to "slow down and drive with caution and stop for pedestrians that wish to cross the road" ..

I did this yesterday, the psycho asian driver behind me started honking his horn and then overtook me in an insane fashion right over the pedestrian crossings ..

Same crossing some months back, people are waiting to cross over, I stop to allow them to cross over,, they hesitate to cross while a motorbike behind me is hitting the brakes in panic and another motorbike behind him crashes into him. The pedestrians were too scared to cross.

Lessons learned.. Following the rules angers people and causes accidents. And the pedestrians wont cross anyway, because they don't trust people to stop and follow the rules.

HOW TRUE

[Gandtee]

I found that the quickest way to kill someone is to stop at a pedestrian crossing to allow them to cross. Cars and motorcycles will zoom pass you and the result is some times messy.

[wilcopops]

Here is the English written test

www.safedrivingforlife.info/official-theory-test

You probably should have said 'Here is an English written test' as it is a UK test and quite a bit not fitting Thailand. Just to clarify to members who may think it is the Thailand version of the rules of the road.

And that is also the problem with most UK and Aussie drivers here who assume the rules back home apply here. Although most do, some very important right of way rules are opposite in Thailand. Thai rules were most related to New Zealand rules, until they changed them in NZ in 2012 to be more like Aussie and UK ones.

One of the opposites is the British one of flashing your headlights to allow an oncoming vehicle to pass in front of you. Here it means I am coming! Get out of the way and the devil take the hindmost! A very dangerous mistake to make!

Flashing lights mean one thing and one thing only - they announce your presence the same as a horn.......YOU the driver have to interpret the implications of the misuse from country to country....in UK flashing does NOT legally mean come on...it is interpreted that way by common convention (not law) and in Thailand it means by convention "coming through" both are partially incorrect to the same extent.

The problem is that foreign drivers are so brainwashed by the home country driving techniques that they are incapable of assessing and adapting to driving in other countries - they then resort to blaming that countries drivers for mistakes that are in fact really down to their own lack of critical abilities.

[solstan]

how much does it cost to do a test?

The "old" test I paied 215 baht for. It said on the whiteboard it should cost 500 according to my wife, but apparently not...or if they missed something when I paied...

The new one I don't know.

Total cost including exam, test fee, photocopies, car hire etc might sum up to about that, but Id rather think it is the fee for a Thai IDL - that is 500 Baht

[ray23]

Lot to read here I want to make sure I understand this, this will be required renewals as well?

Not required for renewal according to the lady at my local DLT yesterday.

Thanks I tried the practice site test failed twice. I have been licensed and riding here for 12 years. worse thing I have ever done a bit to fast depending on road conditions and red lights. Can't figure out what a CPR question has to do with riding it's there. some of the signage question's never have seen the signs before.

I don't mind studying the laws if there is a source to do it from.

Thanks again

[boomerangutang]

I took the Thai drivers test exam several years ago. It took me 3 tried, but I passed. The questions were ridiculous then, and probably more ridiculous now.

TOUGH TESTS DON'T GOOD DRIVERS MAKE.

You could devise a severely difficult test, and it wouldn't change the character of the person driving. Thai drivers are generally selfish and rude. It's a character thing, and not something which tests will change.

[expatsupreme]

If I have EU motorbike licence and car licence, even though I have to redo both in Thailand or not?

Is there a way around it. I am just doing motorbike test now in EU so I wonder

[boomerangutang]

If I have EU motorbike licence and car licence, even though I have to redo both in Thailand or not?

Is there a way around it. I am just doing motorbike test now in EU so I wonder

Last time I checked, if you already have a valid and current license in a farang country, than you can get a Thai license without taking a test.

[expatsupreme]

If I have EU motorbike licence and car licence, even though I have to redo both in Thailand or not?

Is there a way around it. I am just doing motorbike test now in EU so I wonder

Last time I checked, if you already have a valid and current license in a farang country, than you can get a Thai license without taking a test.

are you sure, because I have heard other stories that valid EU licence does not mean anything in Thailand. Can somebody verify this?

[Felt 35]

If I have EU motorbike licence and car licence, even though I have to redo both in Thailand or not?

Is there a way around it. I am just doing motorbike test now in EU so I wonder

Last time I checked, if you already have a valid and current license in a farang country, than you can get a Thai license without taking a test.

are you sure, because I have heard other stories that valid EU licence does not mean anything in Thailand. Can somebody verify this?

I don't know about your Country but some European embassies will translate the driving license for their citizens and then they bring it to the Thai transport office and will be issued a Thai license. I don't know now but previously it was also possible to bring a "legal" International driving license from home country and the Thai transport office would issue a license.

[solstan]

are you sure, because I have heard other stories that valid EU licence does not mean anything in Thailand. Can somebody verify this?

Last time I checked, if you already have a valid and current license in a farang country, than you can get a Thai license without taking a test.

You are partly right - You need to bring the International Driving Lucense, IDL from home and then get some papers, youll find a good guide here at TV - then depending on VISA you might get a license without some of the tests.

Your license from home isnt valid without the IDL in Thailand.

And one more thing stated by many: Although International Driving Licences are valid for up to one year after arrival in Thailand, after three months many comprehensive insurance policies are made void if still driving on a foreign licence.

[Thaddeus]

And one more thing stated by many: Although International Driving Licences are valid for up to one year after arrival in Thailand, after three months many comprehensive insurance policies are made void if still driving on a foreign licence.

Just to clarify one thing, if you have a multiple entry visa, when you do an exit and re-entry the licence is also reset to 90 days validity.

It becomes useless after 90 days if you have an annual extension and do not leave the country.

[expatsupreme]

omg that sucks, I come on triple visa, so it will be valid only first three months? That is insane

[Thaddeus]

omg that sucks, I come on triple visa, so it will be valid only first three months? That is insane

No.

If you have a triple entry visa (tourist visa I assume) when you do a visa run, your licence is valid for another ninety days.

An IDL is valid for one year, if you keep leaving the country, even if it is just for an hour, and then return, you can get a full one year out of it.