Everyone's failing the new driving test in Thailand

[FangFerang]

Giving a driving test in Thailand is like asking hookers to practice safe sex -- if they value their own life, they will, otherwise -- get out of the way of my Mercedes Benz!

Oh, no red bull comments needed here.......

Wow, this is going to create a lot of bribe money...oops, that was some OTHER government, not this, um, 'government'.

Duh.

[dharmabm]

When I renewed mine a week ago there were Thais renewing there's we did not have to sit any question test it as we were only renewing our old licences however a lot of the Thais were struggling with the braking test you have to have your right foot on a pedal the light is green when it changes to red you have to move your foot to the brake pedal I was amazed how many of the Thais could not move quick enough by the time they had put there foot down on the brake the lights had gone above the permitted zone even after 6 attempts some were struggling and these are people who already have a licence !!,

didn't you know? thai drivers brake with their left foot (and rest it there while on the motorway). why do you think the car in front of you in the right lane keeps having the brake light go on for no apparent reason?!

[dharmabm]

Jonmarlesco, driving without a license is 200 baht fine.

doesn't matter the infraction, EVERYTHING is a 200 baht fine!

[stickylies]

Haha when I took the test a couple of years ago, one of the questions was whether or

not a tank could drive down the road. Perhaps they fire the idiots that make up questions

like that, rather than altering the pass percent threshold....

true and @ all: remember that it is ALLOWED to drive a tank on the road...

[biplanebluey]

I simply do not believe it.

I simply do not understand what you do not believe

[dharmabm]

BTW I heard that there is no Thai word or equivalent for Logic is this true?

funny you should ask this, as i had always believed this to be true, however a friend of mine who is incredibly fluent discovered recently that there is in fact a word... only problem is that no one knows it!

[Gandtee]

So, other than that, everything was hunky dory. The mysteries of the Orient>

[geezer2]

Haha when I took the test a couple of years ago, one of the questions was whether or

not a tank could drive down the road. Perhaps they fire the idiots that make up questions

like that, rather than altering the pass percent threshold....

A tank can drive down the road but a vehicle without a wind screen can not.............hmmmm so much for that, E-tans from the farms are always driving around and they have no windscreens. I am not picking on you about the tank I remember the same question too. It's just funny that the law says one thing and then does the other. Drive safely!

when i got my licence the same question when can you not drive a vehicle no brakes no lights no screen of course i answered no brakes..duh computer says no screen i threw a wobbler man says no prob i do for you what a joke..even he knew the test is is/was a joke

[ChaangNoi]

I know a person who was quoted 6,000 for "help" on the test. The offer was turned down. The responce was something like if you get caught the police willfine you 2,000 or maybe more.

I think this rate will have to go down or there will be a lot of people who just do not drive legally.

[NomadJoe]

Well of course everyone is failing it. There is still no meaningful instruction or training requirements.

[Gonsalviz]

Nothing a few hundred Baht can't take care of.

[i claudius]

So as long as you can answer all the questiones ,it does not matter if you drive well or not ,so very little change.

[moonwolf]

Haha when I took the test a couple of years ago, one of the questions was whether or

not a tank could drive down the road. Perhaps they fire the idiots that make up questions

like that, rather than altering the pass percent threshold....

A tank can drive down the road but a vehicle without a wind screen can not.............hmmmm so much for that, E-tans from the farms are always driving around and they have no windscreens. I am not picking on you about the tank I remember the same question too. It's just funny that the law says one thing and then does the other. Drive safely!

sure a tank can drive down a road , it can go and where it's driver want to go, and if it loaded with a shell in the barrel who the hell going to tell it it can not go down that way ?

[richy2201]

What about the practical driving test?

Shouldn't that be reformed to enhance driver capability?

The only thing the practical teaches you is to how to park your civic at the mall without scratching the merc beside you. Nothing else.

Sent from my LG-P970 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The bloke who put a "*&^ing dent/scratch in my car door a few weeks back must have failed that part of the practical. Ironically he was the one driving an old Merc.....

.....and relax......

[espinoza]

"However questions still pertain to esoteric details like whether one should park 30 or 35 centimeters from a curb." What does this have to do with driving a car ? Why not ask them: How many motorcycles can you pass when you have ongoing traffic ? Much better I think.

[espinoza]

How can they pass, they did not get any education ????? Of course they fail. Take all professional drivers in Thailand in for the test. I guess less than 1 percent will pass. But that would be the right end to start with.

[Guest StephenB]

Here is a typical ride dropping the kids off at school in the northeast.

Its hard to change back to the "other safer way" of driving once you have driven a while in Thailand :-)

[surangw]

everyone as in 100% ?

[trogers]

I was last of 5 to do practical that day. For parallel parking, 3 of the 5 knocked over the rear limit marker and still passed. When I got into the space without hitting anything and within the limits from the curb, the inspector had to come down from perch and check. Her eyebrows raised about an inch!

Why? Were you parking a motorcycle?

Edited June 5, 2014 by trogers

[northernjohn]

it's all very well having a test, but who's training the trainers?

My question is if they know all the answers what makes any one think they will drive better?

[Bellacissa]

So, let me get this straight...

I can bring my US driver's license, medical cert and an IDL (I know there's some debate on that one, but I already have it) into the Thai version of the DMV and get a one year Thai license without anything other than a color and brake test? I already have the motorcycle endorsement on my Texas dl, so will that get me a license to drive both a car and a motorcycle?

If that's true, I won't have to worry about whether tanks have windshields, right? Just wondering exactly how much I need to study the non-existent rules of the road before I come over at the end of the year.

[penwithcris]

My Thai wife took her Theory Test today and scored 48/50 so not everyone is failing. But the test has changed and it's more in line with the UK model which she passed about 4 years ago

But the computer based test must come as a shock to many would be Thai drivers who just about comprehend that you should drive on the left

They think a Hazard is a Chelsea footballer!!

It's good to see the driving test being made more difficult and challenging, but unless the examiners measure out a dollop of common sense with the pass certificate, then I have my doubts whether driving standards will actually improve much

[Thaddeus]

So, let me get this straight...

I can bring my US driver's license, medical cert and an IDL (I know there's some debate on that one, but I already have it) into the Thai version of the DMV and get a one year Thai license without anything other than a color and brake test? I already have the motorcycle endorsement on my Texas dl, so will that get me a license to drive both a car and a motorcycle?

If that's true, I won't have to worry about whether tanks have windshields, right? Just wondering exactly how much I need to study the non-existent rules of the road before I come over at the end of the year.

Pretty much, yes, except, if you have an IDL, you will not need to take the push-a-button test.

But you will have to apply for two separate licences, one car and one bike, if you are really unlucky, you may have to sit through the one hour video that tells you about the correct road behaviour, that you probably knew about from riding a bicycle at age six ........... twice.

[Bellacissa]

Pretty much, yes, except, if you have an IDL, you will not need to take the push-a-button test.

But you will have to apply for two separate licences, one car and one bike, if you are really unlucky, you may have to sit through the one hour video that tells you about the correct road behaviour, that you probably knew about from riding a bicycle at age six ........... twice.

I can live with that. I've mastered the art of zoning out while looking like I'm paying attention.

[wilcopops]

I should think one or two people are rubbing their hands at thee thought of all that extra "commission" about to come their way.

[wilcopops]

Test/schmest....it won't make any difference unless ALL aspects of road safety are tackled.

This requires two things

1 - someone in office who genuinely understands the issues surrounding road safety

and

2 - Money - the roads etc. won't change themselves.

[noitom]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Designed to fail to support the local police checkpoints

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Right. It's a police shakedown strategy. They want to increase the number of illegal drivers so as to optimize the take at the checkpoints. Maybe it's giving the Thais too much credit to think of an actual shakedown "strategy," but it looks that way.

[englishoak]

Nows a real good time to produce and release a Q and A booklet with help from a friend at your local driving test centre. Probably someones already at it

[Jasun]

This is good progress, but it's the physical driving test that needs tightening up. I believe it's still possible to get a license to drive a passenger bus without ever having driven on a real road.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Haha when I took the test a couple of years ago, one of the questions was whether or

not a tank could drive down the road. Perhaps they fire the idiots that make up questions

like that, rather than altering the pass percent threshold....

I will never forget that question! Hhahaha.....I got it wrong.

Apparently it is ok to drive a tank on the road......but not a vehicle without a windscreen.

I have been looking for a tank ever since.

I would have thought the correct answer should have been:

The Thai Army can drive their tanks wherever they want!!!