Everyone's failing the new driving test in Thailand

[MaxYakov]

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....

That question must have the same basic answer as the "Where does a gorilla sit?" question. However, with the army in control, it seems to have become more pertinent.

But I see TallGuyJohninBKK has beat me to the gorilla point by 17 minutes or so.

Edited June 6, 2014 by MaxYakov

[ingvar]

My driver education in the vicinity of the year 1979 cost me the equivalent of 140,000 Baht in today's monetary value. The thought of Thai drivers legally being allowed out on the streets with no driver education or training just by passing a bunch of silly questions makes me scared.

[chainarong]

The biggest failures would be buss and van/buss drivers, going on the current smashes.

[MaxYakov]

The questions pertain to all info in the book. It's there to learn, memorise and regurgitate.

They fail because there's nobody to copy off!

Have you taken the old test? The images are about the size of a postage stamp with resolution that would have looked primitive in 1982. "Who has the right of way in this situaiton?" - and honestly, you can't make out what the situation is... Hopefully they have remedied that - lord knows people must have complained before, though often this is the best way to get things NOT changed.

It didn't matter because the biggest/heaviest vehicle has the "right of way" in any situation in Thailand.

[rametindallas]

The actual questions are at fault. Presuming they are the same ones.

Believe it is a new pool of 1000 questions that the 50 are chosen from now. Previous pool was 300 for 30 questions. Supposedly the 1000 questions are available to review online somewhere but haven't found them yet.

And double 'good luck' finding them in English.

[rametindallas]

Is there anywhere you can buy or download an English version of the questions? What would be the Highway Code" in UK.

At the Land Transport office near On Nut, they had only two copies of the books in English and none for sale or loan so I had to go early and study there. Very poorly designed test with ambiguous questions. I passed. I need to renew my MC license at the end of this year so I hope you find one. Keep us updated if you do, please.

[Estrada]

An Aussie Mate with an Australian driving licence, failed the previous Thai Driving Test 3 times before he passed. My Thai Wife paid to have a few lessons with an instructor linked to the Driving Licence Centre and automatically passed without having to take the exam. I have a British licence and they gave me the full 6 year driving licence without having to take an exam, but they did make me sit through the stupid video that does nothing to teach people how to drive.

[Wakkaa]

Just took the new exam in Chiang Mai. Failed the first test with nine wrong and passed the next day with only 4 wrong. Questions were pretty much the same for both tests, a few new ones though. Just know your signs, read up on some stuff about parking. The correct parking one is the ne that is diagonal parking and the one with the stripes on the right side while the car is parked on other side of the road. Hard to explain. You almost have to fail the first test to know what answer they are looking for. Driving part i did completely alone no one else was there doing the test, the instructor told me to go slow and he rode his bike behind me. I passed and went and got my picture taken and licence.

Edited June 6, 2014 by Wakkaa

[Tywais]

Failed the first test with none wrong

I had to read that a few times to realize you probably meant 'nine' wrong?

[monkey4u]

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'm quite sure if you own a tank you can drive it anywhere.

Think of the mayhem you can cause in peak traffic

Who is going to stop you ??

A guy in another tank

[55Jay]

Is there anywhere you can buy or download an English version of the questions? What would be the Highway Code" in UK.

Haven't found the questions yet but here is the Land Traffic Act B.E. 2522 (1979). Don't know if there is a more current version.

Something like this? Does appear to be the old version though, only 30 points on the practice test.

http://apps.dlt.go.th/driving_hp/ELearnning/E-Learning2.swf

[elzach]

This is not just a Thai problem, in China it's worse. An entire generation moved from bicycles to cars by greasing palms.

Let's face it, 90% of driver licenses in Asia (excluding Japan and Korea) should be revoked. But then, without the "Asian dream" of owning a car being allowed to materialize, we might see a huge jump in suicides.

Edited June 6, 2014 by elzach

[robsamui]

Let's hear it for the new law that says all government ministers and police need to pass the test and thus have a licence.

Failure to do so will result is suspension from duty with no pay.

R

[maanoi]

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 was asked the tank question 3 times in 1 test!

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[tezzainoz]

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 :-)

this is nonsense

where i live Thais will stand in the middle of the road to get a better look

its a way of keeping the local population at at a realistic level

Please not tell the wife I wrote that

[lujanit]

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?

[Seastallion]

The more difficult exam or procedure to pass, the more licenseless drivers on roads. Situation could be worse off, as far as there is little enforcement of basics, I'm afraid.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Agree that enforcement is needed.

The more lisenceless drivers on the road means the more insurance claims denied.....eventually the message will sink in; Unless you want to be out-of-pocket, learn the rules, pass the test, drive safely.

In theory, hopefully....

[Seastallion]

Actually...my post raises in my mind the question; Are insurance claims denied if the driver has no license? It makes sense that an insurance company will find any ANY excuse not to pay, but this is Thailand.

I bought a new scooter yesterday in my wife's name and bought insurance. The bike is insured, they said, and it doesn't matter who was driving it if an accident occurred. Policies back in my homeland need to specify who the drivers of the vehicle will be, and the vehicle has to be road-legal and the driver licensed.

Insurance is another avenue to force good driving.

Edited June 6, 2014 by Seastallion

[Seastallion]

An Aussie Mate with an Australian driving licence, failed the previous Thai Driving Test 3 times before he passed. My Thai Wife paid to have a few lessons with an instructor linked to the Driving Licence Centre and automatically passed without having to take the exam. I have a British licence and they gave me the full 6 year driving licence without having to take an exam, but they did make me sit through the stupid video that does nothing to teach people how to drive.

Yeah, I'm not understanding why farang are sitting the test. I got both bike and car licenses last week (1 year) simply by showing my NZ license, doing a depth perception, colour recognition, and reaction test, plus tabien ban, doctors cert etc.

Why couldn't the Aussie guy do the same?

Failed 3 times? He's an embarrassment to farangness!

When I did the reaction test and hit the brake instantly, everyone in the room was amazed at someone doing so well and said things like, "Yeah well, he's a farang, they know how to drive"

Similar for the depth perception when I stopped the white stick in perfect alignment.

The colour test was just by the by for them though....guess they all passed that one ok.

Edited June 6, 2014 by Seastallion

[Gandtee]

Is there anywhere you can buy or download an English version of the questions? What would be the Highway Code" in UK.

Haven't found the questions yet but here is the Land Traffic Act B.E. 2522 (1979). Don't know if there is a more current version.

Something like this? Does appear to be the old version though, only 30 points on the practice test.

http://apps.dlt.go.th/driving_hp/ELearnning/E-Learning2.swf

I did the test on the link provided and got only 20 out of 30. My ego has been deflated as I have been driving for 65 years. Obviously I need more practice.

[Arkady]

Misguided concept that increasing the threshold will make better drivers for all of us.

These test are designed solely to reduce the amount of traffic on the roads and absolutely nothing to reduce accidents!

The danger now are the existing drivers on the road, and absolute lack of enforcement and discipline. Oh yeah, and fix those broken traffic signals, missing signs, blocked signs, etc..etc.

And please move police traffic signs at right hand turns that block the view of the oncoming traffic.

[DLP]

Here is the English written test

www.safedrivingforlife.info/official-theory-test

Edited June 6, 2014 by DLP

[Tywais]

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.

[Gulfsailor]

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.

[Morch]

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.

Yes, I'm married too...

[inutil]

This is not just a Thai problem, in China it's worse. An entire generation moved from bicycles to cars by greasing palms.

Let's face it, 90% of driver licenses in Asia (excluding Japan and Korea) should be revoked. But then, without the "Asian dream" of owning a car being allowed to materialize, we might see a huge jump in suicides.

I passed my driving test in Korea.

Id never driven before.

The test consisted of 12 hours of classes riding round and round an obstacle course (classes are mandatory regardless of how quickly you figure it all out).

Then i had to drive 2 km on a dual carriageway, and then 1km up a back road with no traffic. This was the exact same route id spent the next ten hours of mandatory lessons running up and down.

I almost failed the test.

But only because i forgot to switch off the hazard warning lights from the dude who took it before me. After that, zero issues.

I surmise therefore that you should not be including Korea in your list of safe drivers.

After i completed the test, the obstacle course pass rate was actually LOWERED to help people that routinely failed it, to pass.

The lovely thing is that my drivers license is completely tradeable for a UK one. It cost almost nothing, was easy as hell, and i can legally drive on UK roads for all my trouble! Brilliant!

[Artisi]

Is there anywhere you can buy or download an English version of the questions? What would be the Highway Code" in UK.

Haven't found the questions yet but here is the Land Traffic Act B.E. 2522 (1979). Don't know if there is a more current version.

Something like this? Does appear to be the old version though, only 30 points on the practice test.

http://apps.dlt.go.th/driving_hp/ELearnning/E-Learning2.swf

A few of the questions are so ambiguous they border on the ridicules - with a couple, to my thinking have more than one correct answer - although the answer you give may not be in accordance with the rule book and that means a fail -- although common sense tells you it is something you would or wouldn't do under the circumstances..

[55Jay]

Is there anywhere you can buy or download an English version of the questions? What would be the Highway Code" in UK.

Haven't found the questions yet but here is the Land Traffic Act B.E. 2522 (1979). Don't know if there is a more current version.

Something like this? Does appear to be the old version though, only 30 points on the practice test.

http://apps.dlt.go.th/driving_hp/ELearnning/E-Learning2.swf

A few of the questions are so ambiguous they border on the ridicules - with a couple, to my thinking have more than one correct answer - although the answer you give may not be in accordance with the rule book and that means a fail -- although common sense tells you it is something you would or wouldn't do under the circumstances..

Agreed. I studied this site last year and "taught" myself 30/30 but was never given the written exam - have a US license.

Went to DLT today (Korat) and was told still no written exam for a 1 year probation license transitioning to a 5 year, so it appears the OP was a bit off on translation and/or intent regarding "renewals". List of shi_te to do seemed about the same as before - Immigration letter, Doctor letter, copies of all my docs, do the silly physical tests and pay Z money....

Back on Monday AM to git 'er done.

[gk10002000]

If people are not educated or taught the things the test might ask, then of course they will fail. Just like in a manufacturing process, You can't "test in quality".

[solstan]

Actually...my post raises in my mind the question; Are insurance claims denied if the driver has no license? It makes sense that an insurance company will find any ANY excuse not to pay, but this is Thailand.

I bought a new scooter yesterday in my wife's name and bought insurance. The bike is insured, they said, and it doesn't matter who was driving it if an accident occurred. Policies back in my homeland need to specify who the drivers of the vehicle will be, and the vehicle has to be road-legal and the driver licensed.

Insurance is another avenue to force good driving.

The basic insurance is like the mandatory part back home - it keeps your victim safe. What you hit will be covered.

If youre drunk, behave badly or drive without a license you might be hit by the other part or their or your insurance company for compensation ... if you intend to have all things covered youll need to have a valid Thai license or one from home with a IDL and a more comprehensive insurance then the few hundred Baht one.

The thing with the IDL is that is really isnt valid for a whole FULL year even if it say so ... it is usually only valid for temporary tourist like visits and that part is why you should apply for a Thai license if you are staying a long time in Thailand or a youre frequent visitor.