Driving Test Centre logic.

[emilymat]

Got to get this off my chest and see if I am missing something in Thai logic.

My wife is 52 and some 9 months ago she had an eye test with a reputable optician in Pattaya. He prescribed glasses for driving, due to age. She has worn them ever since.

This morning I took her to the test centre to renew her 5 year licence. She came out after about 90 minutes and said she had failed the 'reaction' test - the one with two little sticks that come together I think.

She told me that the woman had not allowed her to wear her spectacles for the test, as she was testing her eyes.!!!

Now, I might have missed something here in the logic world but I was gobsmacked to say the least. She is going back tomorrow to take the test again and I have suggested she asks to see the boss if this happens again.

There may be some eye experts on this forum who can maybe explain the decision to deny her use of driving glasses.

I am a pensioner with a clean licence for 50 years. However, I know I would be pretty well unable to drive safely without my glasses and I always keep a spare set in the car.

Anyone had any similar experience with this 'reaction' test. I remember when I took it I did not quite understand it but by good fortune passed. I'm sure I wore my specs.

[petercool]

It could be confusion between reading glasses and longer sight glasses needed for driving.

[giddyup]

That sounds more like the perception test rather than the reaction test.

[emilymat]

That sounds more like the perception test rather than the reaction test.

Thanks Giddy

You are right I'm sure. She passed the reaction test brake/ace etc.

Don't wish to labour this but do you think you should be able to wear normal glasses for a perception test. After all, you have to see clearly the converging 'sticks' or whatever they are.

Thanks anyway. Hope she passes it tomorrow.

[giddyup]

That sounds more like the perception test rather than the reaction test.

Thanks Giddy

You are right I'm sure. She passed the reaction test brake/ace etc.

Don't wish to labour this but do you think you should be able to wear normal glasses for a perception test. After all, you have to see clearly the converging 'sticks' or whatever they are.

Thanks anyway. Hope she passes it tomorrow.

If she's prescribed glasses for driving I would have thought she would weaar them for all the test, including the colour test. Seems to defeat the purpose to ask her to do the test without them.

[pontious]

That sounds more like the perception test rather than the reaction test.

Thanks Giddy

You are right I'm sure. She passed the reaction test brake/ace etc.

Don't wish to labour this but do you think you should be able to wear normal glasses for a perception test. After all, you have to see clearly the converging 'sticks' or whatever they are.

Thanks anyway. Hope she passes it tomorrow.

Good luck tomorrow - if there is a problem again maybe a letter from an optician would help?

Hpoefully a different tester tomorrow - I am sure I have seen people wear glasses.

[johng]

I wore my prescription "spectacles" for all the tests but was asked to remove them for the photos that are imbossed into the licence

maybe they though I was more "handsome" without them.

[JohnC]

How strange! I am now on my third licence from the Pattaya test centre and have worn my glasses for every one and my photo licence picture shows me wearing my glasses!

[pontious]

You are obviously more 'handsome' with glasses on John

[cooked]

How strange! I am now on my third licence from the Pattaya test centre and have worn my glasses for every one and my photo licence picture shows me wearing my glasses!

Me too. Maybe the provisional driving license that your wife has doesn't show her wearing specs? Don't stand for it.

[Ling Kae]

If you get stuck with this maybe you might need to take her back to an optometrist and get a medical note stating the glasses are for driving.

Personally I think the tester was wrong to make her take off her regular long vision glasses.

[emilymat]

Thanks guys for all your replies.

My wife returned the next day, new male tester, as opposed to the female the day before, allowed her to wear glasses and she passed.

However, it does raise the question, which we all face at places like this and immigration. That is, it's not the rules but who they are employing at the time to implement the rules!. Does your head in.

Again, thanks.

[Pikiss]

A positive experience today at the Banglamung Land Transport Office, my husband got his first one-year Thai driving license without problems. He is on a tourist visa, has a European driving license and an international driving permit. He had copies of these plus a certificate of residence from the Immigration and a medical certificate from a local clinic. He only had to do the eye tests for color blindness and lateral and depth vision. No written or driving tests were required (probably because of the international driving permit?).

Though the place was crowded, the staff was well organized and the whole process took less than 1 ½ hours. Cost 205 baht.

[emilymat]

A positive experience today at the Banglamung Land Transport Office, my husband got his first one-year Thai driving license without problems. He is on a tourist visa, has a European driving license and an international driving permit. He had copies of these plus a certificate of residence from the Immigration and a medical certificate from a local clinic. He only had to do the eye tests for color blindness and lateral and depth vision. No written or driving tests were required (probably because of the international driving permit?).

Though the place was crowded, the staff was well organized and the whole process took less than 1 ½ hours. Cost 205 baht.

Well done Pikiss. like you, I have only had positive usage of the place, until this one small glitch - now resolved.

If I remember, when I took out my first licence here 7 years ago the process was identical to your husband's. I was told that as I had a full UK car and motorbike licence I was OK. The point being that the licence had to be in English which they could understand. I suppose if one had a licence in Bulgarian the same may not apply. Whether that is correct now I'm not sure.

Again, well done, next year he will hopefully breeze through the 5 year process.

[Pikiss]

A positive experience today at the Banglamung Land Transport Office, my husband got his first one-year Thai driving license without problems. He is on a tourist visa, has a European driving license and an international driving permit. He had copies of these plus a certificate of residence from the Immigration and a medical certificate from a local clinic. He only had to do the eye tests for color blindness and lateral and depth vision. No written or driving tests were required (probably because of the international driving permit?).

Though the place was crowded, the staff was well organized and the whole process took less than 1 ½ hours. Cost 205 baht.

Well done Pikiss. like you, I have only had positive usage of the place, until this one small glitch - now resolved.

If I remember, when I took out my first licence here 7 years ago the process was identical to your husband's. I was told that as I had a full UK car and motorbike licence I was OK. The point being that the licence had to be in English which they could understand. I suppose if one had a licence in Bulgarian the same may not apply. Whether that is correct now I'm not sure.

Again, well done, next year he will hopefully breeze through the 5 year process.

Yes, I was impressed with the staff’s efficiency.

His European DL is not in English so he always gets the IDP before we come to Pattaya. Next year hopefully he can apply for the 5-year license – does anyone know if that possible with a tourist visa? (he’s not 50 yet so no retirement visa option).

Edited July 25, 2014 by Pikiss

[johng]

He won't get a 5 year licence with a tourist visa.

Sent from my V370 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[longstebe]

He won't get a 5 year licence with a tourist visa.

Sent from my V370 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Just been told the same by my local driving licence centre.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[cornishcarlos]

Maybe that is why there are so many accidents here...

People who should be wearing glasses, take them off for driving cause that is what the examiner told them to do

Glad she passed 2nd time round, justice done...

[Pikiss]

He won't get a 5 year licence with a tourist visa.

Sent from my V370 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Just been told the same by my local driving licence centre.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

OK, it’s one-year renewals then, until more permanent settlement on these shores.

[emilymat]

He won't get a 5 year licence with a tourist visa.

Sent from my V370 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Just been told the same by my local driving licence centre.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

OK, its one-year renewals then, until more permanent settlement on these shores.

Might be worth checking that out. As I understand it the 1 year is the pre curser to a five year. Anyway you have 12 months to sort that out.

[Ling Kae]

He won't get a 5 year licence with a tourist visa.

Sent from my V370 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Just been told the same by my local driving licence centre.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

OK, its one-year renewals then, until more permanent settlement on these shores.

Might be worth checking that out. As I understand it the 1 year is the pre curser to a five year. Anyway you have 12 months to sort that out.

Not on a Tourist visa. I was talking to a guy 3 days ago who just went through all this. He said he had a 5 year license and that he normally comes over on a Non O immigrant visa. This year he came on a tourist visa because he only wanted 2 Months in the country. When he went to renew his 5 year license they said no can not, you only get 1 year on a tourist visa. He said his old 5 year license was renewed to only a 1 year license.

He said he will never use a tourist visa again when renewing and warned everyone to be aware of this.

[surangw]

You are obviously more 'handsome' with glasses on John

I seem to become less handsome when the ladies put on their glasses.

[cooked]

Just as wearing a crash helmet is not 'chique' I imagine that wearing glasses is also an aesthetical no no. As mentioned above, this could well be a cause of many accidents.

[JohnC]

There is (or was) a large sign at the top of the stairs in the Banglamung Transport Department which stated that holders of Tourist or Education Visas were only allowed a one year license .