Colour-blind & failed the eye test for drivers licence

[Goinghomesoon]

Hubby has held a full Thai licence for a few years with no problem. However when he went to renew it this week he failed the colour-blindness test. Staff at the test centre (Nong Khai) simply sent him away and said he's no longer permitted to drive in Thailand because he couldn't pass the test. He explained to them that they failed him a few years ago too, but when he went to be tested in Bangkok he passed fine. The staff said he can't go elsewhere to try again because the rules have changed and licences now need to be issued in the jangwat listed in your tabian baan. Has anyone else run into problems with the test at one location but passed at another?

[Lukecan]

Perhaps he shouldn't drive if he is color blind.

[Kwasaki]

Sorry but makes no sense to me, my son is colour blind forget which combination but he has learnt to recognize the colour shade he see's and remembers them as to what they are.

[Soutpeel]

Perhaps he shouldn't drive if he is color blind.

DELETED you would know there are very few people who are actually colour blind

OP which colour vision test did he fail, the Ishihara test ? anyone with a red/green deficiency will fail that, but doesnt make them colour blind per se, I know I fail it as well, but always pass the colour vision test at Chonburi using the blob's of colour on a poster, so maybe this is what happened to your hubby been tested two different ways, fail 1 pass the other

for the Ishihara you can cheat and down load all the plates from the internet and memorise the plate number and the "correct answer" or alternatively and dont know if this is an urban legend as never tried it is to take the test wearing glasses with red tinted lenses

[Kwasaki]

The UK is a lot lot stricter than Thailand I would guess and when my son told them he was colour blind he still passed his motorbike test and then when on to pass his car test.

I find it strange that in Thailand the only colour test you do is red - yellow ( amber) and green so a colour blind person can learn to know what they are as my son has.

I guess my question is how did they know the OP's hubby was colour blind. ?

[Rimmer]

Troll post removed also the reply to it

[masuk]

The UK is a lot lot stricter than Thailand I would guess and when my son told them he was colour blind he still passed his motorbike test and then when on to pass his car test.

I find it strange that in Thailand the only colour test you do is red - yellow ( amber) and green so a colour blind person can learn to know what they are as my son has.

I guess my question is how did they know the OP's hubby was colour blind. ?

Important that you or hubby do not have a colour vision defect

You wouldn't want to follow all the local drivers through a red light.

[StreetCowboy]

I went for my car driving license in another country. They wanted a colour-blindness test. I went to an optician; he said "you're colour-blind" and sent me away empty-handed. On the bright side, he never charged me. I went to another optician, who said "you're red-green colour-blind" and charged me. We'll, I could've told him that for nothing. But at least he gave me a certificate to say so, and I took my certificate to the licensing board, and they have me my licence. It may be a more onerous requirement for an HGV licence.

Anyway, differentiating red and green lights is not a problem for red-green colour-blind people; they may have other difficulties

[Goinghomesoon]

Perhaps he shouldn't drive if he is color blind.

Well that's ridiculous, 10-20% of men have colour sensitivities, we don't see that many people being excluded from driving.

Perhaps he shouldn't drive if he is color blind.

you would know there are very few people who are actually colour blind

OP which colour vision test did he fail, the Ishihara test ? anyone with a red/green deficiency will fail that, but doesnt make them colour blind per se, I know I fail it as well, but always pass the colour vision test at Chonburi using the blob's of colour on a poster, so maybe this is what happened to your hubby been tested two different ways, fail 1 pass the other

for the Ishihara you can cheat and down load all the plates from the internet and memorise the plate number and the "correct answer" or alternatively and dont know if this is an urban legend as never tried it is to take the test wearing glasses with red tinted lenses

Thanks for the hints Soutpeel. He failed the red/yellow/green one. Instead of the blobs on the wall they had him look into a testing machine similar to the optometrist's office.

I think we'll go to the Bangkok office where he originally did his test & see what happens there - can't hurt to ask.

[StreetCowboy]

The UK is a lot lot stricter than Thailand I would guess and when my son told them he was colour blind he still passed his motorbike test and then when on to pass his car test.

I find it strange that in Thailand the only colour test you do is red - yellow ( amber) and green so a colour blind person can learn to know what they are as my son has.

I guess my question is how did they know the OP's hubby was colour blind. ?

Important that you or hubby do not have a colour vision defect

You wouldn't want to follow all the local drivers through a red light.

You wouldn't want to be the first to stop at a red light for fear of being tail-ended

[giddyup]

I'm colour blind and have been driving for more than 50 years without a problem. There is nor colour blindness test in Australia, only an eyesight test which I pass with flying colours, without the use of glasses. I too failed the colour test here first time around, the second time I passed with some help from a friend who whispered the colours to me as the instructor pointed at them. I only have a problem with the small red and green dots when they are close together. Don't know how I'm going to go when my 5 year licence is due for renewal.

[keithet]

If its any help near Bang Chak they use a traffic light that flashes the colors. Seemed to be a lot better then the sun faded circle chart.

[dotpoom]

Perhaps he shouldn't drive if he is color blind.

perhaps your just a halfwit as if you were not you would know there are very few people who are actually colour blind

OP which colour vision test did he fail, the Ishihara test ? anyone with a red/green deficiency will fail that, but doesnt make them colour blind per se, I know I fail it as well, but always pass the colour vision test at Chonburi using the blob's of colour on a poster, so maybe this is what happened to your hubby been tested two different ways, fail 1 pass the other

for the Ishihara you can cheat and down load all the plates from the internet and memorise the plate number and the "correct answer" or alternatively and dont know if this is an urban legend as never tried it is to take the test wearing glasses with red tinted lenses

Why so rude to Lukescan, what he said is perfectly right. How do you know that the OP's husband is not one of the few.

If you really want to be helpful then pass on your information in a polite manner, much more pleasant for all of us. If you are a driver yourself I sincerely hope you treat other road users in a more polite manner than the way you spoke (wrote) on here.

[giddyup]

Perhaps he shouldn't drive if he is color blind.

perhaps your just a halfwit as if you were not you would know there are very few people who are actually colour blind

OP which colour vision test did he fail, the Ishihara test ? anyone with a red/green deficiency will fail that, but doesnt make them colour blind per se, I know I fail it as well, but always pass the colour vision test at Chonburi using the blob's of colour on a poster, so maybe this is what happened to your hubby been tested two different ways, fail 1 pass the other

for the Ishihara you can cheat and down load all the plates from the internet and memorise the plate number and the "correct answer" or alternatively and dont know if this is an urban legend as never tried it is to take the test wearing glasses with red tinted lenses

Why so rude to Lukescan, what he said is perfectly right. How do you know that the OP's husband is not one of the few.

If you really want to be helpful then pass on your information in a polite manner, much more pleasant for all of us. If you are a driver yourself I sincerely hope you treat other road users in a more polite manner than the way you spoke (wrote) on here.

Because what Lukescan said is rubbish. As I said, I'm colour blind and been driving for 50 years without a problem. Being colour blind doesn't mean you can't see a traffic light. I can differentiate between the colours on the traffic lights but have a problem when the colours are mixed together as small dots on the chart.

[belg]

now that would be a good explenation why thai people drive true a red light all the time

[Eneukman]

I renewed my driving licence in Pattaya last month. The colour blindness test was the red - yellow - green test, which most people had no trouble with. One western guy said blue when the woman was pointing to green. Immediate fail though he may have been given a second chance after everyone else had had their turn.

When I was at school, we were all given an Ishihara test. I came up with a different answer for one of the plates but when I showed the number, the person administering the test said she could now see my answer.

Alan

[falang07]

Please remember that if you drive with a health condition that is considered as illegal, better pray not to get involved in an accident since all odds will be against you.

[cooked]

I fail the Ishihara test every time but have never been awareof having difficulties with colours apart from disputing whether something was grey or washy blue.That's why I didn't become an astronaut.

[cooked]

Please remember that if you drive with a health condition that is considered as illegal, better pray not to get involved in an accident since all odds will be against you.

I doubt it, many people are driving around half blind (glasses don't look good and are expensive) but their eyesight is NEVER tested . Not just in Thailand.

[Frank James]

Perhaps he shouldn't drive if he is color blind.

Testing years ago revealed that well over 60% of American men had some degree of color blindness. I always fail the Ishihara dot test, except for the first couple of obvious ones, and yet I can easily see most of the color spectrum, and subtle differences. When it gets down toward the red end, or red combined with black, brown or purple, I have trouble there. But I can easily see and discern traffic light colors. I was much more successful with the "yarn test", than the dot test.

Very few people are completely color blind.

Here in CM, they only showed the easiest two dot pages, that anyone could pass. Condolences to the OP.

[bhatmasterson]

I went to a hospital in Chiang Mai to get my clearance for the driving licence and failed the test. The one where you are supposed to see certain numbers mixed in with all the different colored dots. The doctor told me I couldn't drive a car in Thailand.

I then went to a private doctor who asked me how I felt, took my blood pressure and issued me the doctor's note to take to the licence bureau.

When I went in to take the driving test all the wind went out of my sails when I saw the same colorblindness chart hanging on the wall. However, the examiner was calling people up one at a time and pointing to different dots and asking "What color?" I'm blue green colorblind so had no trouble pointing out the colors separately.

TIT!

[Benmart]

Perhaps he shouldn't drive if he is color blind.

Perhaps re-read the last sentence from the OP? He had a question that doesn't seem to include an opinion on driving or not.

[masuk]

Perhaps he shouldn't drive if he is color blind.

Testing years ago revealed that well over 60% of American men had some degree of color blindness. I always fail the Ishihara dot test, except for the first couple of obvious ones, and yet I can easily see most of the color spectrum, and subtle differences. When it gets down toward the red end, or red combined with black, brown or purple, I have trouble there. But I can easily see and discern traffic light colors. I was much more successful with the "yarn test", than the dot test.

Very few people are completely color blind.

Here in CM, they only showed the easiest two dot pages, that anyone could pass. Condolences to the OP.

EXACTLY! Which is why it's not referred to as 'Colour Blind' but colour vision defect. It's passed down the line from daughter to son.

I've had a few of these tests in Australia, using the Ishihara system, and here in Thailand is the first time I've had a dummy traffic light test.

[chrissables]

Perhaps he shouldn't drive if he is color blind.

Well that's ridiculous, 10-20% of men have colour sensitivities, we don't see that many people being excluded from driving.

Perhaps he shouldn't drive if he is color blind.

perhaps your just a halfwit as if you were not you would know there are very few people who are actually colour blind

OP which colour vision test did he fail, the Ishihara test ? anyone with a red/green deficiency will fail that, but doesnt make them colour blind per se, I know I fail it as well, but always pass the colour vision test at Chonburi using the blob's of colour on a poster, so maybe this is what happened to your hubby been tested two different ways, fail 1 pass the other

for the Ishihara you can cheat and down load all the plates from the internet and memorise the plate number and the "correct answer" or alternatively and dont know if this is an urban legend as never tried it is to take the test wearing glasses with red tinted lenses

Thanks for the hints Soutpeel. He failed the red/yellow/green one. Instead of the blobs on the wall they had him look into a testing machine similar to the optometrist's office.

I think we'll go to the Bangkok office where he originally did his test & see what happens there - can't hurt to ask.

I am blind in one eye, so of course had this problem when i renewed my license. I was told to go to the big International hospital on Sukumwit road in Pattaya and get a certificate that my sight was good enough.

I really hated to do this as this hospital was the one that blinded me in the first place.

Anyway, after an intensive check up on my working eye, a certificate was issued and i produced it at the test center. They were unhappy at taking my papers out of the bin and even did an eye check themselves! But as the hospital said i was good to drive, they had to issue the license.

Maybe try this, but ask the top person at the test center first.

[peterdk]

I am not colorblind, but just saying that no matter what color I would perceive the upper light to be, I would know that its the red one meaning stop.

And the bottom one is the green one ( even though a colorblind person would perceive it to be a different color ) obviously meaning you can go.

So what is the issue again ?

Its not like traffic lights only have one light that changes color, one should actually think they where made originally with the 3 different lights, because of people being colorblind.

[12DrinkMore]

Go and practice here:

http://www.colour-blindness.com/colour-blindness-tests/ishihara-colour-test-plates/

and if you have difficulty, try tinted lenses as here:

http://cms.revoptom.com/index.asp?page=2_490.htm

[Bredbury Blue]

Perhaps he shouldn't drive if he is color blind.

Nonsense! I assume you are not colourblind. It takes on various forms of colour blindness,and various degrees of colourblindness. I am colour blind and have NEVER felt it handicapped me in +30 years of driving. If I went to buy a shirt tie combo it would pprobably look ok to most people but they would instantly now what colour is what whereas I may or may not. There seems to be a considerable amount of misunderstanding about colour blindness with many people assuming we see only black and white. Ignorance eh!

[CindyB]

I noticed while taking my driving test a couple of weeks ago that the lights changed colors, irrespective of their location, in the test. We all know red is at top, then amber, then green on the bottom. A colorblind person knows which light is lit. Therefore, the test is in error. I am not color blind, so it has no effect on me personally.

[falang07]

Please remember that if you drive with a health condition that is considered as illegal, better pray not to get involved in an accident since all odds will be against you.

I doubt it, many people are driving around half blind (glasses don't look good and are expensive) but their eyesight is NEVER tested . Not just in Thailand.

well, you can doubt it, but it will be the insurance company who will have the last word convincing you of this fact ...

[NoshowJones]

I regularly drive and ride on the 117 highway between the Pho Talie intersection and Nakhon Sawan, I regularly see trucks driving very slowly with the driver using the white line separating the hard shoulder and inside lane as a guide because of poor eyesight,

The first time I seen this, I was riding my motorbike on the hard shoulder, I noticed this pick up with the passenger front window down, I slowed right down, looked in, and saw the driver leaning over the steering wheel with his eyes screwed up and nearside front and rear wheels just inside the white line using it as a guide.

If ever an accident was looking for a place to happen, then this was it.