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How to go about obtaining a motor bike licence in Thailand.,

AlexRRR

By AlexRRR
in Motorcycles in Thailand

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Gweiloman Ruby Member

Gweiloman

Posted
Posted

No such thing as a learner's licence in Thailand.

To obtain a bike licence, go to your nearest DVLA and book an appointment for the test. Test consists of :

- colour blindness - chart with red, yellow and green balls of differing sizes. You have to read out the colour of each pointed out by the tester

- depth perception test - align two white sticks

- reaction speed test - step on the start and stop pedal with the same foot

- peripheral vision test - say out the colour on the periphery of your vison

- boredom test - sit through two one hour useless and nonsensical video without yawning or falling asleep (be careful, the CCTV cameras will be watching and will catch you if you yawn)

- practical test - slalom, straight line, stop go, indicators etc

- theory test - need to get 28 (or something like that) out of 30 questions correct. If you fail the first time, you can do an immediate resit.

The above may take one or two days.

Documentation:

- original and copy passport

- medical certificate

- residence certificate

- any other documents or papers that you can think of (rationale being the more you have, the less chances you will not have what they want)

- photos not necessary - they will take that for you on the spot

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AllanB Gold Member

AllanB

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Posted

Really easy, the written test you can get 6 or 7 questions wrong and pass, the practical, you can fail (unlikely as it takes all of 40 seconds) you can come back tomorrow and try again. The bit you do takes about 1/2 hour in total, but they make it last all day TIT.

Don't turn up drunk as one candidate did when I did my test earlier this year, as you may fail as he did, anyway they give you a kind of provisional licence for one year and then a proper 5 year one.

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dluek Senior Member

dluek

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Have a look here. From June of this year they made it a bit more difficult.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/726788-thailand-driving-license-tough-new-tests-from-1st-june-2014/

Indeed they did make it more difficult! I sat the test in Bangkok last month and failed. I got 43 of 50 questions right and you need at least 45 / 50 to pass. The English version of the test has many language flaws; some questions don't make sense at all the way their worded. Many other questions are ridiculously obscure, i.e. is it illegal to drive a car while having a heart attack or is it legal to drive a war tank on public roads. The answers are multiple choice, and more often than not it seemed like "all of the above" should have been the right answer, though it's never an option. Also the graphics on the test, like ilttle cartoon images of intersections and such, are tiny and very poorly done -- it can be difficult to even tell what the question is talking about when it refers to the tiny picture. I wasn't able to resit immediately; they told me to come back the next day, but that could have been b/c it was getting late in the afternoon when I finished.

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recom273 Platinum Member

recom273

Posted
Posted

You only have to sit through the DVD presentation if you are a complete muppet.

Wait for an opportune moment and send the wife ( or yourself ) tell them you don't speak Thai and excuse yourself from the video presentation - instead, ask for some written material or offer to stand outside and study the Highway Code.

Then just go home, and return for the afternoon session when you do the ride around the track and the computer test.

The best way to pass the theory test is memorize the online test from Phuket LTA, be aware some answers are incorrect but they are the right answers.

If you fail any part, you can return the next day to repeat that part.

The whole thing is so 'thai' if it was run like a production line with an appointment system you could complete it in an hour, instead it's a huge waste of a day.

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Tchooptip Platinum Member

Tchooptip

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Posted (edited)

By the way I have already a Thai driving licence for cars but not for motorbike, shoud I have to pass all the tests again for the MB or only eyes and driving part?

Edited by Tchooptip
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Tchooptip Platinum Member

Tchooptip

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By the way I have already a Thai driving licence for cars but not for motorbike, shoud I have to pass all the tests again for the MB or only eyes and driving part?

Yes, new test.

OK ...so most thanks for you'r Practice exam's post. Will help a lot ! wai.gif

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dundas Senior Member

dundas

Posted
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I don't know the situation of the OP, but something to watch out for - sometimes I've had insurance in Thailand which has required me to have an Australian motorcycle licence; they won't pay up if I have an accident in Thailand riding a motorcycle, regardless of whether or not I have a Thai licence.

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Varangkul Senior Member

Varangkul

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Have you purchased a bike yet? How big is it? have you ever driven a bike before - of that size? How long have you lived in Thailand - and where do you intend to ride? Are you aware of the driving conditions in this country - especially the total disregard of car drivers towards bikes? Sorry to post these questions, but they are vital for your own safety. There are "Rules of the Road" BUT Apparently they dont apply to Thai motorcycle riders! Consequently most car drivers do not recognise motorcycles as bona fide road users! So beware when out on the road. You need eyes in front, both sides, and often. on top of your head!

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carter1882 Advanced Member

carter1882

Posted
Posted

It's quite typical how so many people on here complain about the standards of driving then tell everybody how to circumvent the regulations and ignore the training offered to improve standards. They think they know it all and in some cases are even prepared to bribe their way to a license. Complete hypocracy and representative of the TVFTBC (Thai Visa Forum Thai Bashers' Club).

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Nevh Rookie Member

Nevh

Posted
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Just my small contribution to this as I obtained both bike and car licences early this year - and looking at the steps that GWEILOMAN wrote, I only had to do the colour tests etc (those up to the boredom test) and nothing else. I did however provide an international driving licence...which is easy to get from your driving licence centre where you obtained your own national licence.

Not sure whether that is now possible under the apparently tighter rules that are mentioned elsewhere from June.....

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Gweiloman Ruby Member

Gweiloman

Posted
Posted

Just my small contribution to this as I obtained both bike and car licences early this year - and looking at the steps that GWEILOMAN wrote, I only had to do the colour tests etc (those up to the boredom test) and nothing else. I did however provide an international driving licence...which is easy to get from your driving licence centre where you obtained your own national licence.

Not sure whether that is now possible under the apparently tighter rules that are mentioned elsewhere from June.....

In your case, I think you are converting your existing foreign DL to a Thai DL as opposed to taking the tests to get a Thai DL.

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nelson bunker Explorer Member

nelson bunker

Posted
Posted

I confirm the new tests are not so easy...

Failed on both this afternoon. I didnt find the motorcy one specific to motorbike driving...

Strange english, poor pictures, tricky questions...

I was too confident and relaxed, it is worth practising on the Phuket website.

A few questions :

I went to Kap Choen immigration to get two certificates of residence (one for each license) and was charged 1000 THB, is this normal? The officer in charge of signing put the money in his pocket in a very swift move...

I turned up at the DL office with my pink european union DL and was expecting to get away with it but the man insisted i should have it translated in Thai from my embassy in BKK...

There is not much to translate as it only says Permis de conduire, has my personnal details and a stamp and date in front of little icons depicting a car, a motorbike and a non articulated lorry.

Getting this translated is easy but do you know where i could get this DL translated and CERTIFICATED in the Buriram/Surin area?

Many thanks.

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Nevh Rookie Member

Nevh

Posted
Posted

Just my small contribution to this as I obtained both bike and car licences early this year - and looking at the steps that GWEILOMAN wrote, I only had to do the colour tests etc (those up to the boredom test) and nothing else. I did however provide an international driving licence...which is easy to get from your driving licence centre where you obtained your own national licence.

Not sure whether that is now possible under the apparently tighter rules that are mentioned elsewhere from June.....

In your case, I think you are converting your existing foreign DL to a Thai DL as opposed to taking the tests to get a Thai DL.

Gweiloman - you are perfectly correct - and I see now that he didnt have a bike licence at all...... Thanks for the comment.

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SpokaneAl Silver Member

SpokaneAl

Posted
Posted (edited)

I went through the same routine as everyone discussed, but being 63 at the time and never haven ridden a scooter in my life except for practicing diligently around the local neighborhood, I went out and failed the practical test - specifically riding in a straight line down a narrow concrete beam.

They gave me two chances and I failed both times, so was rescheduled for two days later. I went home and we set up a course and I went round and round and round practicing for several hours.

I went back on the scheduled date with several family members there for moral support. The first time through I once again could not make it down the beam. Now the family and I were sweating things and apparently a cousin was mumbling that this old guy will never pass. Anyway, I headed out on the course once more and blasted straight down that beam and finished up to a rousing ovation by employees, other testees and my family.

They later told me that if I had failed again I would have been required to wait six months before retesting.

P.S. They had loaner bikes there, ready to rent for the practical portion of the test.

Edited by SpokaneAl
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SpokaneAl Silver Member

SpokaneAl

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Posted

Hi SpokanAl...

you know what you are doing? I hope you will not be killed in the traffic! To "survive" on Thai roads you need good reactions, lot of experience and you should know to handle the scooter perfectly in the busy traffic......good luck !

Your advice is appreciated.

Actually I just use the scooter for traveling close to home where the traffic is fairly sparse. I would never take the scooter into the mean streets of the city - I know my limits.

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Chongalulu Platinum Member

Chongalulu

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Posted

I have a uk license for car only but when I obtained my international driving license there before coming over they stamped every category,all 5, which reading it face value includes bikes,hgv, passenger vehicle. Does this mean that I can get a Thai license for both car and motorcycle without doing test using this

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Chongalulu Platinum Member

Chongalulu

Posted
Posted

Question - does a Thai motorbike licence enable me to get a UK bike licence if I move back there?

If you had an EU license ( or I understand a license from a specified number of other countries,usually ex colonial ones) you can obtain a uk license without taking a test. However other foreign licence holders including USA and thailand etc are entitled to drive in the uk for 1 year after their arrival following which they have to sit the uk test. Quite how this would apply to you a returning uk citizen who presumably held a uk car driving licence then obtained a thai motorcycle licence while here I am not sure.
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