motor bike license.

[malt25]

Mornin all.

A bit of info please. I have a Thai car license, first year. I'm contemplating getting a bike license. I'm a novice rider but do ok. Can any members let me know what hoops I have to jump through to get the license ? Is having the car license an advantage ?

Any, all, advice most welcome.

Cheers..... Mal.

[Tonto21]

Hi, I take it you don't have a bike licence from your home country? OK, I would say your best bet would be to go down to your local licensing office, just ask them. I suspect you'll have to do a test.... Just like everyone else, or are you just trying to get a licence because you're; "a novice rider but do ok".............. As far as hoops to go though, you may well get many conflicting replies on here, 'Welcome to Thailand', there is a Thai national standard for gaining your bike licence, but it will get interpreted differently depending on which office you go too and who the Thai official is you interact with. Most do a sign identification part, a maneuvering and ride around a laid out section of mock road.

Good luck 'malt'.....And always wear a helmet!

Tonto

[gerry123]

what hoops I have to jump through to get the license ? do you require the stunt licence or just the regular one

Edited December 15, 2014 by gerry123

[malt25]

what hoops I have to jump through to get the license ? do you require the stunt licence or just the regular one

Oh yeah... as soon as I posted, I knew my choice of words was going to get such a reply.... good one.

Does the fact that I have a Thai car license preclude me from doing a written test ? Only have to do a ride test, do you think ?

Just wondering.

Thanks..... Mal.

[Fiddlesticks]

Need to take a written test after listening to hours of boring video (even though you have a drivers license). Then need to pass a driving test on their local obstacle course and pass the eye/coordination exam. Then make sure you have medical cert, residency cert and some baht and you're all set.

[gerry123]

i think the two items are separate having said that there are rules set out for both applications whether they are strictly applied or enforced is another story

is a bit like a lucky dip or an unlucky dip my suggestion would be go along armed with every piece of paper work relevant to you proposed application

plus the fee and just follow there wishes and you will be fine there are stories going round about the easy route to all this but personally i prefer peace

of mind

[steve187]

I took mine in Pattaya having a Thai car licence already, eye sight test, reaction test, question and answers on a computer screen, then a riding test, round a track, stop at crossing, round some cones and over small plank.

Go early in the morning to fit in, in one day. bikes to hire across the road,

Most areas should be similar.

[malt25]

Thanks guys.... much appreciated.

Cheers..... Mal.

[streetlite]

#7 answer is on point. I did mine in Pattaya 6 years ago and went through the exact same procedures. HOWEVER, be prepared, because it's harder than it sounds. The color test and reaction test are a no brainer. The written test is another matter. Back then it was 30 questions, all computer generated and you needed 23 out of 30 to pass. The test is not specific to motorcycle rules but rather a generic test of road rules dealing with parking, speed, distances to follow, curb and road markings, and all the pictures were cars, not motorcycles. So it seems the test is the same as the car license test. Before you go into the testing room look around for a manual or ask for one. It is all written in Thai but has pictures that you can interpret if you look at them long enough. It will provide some clues for you before you take the timed test. I am a highly educated Westerner and I managed to fail the written test 4 times with scores that were close but "no cigar". They actually let me retake the test 3 times the first day but I had to go back the following day if I wanted to "try" again. At the end of every test you can pull up the questions you answered wrong in order to see the correct answer but you can't review your test. On the 4th attempt I got 22 answers correct and upon review I noticed a question that the machine marked wrong but I swore to myself that I provided the same answer as the review showed. I mentioned this to one of the moderators who took me to the exam desk and the examiner said "OK, you passed". Whew!, but, boy, did I feel humbled.

On to the driving course. Rented a bike across the street (150 Baht), drove it over to the outdoor testing area and went to the registration desk. 30 Thai teenagers and myself plus the woman who would be overseeing the test. She gathered us all in a group as she explained the course outline and what was required. Unfortunately it was all spoken in Thai and after her speech she came to me and asked if I understood what she was saying. Nope, not a word, nada, nothing, zilch, nyet, mai dai. It really didn't matter because the course looked innocent enough and easily maneuvered. She told me that she would let 10 people go before she called me so that I can see how they drove the course and manipulated the obstacles. Looked easy enough to me. So at #10 spot "Mr. Farang" was called to the starting line amongst the 30, giggling Thai teenagers, the first 9 who seemed to breeze through the course. Now, a nervous wreck, frenzied but still smiling through my false sense of confidence off I go. Easy stuff, I'm thinking as I go around the first turn, stop completely at the stop sign, proceed to the second turn (behind a hedgerow) and come upon the traffic cones that you must weave in and out of. The nerves are kicking in but I make good on the last cone where 5 feet in front of me I notice this concrete slab, maybe 24 inches wide (that sounds a lot larger than it looks) and 20 meters long (which appears as a mile when looking straight at it). Uh Oh, what am I supposed to do here?, wishing I had understood the instructions, and even though I observed the previous drivers it didn't seem such a big deal until you are up close and personal with the obstacle. Instinct and the obvious tells me I must drive onto the plank (about 2 inches thick) and drive across to the other side. Remember, these decision must all be made I flash seconds because your still on the moving bike, coming out of the last cone and faced with "what the hell is this". Decision made, drive up the lip of the plank, and attempt to drive in a straight line for 20 meters. Sound easy, Yes. Is it easy, No. Trying to concentrate on keeping the bike in a straight line was not the solution because half way down, off the plank I go onto the macadam. SH%$, as I hear the lady yelling from the sidelines as she's waving the umbrella that has been protecting her from the sun, " Mr. Farang, you failed.....Mr. Farang you failed", as the giggles from the 30 teenagers amplified in my ears. What I learned the most was what the Thai call "face".. I looked over and all I could see was Mary Poppins with the umbrella and 30 kids, chuckling away. I stood there and laughed with them from afar. The laughter was infectious and we all had a case of the giggles. I went on to complete the course since I had to go back to the finish line anyway. She took me over to the desk and we were all still giggling. I couldn't get angry because they made it fun and everyone was sympathetic. Took the red checked paper back to the main building and told to come back in a week for a scheduled test. Went back a week later. Mary Poppins remembered me with a big smile and told me I didn't have to ride the whole course but just go straight to the plank and drive across. Drove up to the plank, onto the plank and tried to relax but at the very end came off the plank. Thought I had another failure but when I got to the desk she said, "you pass".

Before you go, try to drive your bike in a straight line while concentrating. Bet you can't do it. Don't concentrate on the plank.

[macknife]

One word..... 'Paragraphs'

[eeeya]

One word..... 'Paragraphs'

"" I am a highly educated Westerner"" lol

Press the "enter" key a few times to make reading less painful.

but anyway, thanks for your post, quite helpful