Obtaining a Thai drivers license! I MADE IT!

[The Snark]

Coerced over several years, cajoled, and blatantly harassed by my Thai other, I finally relented and on down to the Chiang Mai DMV we toddled. Lines and packed rooms reminiscent of an American Social Security office. I did remember to bring a couple of good books. Spent nearly the entire day, waffled a bit and aced the written test.

Other was really close to strangling me, being my translator. I knew those tests usually have a few tricky questions and I wracked my brain and put the retrieved mass of cobwebbed info beside my decade plus knowledge of Thai officiousness. Not that big a deal but I had gone through several driving tests in the past where they threw some real zaps from way out in left field.

Then on to the actual driving test a couple of days later. Sit through the instruction lecture which... errrm, excuse me for being blunt here. I've encountered kindergarten conduct lectures that were more complex.

Then go get the vehicle. Wait in line. And wait. And wait. Finally. Meander through a few little lanes, over a hill, and into a queue,. More wait. Just like being at the average traffic light. Finally, pull out, drive through a narrow aisle of traffic cones, back up through them, smooze on over and parallel park.

Okay, I wasn't paying all that much attention to things, and was going by past experience. I pull out of the parking spot and up to the guy supervising my incredible 3 mph vehicle maneuvering expertise. Okay, guy, hop in and let's get this test over with. I wonder where he is expecting me to drive to.

Nope. He has me sign a paper and hands me a fistful of paper and my new drivers license. <deleted>??? HUH? Where's the test? When's that happen?

My other is bouncy excited. I've passed! I'm now a legal driver? Meanwhile I'm thinking 'Oh horsepucks. No wonder it's splatterville out there and almost nobody is able to maintain proper lane placement.' Well, I'm not going to deflate other's bouncy happiness. Between the utter farce of a driver license and the fact the farang is always in the wrong should an accident occur, that was a total and utter waste of almost 2 days.

_{Hint. In the US I held Class 1, 2, 3, 4, + motorcycle, with triples, hazardous materials, liquid tanker, and oversized certifications along with police, ambulance and fire equipment additional training as well as once acing the English driving test.}

[Soutpeel]

Or of course you could have just converted your current home license and not have to go through all this.....just saying

[cornishcarlos]

Coerced over several years, cajoled, and blatantly harassed by my Thai other, I finally relented and on down to the Chiang Mai DMV we toddled. Lines and packed rooms reminiscent of an American Social Security office. I did remember to bring a couple of good books. Spent nearly the entire day, waffled a bit and aced the written test.

Other was really close to strangling me, being my translator. I knew those tests usually have a few tricky questions and I wracked my brain and put the retrieved mass of cobwebbed info beside my decade plus knowledge of Thai officiousness. Not that big a deal but I had gone through several driving tests in the past where they threw some real zaps from way out in left field.

Then on to the actual driving test a couple of days later. Sit through the instruction lecture which... errrm, excuse me for being blunt here. I've encountered kindergarten conduct lectures that were more complex.

Then go get the vehicle. Wait in line. And wait. And wait. Finally. Meander through a few little lanes, over a hill, and into a queue,. More wait. Just like being at the average traffic light. Finally, pull out, drive through a narrow aisle of traffic cones, back up through them, smooze on over and parallel park.

Okay, I wasn't paying all that much attention to things, and was going by past experience. I pull out of the parking spot and up to the guy supervising my incredible 3 mph vehicle maneuvering expertise. Okay, guy, hop in and let's get this test over with. I wonder where he is expecting me to drive to.

Nope. He has me sign a paper and hands me a fistful of paper and my new drivers license. <deleted>??? HUH? Where's the test? When's that happen?

My other is bouncy excited. I've passed! I'm now a legal driver? Meanwhile I'm thinking 'Oh horsepucks. No wonder it's splatterville out there and almost nobody is able to maintain proper lane placement.' Well, I'm not going to deflate other's bouncy happiness. Between the utter farce of a driver license and the fact the farang is always in the wrong should an accident occur, that was a total and utter waste of almost 2 days.

_{Hint. In the US I held Class 1, 2, 3, 4, + motorcycle, with triples, hazardous materials, liquid tanker, and oversized certifications along with police, ambulance and fire equipment additional training as well as once acing the English driving test.}

Helicopter, submarine and pogo stick license too no doubt ?

[The Snark]

Or of course you could have just converted your current home license and not have to go through all this.....just saying

Expireitated back in 2006. That's one major crock of poo about US licenses. Once the license has expired you have to recert every endorsement again!

But I sometimes wonder. How would the average Honda Dream trained local driver handle backing up a set of doubles? Throwing the vehicle into a full sideways skid and recovering? Keep that big fat large car smack between the lines down three miles of winding backwater Mississippi roads in the pouring rain? Take it up from a standstill through 16 gears and back without missing a single slot in 1/4 mile while maintaining perfect lane placement? Pay out 2 hoses and a hard suction and place the rig exactly where (you guess) the test officer has decided it should be? Lock all four wheels on dirt at 60 and bring it to a stop without varying more than 2 feet side to side? Take the average city street corner with 75 feet of vehicle?

I'm simply saying, they don't even know what proper vehicle operation is here. But, I suppose that goes along with how they have reinvented the wheel when it comes to designing roads.

My head hurts. Back to bed.

[Soutpeel]

Or of course you could have just converted your current home license and not have to go through all this.....just saying

Expireitated back in 2006. That's one major crock of poo about US licenses. Once the license has expired you have to recert every endorsement again!

But I sometimes wonder. How would the average Honda Dream trained local driver handle backing up a set of doubles? Throwing the vehicle into a full sideways skid and recovering? Keep that big fat large car smack between the lines down three miles of winding backwater Mississippi roads in the pouring rain? Take it up from a standstill through 16 gears and back without missing a single slot in 1/4 mile while maintaining perfect lane placement? Pay out 2 hoses and a hard suction and place the rig exactly where (you guess) the test officer has decided it should be? Lock all four wheels on dirt at 60 and bring it to a stop without varying more than 2 feet side to side? Take the average city street corner with 75 feet of vehicle?

I'm simply saying, they don't even know what proper vehicle operation is here. But, I suppose that goes along with how they have reinvented the wheel when it comes to designing roads.

My head hurts. Back to bed.

The first paragraph would have sufficed, wasn't interested in a trip down memory lane with the specific intent of trying to prove farangs are superior to Thai

[NoBrains]

In 2004 I got my Thai driver license in Phuket, showed my European driver license and the only thing was needed sit in a plastic reaturant chair and look a traffic light and when go red must brake immidialy.

Then a carton disk with coloured round dots and must say which number was insite, i'm color blind and that test i failed.

But I got my driver license in 1 hour, on that time just a pcs printed paper, now its a plastic card.

However last year i was entiled to renew my driver license and did it in Nong Bua Lampu, now must look a 30 min video, again sit in a plastic restarant chair and must proof if I can brake on time, the same colour test and failed again ofcourse.

But I got my driver license renewed.

[MarkB]

Or of course you could have just converted your current home license and not have to go through all this.....just saying

[Nemesis7]

Big deal.good for you

[ryanhull]

I don't even understand what this post is about, I gave up into the second paragraph. Thanks for wasting 50 seconds of my life.

[nahkit]

Or of course you could have just converted your current home license and not have to go through all this.....just saying

Expireitated back in 2006. That's one major crock of poo about US licenses. Once the license has expired you have to recert every endorsement again!

But I sometimes wonder. How would the average Honda Dream trained local driver handle backing up a set of doubles? Throwing the vehicle into a full sideways skid and recovering? Keep that big fat large car smack between the lines down three miles of winding backwater Mississippi roads in the pouring rain? Take it up from a standstill through 16 gears and back without missing a single slot in 1/4 mile while maintaining perfect lane placement? Pay out 2 hoses and a hard suction and place the rig exactly where (you guess) the test officer has decided it should be? Lock all four wheels on dirt at 60 and bring it to a stop without varying more than 2 feet side to side? Take the average city street corner with 75 feet of vehicle?

I'm simply saying, they don't even know what proper vehicle operation is here. But, I suppose that goes along with how they have reinvented the wheel when it comes to designing roads.

My head hurts. Back to bed.

Why would the average Honda Dream driver need to know how to "handle backing up a set of doubles"?

"Take it up from a standstill through 16 gears" - does a Honda Dream have that many gears?

"Take the average city street corner with 75 feet of vehicle" I've never actually measured a Honda Dream but I'm pretty sure that they are less than 75 feet long. In fact, I've seen several parked at Tesco Lotus and they fit into the same space as all the other cars.

[CapeThai]

Coerced over several years, cajoled, and blatantly harassed by my Thai other, I finally relented and on down to the Chiang Mai DMV we toddled. Lines and packed rooms reminiscent of an American Social Security office. I did remember to bring a couple of good books. Spent nearly the entire day, waffled a bit and aced the written test.

Other was really close to strangling me, being my translator. I knew those tests usually have a few tricky questions and I wracked my brain and put the retrieved mass of cobwebbed info beside my decade plus knowledge of Thai officiousness. Not that big a deal but I had gone through several driving tests in the past where they threw some real zaps from way out in left field.

Then on to the actual driving test a couple of days later. Sit through the instruction lecture which... errrm, excuse me for being blunt here. I've encountered kindergarten conduct lectures that were more complex.

Then go get the vehicle. Wait in line. And wait. And wait. Finally. Meander through a few little lanes, over a hill, and into a queue,. More wait. Just like being at the average traffic light. Finally, pull out, drive through a narrow aisle of traffic cones, back up through them, smooze on over and parallel park.

Okay, I wasn't paying all that much attention to things, and was going by past experience. I pull out of the parking spot and up to the guy supervising my incredible 3 mph vehicle maneuvering expertise. Okay, guy, hop in and let's get this test over with. I wonder where he is expecting me to drive to.

Nope. He has me sign a paper and hands me a fistful of paper and my new drivers license. <deleted>??? HUH? Where's the test? When's that happen?

My other is bouncy excited. I've passed! I'm now a legal driver? Meanwhile I'm thinking 'Oh horsepucks. No wonder it's splatterville out there and almost nobody is able to maintain proper lane placement.' Well, I'm not going to deflate other's bouncy happiness. Between the utter farce of a driver license and the fact the farang is always in the wrong should an accident occur, that was a total and utter waste of almost 2 days.

_{Hint. In the US I held Class 1, 2, 3, 4, + motorcycle, with triples, hazardous materials, liquid tanker, and oversized certifications along with police, ambulance and fire equipment additional training as well as once acing the English driving test.}

Helicopter, submarine and pogo stick license too no doubt ?

Obviously no license for the chip on your shoulder ??

[bbbbooboo]

ummmm......I'm trying to work out how this is remarkable

[ToddinChonburi]

Congratulations !!!!!!!!!

[IMHO]

So it took several years of cajoling and harassment before America's most accomplished and talented driver finally grew a pair big enough to brave sitting the Thai driver's test. Then he gloats on the internet about it. Right.

Please stop OP, my stomach hurts!

[charliebadenhop]

Did you study something for the written test, or did you just depend on your driving knowledge?

[jvs]

The license for the Honda Dream is not the same as for a car.

OP i hope for you it will not happen but if you ever get into a major accident you will be very grateful you got this piece of plastic .

No drivers license no insurance,why is that so difficult to understand for some people?

[The Snark]

Did you study something for the written test, or did you just depend on your driving knowledge?

Winged it, but I've been driving here for 14 years and have been paying close attention to what signs there are and the logic behind things. They are nowhere near as devious as some of the trick questions thrown at you in the US.

Got to love the trolls here. Read what they want then barf away. Honda Dream trained. The average local driver operates their vehicle in the way they initially learned. Hugging the left shoulder, driving like their vehicle is 2 feet wide, hole shooting, slack lane placement and so on.

The entire point is the onus is completely on the farangs shoulders. Defensive driving techniques back home that were often given the casual nod and ignored become critical in a country where oversized high speed vehicles abound and maybe 1 or 2 people out of a hundred can properly control their vehicle under all driving conditions. They aren't properly trained or competent and the test, or more to the point the lack of a test, reflects the expected level of training.

[bazza40]

Employing an agent, my combined motorcycle/car licence test consisted of identifying red, green and yellow on a pseudo traffic light - twice, questions asked in English. Based on an International Driving Permit. With agent's fee, 2000 baht.

Thailand is possibly the best training ground I've ever seen for defensive driving - expect the unexpected.

[ggt]

I am sorry the system did not give you an opportunity to strut your stuff...

Maybe you could open up a driver's education school and start teaching the Thais about the importance of following the rules of the road and that being courteous to other drivers is not a lose of face...but is actually a good thing...

[Don Mega]

Iam surprised he had your licence already printed and handed it to you in the carpark. when did you pay for it ?

[Sviss Geez]

"...the farang is always in the wrong should an accident occur..."

Urban myth, nothing more,

_{"...as well as once acing (?) the English driving test."}

By that do you just mean you passed the test? In England you either pass or fail, there are no degrees of greatness acknowledged.

[Sviss Geez]

Did you study something for the written test, or did you just depend on your driving knowledge?

Winged it, but I've been driving here for 14 years and have been paying close attention to what signs there are and the logic behind things. They are nowhere near as devious as some of the trick questions thrown at you in the US.

Got to love the trolls here. Read what they want then barf away. Honda Dream trained. The average local driver operates their vehicle in the way they initially learned. Hugging the left shoulder, driving like their vehicle is 2 feet wide, hole shooting, slack lane placement and so on.

The entire point is the onus is completely on the farangs shoulders. Defensive driving techniques back home that were often given the casual nod and ignored become critical in a country where oversized high speed vehicles abound and maybe 1 or 2 people out of a hundred can properly control their vehicle under all driving conditions. They aren't properly trained or competent and the test, or more to the point the lack of a test, reflects the expected level of training.

You've got to be related to WarpSpeed, yes?

[BigBadGeordie]

Double post

[BigBadGeordie]

Lines and packed rooms reminiscent of an American Social Security office. I did remember to bring a couple of good books. Spent nearly the entire day, waffled a bit . [/sub]

What more can the OP say?

[melovethai]

you could of handed some extra notes over and had it under an hour.

[The Snark]

I am sorry the system did not give you an opportunity to strut your stuff...

Maybe you could open up a driver's education school and start teaching the Thais about the importance of following the rules of the road and that being courteous to other drivers is not a lose of face...but is actually a good thing...

I honestly don't understand Thai mentality when it comes to education, especially drivers education. On the road it's a bizarre free for all where most or all rules of social conduct get tossed out the window. I'm not say it is much better elsewhere but there is a something, an irrationality, which escapes me. The design of Thai roads also deliberately lends itself to this anything goes free for all.

How do you teach certain driving maneuvers, or maneuvers that should be avoided under all circumstances, when the road designs promote those maneuvers. A perfect example is mandatory u-turns. U-turns are without a close second the deadliest maneuver you can execute, placing your vehicle head on into oncoming traffic and promoting head on collisions. Heavily controlled and restricted in the US and Europe, when not outright banned.

What many people don't realize is how poor a driver they really are, myself included*. At one time a high performance driving school offered emergency response services free classes. I went as a member of an ambulance company. I'd been driving about 5 years before then. I was stunned. Those guys forced me to completely rethink how to operate a motor vehicle. Then getting a haz mat endorse I went through a federal safety program and again they forced me to completely rethink how to operate. Shapes and shadows scanning. Potential incipient incident avoidance. There's a whole world of driving safety out there most people never encounter. So what could you teach Thai's?

Two days. I was quite amazed they had my license already made up. Paid when I first did the written.

*The first thing an instructor explained: "NEVER match your driving to the traffic around you! EVER!. You match your driving to the vehicle you are operating first, second to the load your vehicle is carrying, and then take into account the road conditions. The person who operates a high performance car as the sole occupant can not safely operate a bus full of passengers or a hazardous material load in the same manner. Never get fixated on a single method of vehicle operation. This sounds simple and logical but that is never the case. Your first duty, obligation as a vehicle operator, is not to arrive at your destination. Your duty is to protect everyone around you from yourself and your vehicle."

[IMHO]

Did you study something for the written test, or did you just depend on your driving knowledge?

Winged it, but I've been driving here for 14 years and have been paying close attention to what signs there are and the logic behind things. They are nowhere near as devious as some of the trick questions thrown at you in the US.

Got to love the trolls here. Read what they want then barf away. Honda Dream trained. The average local driver operates their vehicle in the way they initially learned. Hugging the left shoulder, driving like their vehicle is 2 feet wide, hole shooting, slack lane placement and so on.

The entire point is the onus is completely on the farangs shoulders. Defensive driving techniques back home that were often given the casual nod and ignored become critical in a country where oversized high speed vehicles abound and maybe 1 or 2 people out of a hundred can properly control their vehicle under all driving conditions. They aren't properly trained or competent and the test, or more to the point the lack of a test, reflects the expected level of training.

You've got to be related to WarpSpeed, yes?

No way, this guy outdoes everyone. I for one welcome our new driving overlord. LOL

[The Snark]

So wandering around in public while waving a lethal device is comical?

[In Search of Space]

Remember to drive on the last in Thailand

[IMHO]

So wandering around in public while waving a lethal device is comical?

Good point. Your superiority complex is hardly lethal, so ergo, not that comical.