This is a step in the right direction, for sure. Of course a lot of youngsters (Dek Wan) are still a problem on the smaller CC bikes, but as Big Bikes have become more accessible over the last couple years, we are seeing a lot more motorcycle deaths.

The problem is, there are a lot of guys moving straight from a Fino to 600 - 1000cc motorcycle and think that they can go fast just because the bike is strong, but without knowing how to handle it.

My friends and I have been saying, for a while now, that there should be a separate license and/or required testing and training for those who want to ride Big Bikes.

That being said, I also agree that IF these laws are enforced and there is proper training and standards, Big Bikes should be then allowed to use tollways, fly-over bridges, etc.

It's so sad to see all these brand new Big Bikes wrapped around trees and shattered over pavement because someone thinks they're hot sh* driving a ducati but never properly learning how to maneuver the beast!

Great idea if it means that big bikes can go on other roads too. Not just extra tests also extra rights.

no more idiot left lane stuff ect..

Id gladly do the test then.

Why do you think you should have rights that others don't have based solely on the displacement of your bike's engine? Nonsense.

Edited April 10, 201511 yr by Sviss Geez

The police only pull adults over not wearing a helmet around these parts. They don't bother the school kids...no money I guess. Not too many real bikes to speak of. I think it's just easy money in the tourist areas. I remember driving from Pattaya to Bang Saray. The cops only targetted "big" bikes. I rode a Kawasaki ZX10R back in the UK and I have Thai driving licences for car, pick up, van and motorcycle here. Please don't keep taking more fun out of Thailand and trying to neuter and sterilize it into a clone of big brother EU. Hell's teeth, it's one of the reasons I left the dump in the first place???

It's actually a pretty good idea. The age limit should be say 20 but what is really needed is professional lessons and then a proper test.

Making a new licence category will do absolutely nothing for road safety as thai people in general have no clue what that round thing infront of them inside the car is for. Same thing applies to motosais.

Until there are legal requirements to attend driving school and mandatory 3 months in jail for driving without licence and 5 years mandatory jail for corruption there wont be a change. So in other words, there will never be any change to road safety.

Of course, you'll still be required to drive your 1100 cc Yamaha on the shoulder with the 110cc Waves and scooters.

As of course you should have to, just because you have a different licence should not make you exempt from the law. When I'm driving my car I still have to observe the same laws as Camry and Accord drivers even thought their engines may be smaller.

Edited April 10, 201511 yr by Sviss Geez

All the training and experience in the world won't stop a dog, cow, buffalo running out in front of you, a drunk Thai driver ploughing into you or a large pothole suddenly appearing whilst riding on an otherwise good road. Sometimes fate takes a hand and that is just Tango Sierra

no shirt

no shoes

no license

no insurance

no helmet

no registration

no brain

so how will this proposal change anything?

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

no shirt

no shoes

no license

no insurance

no helmet

no registration

no brain

so how will this proposal change anything?

not using indicators

not turning indicators off

no light

no licenseplate

no proper bike

5 kids on 1 bike without helmet

and so on.....

This is a brilliant idea but the qualifying Age should be 25.

Most importantly the License should be required for any bike bigger then 150cc.

These small bikes are like Rockets already. Well done to the Man who thought about it,

it will keep a lot of idiots alive.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

no shirt

no shoes

no license

no insurance

no helmet

no registration

no brain

so how will this proposal change anything?

not using indicators

not turning indicators off

no light

no licenseplate

no proper bike

5 kids on 1 bike without helmet

and so on.....

It seems you forgot about all the Farang Nut Cases on the road.

Lot's of them are worse than any Thai ever will be because here they live it out

where at home they get locked up for doing so.

Am I on my own here.? I would just like to see proper side-cars made legal. Every day I see old Thai men and women riding around on a steel frame side-carred motor bike. There is sometimes 2 or 3 children sitting up on top of the side rail completely at risk of falling off onto the road with even the merest form of hard braking.I am a side-car lover.Aproper one with seat ,windscreenand crash bar circling the front and o/head and even a seat belt if needed.Why am I being penalised with the classification as ILLEGAL.The steel framed "side-car" often has no front or sides to it but is totally ignored by Police.WHY?????????????????????

I used to mumble "Stupid Mom's" from time to time, and my Thai wife finally asked me what that was. "Stupid Monkey's On Motorbikes", I told her. She laughed her ass off for about 3 minutes and then told me that was one of the funniest things she'd ever heard. Now, when she sees some riders on their bikes, she also says "Stupid Mom's".

Seems a good idea to me. 30 however seems over the top. Perhaps 5 years experience riding smaller bikes before being issued license to ride big ones maybe better.

Good idea...

but what's the point when many bike riders do not bother with bike rider tuition, driving tests and licences.

Just another law to be ignored.

Perhaps.....it offers a whole new market opportunity?

May I see your Big Bike licence......as well?

Raising the age to 30 would be a great start but why stop there . I would suggest raising it to at least 110 and then only after you pass a strict medical exam and a 8 week bike skills course ! Imagine the lives saved

Brilliant idea, although I do have a bit of a concern about the minimum

age of 30, maybe 21 or 25 would be more reasonable but, as it's already

been suggested, a minimum of maybe 2 years accident free driving on

"small" bikes at any age should be a requirement.

Kids under 18 should only be permitted to drive bicycles, electric bikes

or scooters up to 50cc. Sure would reduce accident rates dramatically.

Recent European research showed that almost two thirds of the riders

killed on roads outside towns where aged over 30 and were riding bikes

over 500 cc.

So even at 60 (for all of those reborn "Easy Riders" who can now afford

"BIG bikes ) one should need to prove two years accident free driving

on "small" bikes.

Although foremost of all would be to reinforce existing laws without

exception, otherwise it's just an other meaning less bit of toilet paper.

So if a car hits me while I'm stopped at a light, then no big bike license for me for 2 years?

If i've ridden a big bike for years accident free for years, then I need to ride a small bike for 2 more years to qualify...

and somehow prove it.

Congratulations on your brilliant idea.

If a car hit's you from the back, I suppose it's not you who made

the accident and you don't claim of your insurance. How else do

you think, you could proof accident free driving?

Even if you fall of your bike without claiming on your insurance,

it's not considered an accident. Well, at least that's how many

European countries handle it.

Once this law would be in use and then you drive a Big bikes

accident free for years without having a bike licence and then

you get caught, you should get a hefty fine and your bike should

be confiscated.

If you mean having been a big bike rider for years without ever

claiming on your insurance, then once this law would come in to

effect, I recon one should be able to just "upgrade" the licence

to "Big Bike Licence". Again, that's what several European countries

did, when they changed the licences laws for bikes ages ago.

So, don't congratulate me, send that congratulation to those

European nations who used that system although I recon, you're

about 25 yeas late for that

A strong contender for the most stupid post award!!

I used to mumble "Stupid Mom's" from time to time, and my Thai wife finally asked me what that was. "Stupid Monkey's On Motorbikes", I told her. She laughed her ass off for about 3 minutes and then told me that was one of the funniest things she'd ever heard. Now, when she sees some riders on their bikes, she also says "Stupid Mom's".

Lucky you!!

Found a partner who appreciate your intellectual jokes..........................

As a big bike owner, having completed all of my training & tests in the UK, I would have no problem with having to upgrade my bike license.

Personally, I feel that the scooter & other low powered bike riders are the real risk on the roads. They have enough power to get into many edgy spots, but lack the power to get out.

As Happy Grumpy said, they should allow big bikes on the tollways, as most other countries allow big bikes on tollways/motorways etc.

Thai law currently allows people over the age of 15 to ride bikes up to 110cc on a “temporary” licence

If they REALLY want to make the roads safer, they should abolish this rule, as these riders are no doubt the least experienced, more aggressive and high risk group.

Does this mean that those of us who currently hold motorcycle licences to ride larger machines will be retrospectively not hold a licence to do so once (if) the new regulations come into force.

Normally these kind of restrictions or amendments only apply to new licences being issued. My partner (Thai) holds a driving licence that was originally issued for life, it was not retropectively subject to the time limits set on licences of initially one year then five years, her licence is still valid for life.

In the UK when my licence was issued, apart from needing another licence to drive Heavy goods and Coaches (buses), both of which I held until they expired when I reached 65., none of the subsequent restrictions on 'ordinary licences', such as towing a caravan, and not being able to drive 7.5 Tonne truck applied to my licence, only to new licences issued following the changes in qualification. I know this is Thailand but you can't just remove a persons qualification to drive certain vehicles retrospectively, just because a change is made by the authorities that be, changes should only be applied to new licences (not renewals)

No traffic police no arrests simple

Great idea. They have restrictions for learners & also for the first 2 years of riding in Australia. They ahve to do a rider training course & pass it before they can get a licence. They are restricted to a lesser powered big bike (LAMS approved) which can be anything up to 650cc but de-tuned on power to weight ratio. It works well in Australia as we have a big social riding community & more coming. Keeping riders safe & knowing how to avoid incidents is half the battle. I ride here in Chiang Mai & feel safer on my bike than in my car. I can avoid the idiots on the road. Keep safe everyone.

So you can drive a 40 ton lorry aged 21, but not a big bike until you are 30. Oh my.

Edited April 10, 201511 yr by berybert

Will be nice if they can legally accept big bikes on the super high ways where you pay money to ride.

That photo in the OP,where is the dept of morality?

Where do I submit my opinion?

What makes you think the government cares about your opinion?

My post was sarcastic in part, but read the OP and don't ask silly questions.

Here I'll make it easier for you:

“We considered the engine size and are thinking of 400cc. But we are open to people’s opinions. Some have said the minimum age [for a big bike license] should be 20 or 25 rather than 30.

Most young kids can't afford a big bike, and they ride these little 125cc bikes like greased lightning anyway...

People that I know that can afford big bikes are usually older, have had a few bikes and are more careful.

...but I see his logic, and personally, I think it's in the right direction.

I also see his logic. BIB will be able to pull over every big bike they see. They will know that big bike drivers have more money. No special license? That will cost you 1000 baht! Great money making scheme for the BIB. They won't have to squeeze 100 baht from the kids riding without helmets from now on and that means less work for more money.

I don't think big bikes have higher accident rates in Thailand. If there was such a study, I might support the proposed licensing law. But, this is Thailand and I know they don't compile accident report statistics. Otherwise. a lot of hazardous road conditions would have been fixed by now.

Why do you think the big bike riders would be riding without a proper license? BB riders are most of the time (!!!) properly geared and have better riding skills which in the most cases (!!!) translates into bigger brains.

I'd expect there will be a transition phase to allow the current BB riders to switch over to a new license.

Bloody hell, now they're being elevated to a position were they have a special designation, "BBs"! Maybe all other bikes should be LBs.

" BB riders are most of the time (!!!) properly geared and have better riding skills which in the most cases (!!!) translates into bigger brains."

That's the weirdest logic I've heard for a long time. Rather flawed, not to say full of yourself, to say the least.

We can talk when you get some years on a big bike in Thailand behind your belt, until then stick to your car (DELETED)

Edited April 11, 201511 yr by seedy
troll / flaming

Good idea...

but what's the point when many bike riders do not bother with bike rider tuition, driving tests and licences.

Just another law to be ignored.

+1...Most Thai's don't bother to get a drivers license.

Good idea...

but what's the point when many bike riders do not bother with bike rider tuition, driving tests and licences.

Just another law to be ignored.

Where I came from Michigan, USA and all other states, 14-16 shoulder of the road very small bikes, 16 you got a drivers licence for a car and a special one for a motorcycle. Once you were using a motorcycle you never ever go between cars to get to the front of the traffic, you stayed behind the car and wait your turn. And you don't ride sidewalks or go the wrong way of traffic!!!!!!!!s