A motorbike driving license in Phuket -- wait for the exam for 3 months?

[Bezpoleznyak]

I saw the news where it said that one who wants to get a driving licence in Phuket for a motorbike has to register and wait for an exam for 3 months. Not immediately. I absolutely cannot wait for 3 months

Is it true? How come? What's the situation in Samui?

[rodknock]

bang chak in bangkok was 6week wait.

what is i can not absolutely wait 3months. not much choice. you get to do it when they want not when you want.

[Bezpoleznyak]

my question was whether it is only in Phuket or in Samui also. And in Pattay? Chiang Mai?

[Headgame]

I went in October 13th to get my Moto license at Phuket Town. Come back on Dec. 15th. Huh? Thank god it's now just two weeks more to wait. I better pass.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bezpoleznyak]

I think I better go to Samui and get it there for a couple of days: one day to prepare the documents, next day to pass the exam.

[GSPaul]

Easier to go to Krabi - no waiting.

[menzies233]

my question was whether it is only in Phuket or in Samui also. And in Pattay? Chiang Mai?

Chom Thong outside of Chiang Mai is a walk in same day affair. (allegedly you can pay 2500 Baht and no need to do anything....allegedly)

[thailand49]

In Pattaya beginning of the year it was the same around 2-3 months wait but I noticed that was for Thais because so many of them. Before opening at the main buidling there is a line, the workers are basically explaining to the Thais that they need to go to the side next to the testing course to sign up for classes. Farangs are told to get a number go upstairs when called, the video is in Thai but their written test on the computer is in English which to majority of Thai are impossible to past.

Early this year the government announce they are contracting out classes and testing to independent sources. Not sure there are one's outside of Pattaya, but there is one in Pattaya, where my brother took his son, since he didn't want to wait. It was something like 1500 baht? It took him 1 week which he attended like 3 days around 3 hours each. It included the classroom, written test which they basically give you the answer and they have their own testing course. When he was done.. all the paperwork was given to him. He went to the office got a number, when upstairs, they checked everything and took him to pay and take picture.

[stoli]

My son just arrived for a visit to Pattaya on a "visa exempt" basis. His Thai motorbike license was expired for over a year. He had to wait 15 days to do the exam again. They then gave him a 5 year license, even though his temporary license was expired. No problem. He is happy....

Quite possibly they are tired of issuing licenses to people that are only here for two weeks. Still, I appreciate the people that try to get a license to stay legal in Thailand. Obtaining a motorcycle license in the states is very expensive, driving courses and such make it so..........

He has owned a dirt motorcycle for 20 years in the states, but you do not need a license for that. He knows how to ride....

[Phuketboy]

Never heard of this in Phuket. Normally the same day for both motorbike and car. Unless of course they now have a back log. My renewal for both motorbike and car took about an hour and a half in Phuket Town a couple of months back.

[G p]

Got both off my liances last year in nong bue phu 1500 bht no problems I got same day

[csabo]

Phuket is way back logged. I got my DL 2 weeks ago after waiting 2 months for my appointment. Stupid me I did not get my car DL the same time I got my bike DL or could have done them together. I had to do the entire process TWICE. You wanna know why they are back logged, that's why. A copy of my Thai MC DL and my US car DL should have been enough but NO months of waiting and about 8 days of my life gone because of Phuket DLT. I HIGHLY recommend you take a holiday to another town for yours. Here's me story for the MC DL at Phuket LTO:

So a few months ago I though it would be fun to get a Thai drivers license. Knowing Thais love paperwork and hearing conflicting reports about what was needed I drove about 25 minutes down to the LTO and had to wait on a line for 30 minutes just to be handed a slip of paper with the requirements from a printed stack. GF says “Are you having fun yet?”. Yes, if they just printed one and posted it conspicuously no line or stack of copies would be needed. I get copies of my passport ID page, visa page, work permit, NY drivers license and then go see Dr Thitti (that’s right Dr Titty and no he does not do breast augmentation) for my 3rd medical certificate. To do anything official here you need a Dr to sign off on your health which consists of me walking into the office, telling them what official business I am pursuing, seeing the Dr, saying hello and him handing me a signed slip of paper after no exam at all, then pay 100 to 200 baht depending on which office I am giving it to. BS. Get all my documents and go the next morning at 8 am. Every process here requires going as early as possible to avoid lines but it never helps. Wait on the same 30 minute line, Miss Cranky reviews my paperwork with a microscope repeatedly and then says “You go offit 2”. GF says “Are you having fun yet?”. Ok off to office 2. I get there and there is a group of Thais and foreigners standing in a circle around two officials and a person sitting in a chair with his feet on a makeshift gas and brake pedal. He steps on the gas and LED green lights start running up the wall, approaching unlit red lights. He quickly steps on the brake before the red lights are lit. He does this three times, SUCCESS. Then the official triggers a traffic light to go from green to red to yellow randomly and the testee calls out colors in Thai. SUCCESS. I wait my turn in the chair and pass then get to the traffic light. Prior to me a Chinese girl tried to do it in Thai language and boy did the Thais have a hearty laugh at her. I was tense but the GF said my Thai is perfect so “Keow, Luang, Dang, Luang, Dang, Keow” (green, yellow, red, yellow, red green) PASSED with no laughter. After telling numerous people ahead of me to go upstairs to “Offit 3” the official tells me “You come back toomallow, 9 O’Cock” I hate waking up before 10 O’Cock. SO, go home, next day back again. Go straight upstairs to Office 3 without the line this time and grab a chair in front of a movie screen. The room fills with Thais and foreigners, some of whom have showered recently, some of whom skipped last month. Lady comes in and shouts at everyone in Thai and I hear her say “4 hour”. Thats right a 4 hour movie on driving in Thailand. GF says “Are you having fun yet?”. The movie is in Thai with English subtitles so low on the screen you cannot see them if someone sits in front of you, the information is rapid fire and delivered with blasting disco music. Half the Thais immediately go to sleep, the other half start playing with their phones. Two Russian girls do what Russians do best, shout at each other without taking pauses for breathing and I realize quickly this is gonna be bad. 3 hours in, we are told to take a break. I stand up and feel my coxis snap off and slide into my underwear and I stumble down the stairs and outside. GF walks up drinking an iced tea and says “Are you having fun yet?” We go for lunch and come back for the last hour which is a film solely consisting of accidents between trucks and people on scooters. You would be surprised to see how far a human can fly without wings. So can I move on to the written test now??? “NO, COME BACK TOOMALLOW 10 O’COCK!!!” GF says “Are you having fun yet?”. I punch her in the face and we drive home. Next day, back again go straight to Office 4 and see rows of computers with people sitting at them. Show my ID and get escorted to a computer and given a small plastic card. The instructor says “Put in cahd, press staht, take tess” I say, “Are you from the Boston area?” She sneers, I stick my card in the machine. 50 questions in one hour. Many with a photo that is so small it is of no value. Questions are often repeated. That can be good or bad. If you get the same question wrong and are consistent you will get it wrong every time. Well guess what happens. There are four pictures and the question is which one is correct parking. I have no idea so make a choice and stick with it 5 times. All wrong. Max wrong answers is 5 so got one more wrong and FAILED. Miss Grumpy comes back and says “Take again, remember answer” I say “I got one wrong five times that should count as one wrong answer” she replies, “Good, you remembah easy now”. Take the test again, mostly the same questions, 4 wrong, PASSED. She says…………..wait for it…………….”Come back 1 O’Cock” YES NOT TOMALLOW!!!!!!! Get lunch come back for actual driving test on my bike. Line up, watch a demo in the little city street mockup, get on my bike and get on line. First obstacle, driving on a 2x12 for 30 feet. Because of course that happens everyday in real life driving situations. My bike slides off the board. Over the loud speaker comes “MISTA X, TRY AGAIN” then from the peanut gallery I hear a shout “ARE YOU HAVING FUN YET?”. Loop around, drive down the board, though the circle, zig zag through the cones, over the bridge and out of the course. Go to the window, YES PASSED. Take my papers back to the very first Cranky lady “Go window 2”, go to window 2 pay 55 baht “Go to window 6” go to window 6 pay 110 baht and then.

It was awful every second. Two months later I bought a truck I never thought I would and went back for the car DL. This is what happened then:

Go to OLT and ask if I can add a car classification to my MC DL without watching the 4 hour movies and coming back four days in a row and after getting an affirmative response I am told to come back with the appropriate paperwork the following day. Get there bright and early and Miss Cranky reviews my paperwork and says come back in 2 months. Huh? You told me come back today. "No come back 2 month". I feel it's gonna happen all over again. Wait 2 months and at 8:45 am on Monday go to OLT. Wait in a long line and at 09:20 get up to the Miss Cranky. She looks at my paperwork which she previously (2 moths earlier) stapled together and I also give her the medical report and the copy of my visa she requested at our last meeting. She looks and looks and looks secretly hoping to find some flaw in the packet of paperwork she has previously scrutinized and given the OK. Then it comes. "Meestaah, you have work permit?”. I reply "Yes, why? It's not on the list of things you personally wrote down that I needed". Ignoring me she says "Yes need copies more.” Smartly I say "Well, since I knew you would pull some crap like this I brought my passport and work permit so nice try, next?" Her effort to stunt my success only briefly thwarted, she then attacks the medical report that I got only a week ago. It must be no more than thirty days old and it wasn't. "OH MEESTAAH!" She says with glee. "Doctor report cannot older more than 30 day." I say "I know, look at the date, it's a week old." Discouraged she visually rescours the valid document for any flaw finally resting her eyes on the date. Than she starts counting on her fingers until she gets to the pointer on her right hand, the number seven finger when starting from the thumb on the left hand. I wondered, if I snapped a few of her fingers off would she use her toes instead? Not admitting defeat she hands me the packet and insists on the work permit copies. I walk over to the copy machine girl who of course is not surprised to see me, her very best customer. I burn off two copies and return to the Miss Cranky. Now she can’t possibly have a complaint right?? She looks at the clock on the wall and says “Meestah, video start already, you cannot watch today. Today I check you paypaah werk only. Come back tomollow 8 O’Cock 30”. WHAAAAAATTTTT?!?!?!? I say “This is crap, I waited 2 months for this appointment, brought you everything you wanted and because you jerked me around for a half hour I can’t go watch the 6 hours of bullcrap training video that I JUST WATCHED 3 MONTHS AGO WHEN I GOT MY MOTORCYCLE LICENSE!?!?! IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING!?!?” Smiling as if she was sitting on a feather she says……”See you tomollow.” These are the times I try remember my heart condition and realize this is how I will die one day. Standing in the OLT in Thailand.

> NEXT MORNING 7:30 AM…Leap from bed, run to the bathroom and splash water everywhere some of which strikes my body, jump into my clothes I had prepared the night before, grab my paper packet, passport, work permit, iPhone. Race to DMV to get there in time. Run up the stairs and into the video room bypassing Miss Cranky and grab a seat in the front row. Not so I can see the screen or pay attention mind you, I’ve seen this video before. It’s horrible, the last thing I wanna do I subject myself to this again, no. I sit in the front row because it is the only row with a table in front of it. A table I can put my head on and sleep through the entire video. And thats what I did. A few minutes of video games while the instructor was talking and when she turned the lights out so did I. Was awakened no less than a dozen times by some little blondie foreigner who was apparently trying new dance moves while her feet were tucked under my chair. Her lucky thirteenth time I turned around and faced her full on. She lifted her palms and shoulders to the sky and looked at me with an “oopsie” face. I said “Cut the crap! You have been kicking me all morning, IT ENDS NOW!!!” I went back to sleep and dreamt of severing her legs just below the knee. 4 hours in, break time. I get 1 and a half hours for lunch. Why someone needs 1 and a half hours for lunch I don’t know. I go eat come back and sit in my truck for 40 minutes waiting for the second feature. Back in the building the movies start again and so does my nap. 1 and half hours later the instructor starts handing out our paper packets and telling us to go to the testing room with a friendly warning she did not give last time I was here. She says “If you no pass test, come back Friday for take new.” Um WTH did you just say?? Last time they let you take the test several times until you passed. Apparently that has changed. I get first in line at the testing room and as the instructor takes me to a testing computer and gives me the instruction on how to take the test in broken English I am exactly mimicking her words because I just did this a few months ago and know the procedure well. 50 questions, maximum wrong answers 5. I start. Some are easy and repeated multiple times so, great. Some are impossible to understand and they are usually the ones with pictures. Being a professional test taker, I click off the easy ones, pass the hard ones and re-evalute at the end. I feel confident about 44 questions but go back to the remaining 6 toughies. I do my best to guess at the answers and hit the submit button. Will I pass and come back tomorrow for my practical exam or fail and be told this shit is going into next week?? PASS with 4 wrong answers!. Just made it. Jump to the front table and tell the instructor I am done and passed. She tells me “Back tomollow, take tess driving 1 O’Cock”. Happy to be the first one out I race home. Next day get to sleep past 8 and head over to DMV….again.

> Today is the practical where you drive through a maze of obstacles and then, if successful, get your license. They offer a car to rent for this purpose for about $6 and I jump at that because the car they give you is a sub-sub-sub compact. It’s about the size of a deck of cards and much easier to maneuver than my pickup. I sign the rental list last of 6 people that did not bring their own cars to test in. Then I see how this works. They shout out about ten names including one from the car rental group and those people all run to get their cars and make their way onto the course. This process continues until everyone is done. I do the quick math and realize since I am last to sign the rental list I will go in the last round of testees. Great, that sucks, I will be here all afternoon, guaranteed. SO I sit in the shade for almost 3 hours and they call my name, I go wait in the area the renters were handing off the rental car to each other and think I will jump in the car and go. Not so fast. There is still a group of Thai’s who chose the rental and who, for some reason, have not tested. I wait for 2 guys to go and a third who just cut right in front of me and sure enough I am the LAST TO GET TESTED. I race through the test and go back to the starting line. The instructor has exited her booth and is waving my paperwork in her hand and I am thinking "why did she not do this for anyone else??” Then she gets within earshot “Meestaah, hurry hurry, them close already maybe”. That’s right. It speaks for itself. I race like my ass is on fire with my papers to find only 2 people in the office. Miss Cranky and Video Girl. I say, out of breath “OK, FINISHED, TAKE MY PICTURE!!”. Apparently she tucked another feather into her pants because Info Girl is grinning from ear to ear. “Cannot…close already……….COME—BACK——TOMOLLOW—8 O’COCK 30”. “NOOOOOOOOOO NOOOOOOOO NOOOOOO NO WAY NOOOOOOO I COME HERE EVERY GOD DAMNED DAY NOOOOOOOO STOP DOING THIS TO ME WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO MEEEE WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!?”

> They are tickled to the core yet they know not how near death they stand. The Video Girl answers my question. “You so hansome man we like see every day, tomollow bring coffee for us too”. Seething and defeated knowing these women hold my nuts gingerly in one hand and a pair of poultry shears horizontally in the other I have no choice but to retreat. But before I go I tell her “F 8 O’Cock 30, I am sleeping late”. Miss Cranky quips “If not come early have long queue. “I don’t care, I am not coming early, good bye.”

> Next day at about 10, I head down for what should be my fourth and final drive to this lake of fire where they send foreigners to suffer for eternity. I have to wait on line to get a numbered ticket from Miss Cranky. She starts to look at my paper work suspiciously again. This is it, I think, her heart is involuntarily leaving her chest cavity if she utters a single syllable. She saves her own life and remains silent handing me a ticket with the number 85 on it. I go sit with the other morons and look and the red LED illuminated sign that says “55” knowing I have 20 people ahead of me. I wait. I get called, I go pay $6 and get told to go to counter 5 for my photo. I go wait on that line, get called, pay $3 and wait. 3 minutes later Photo Girl calls my name “Meestah X”. I walk up and get my auto driving temporary license which is valid for two years. After 2 years I return and go through a portion of this nightmare again and get a 5 year license. I walk out completely depleted of any excitement. It starts to rain…..

Edited December 3, 2015 by csabo

[nithisa78]

^^^^ You have too much time and nothing to do. Easy to understand why your days would be damned. Though its you not God doing it.

Edited December 7, 2015 by seedy
huge quote

[Bezpoleznyak]

I did it recently in Surat-Thani.

Prepared the documents, entered the place, was in one hour finished. Car and motorbike drivers license. Costed me 120 Baht.

Arjen.

But don't I have to have the residence certificate from Surat-Thani to be able to take the exam there? If I get the residence certificate here in Phuket, am I allowed to take the exam only in Phuket?

[Bezpoleznyak]

Easier to go to Krabi - no waiting.

The same question -- how about the residence certificate?

[KarenBravo]

Don't give up the day job. An eloquent writer, you are not.

[JetsetBkk]

Phuket is way back logged. I got my DL 2 weeks ago <snip>

Don't give up the day job. An eloquent writer, you are not.

Made me laugh!

[Bezpoleznyak]

I mean, where did you get the residence certificate? do you rent an apartment in phuket or surat thani?

[Bezpoleznyak]

Please confirm anyone that in Samui there's no delay of 3 or so months.

[seedy]

Troll / Flaming post removed

[moe666]

Please confirm anyone that in Samui there's no delay of 3 or so months.

There will be after your post

[Nbarcroftr]

Today (11/04) I received my 5 year motorbike license from the Phuket office.

I had an expired one year license (exp 2014) and last Monday I rocked up enquiring about a new one. Flashed the expired license (thank god I did) and the lady on 'reception' told me to come back tomorrow with all my paperwork in order (copies,residency, Doctor etc.) anyway chatting with my mate later on that night we decide to go together but seeing as he's a lazy so and so we opt for Wednesday ..... Mistake number 1.

Wednesday is a public holiday. NOT a Buddha day just a random holiday so we woke up stupidly early for no reason ( plus my friend had to take a day off work for this). No problem for me I can just go on Thursday (which I did) 8am. again I am in the que, get shuffled through, take the pointless reaction test and eye test and I'm told to come back on Monday.

Message aforementioned friend. Tell him to come with me on Monday for my 4th trip to the office in 7 days. ( he takes another day off work).

Monday rolls around and we rock up to the office. I sail through and get shuffled upstairs in building 1 to watch a video. My friend gets told to come back June 21st. We both thought she had made a mistake ...... 10 weeks away! Nope somehow because mine was classed as a 'renewal' I didn't have the 2 1/2 month wait. It boils down to this ,.... If you have an expired license that is within the 3 years of its expiry date it is a renewal. If you don't you have to join the LONG waitlist.

My friend nearly exploded but I was still good so upstairs I headed. the video starts. Test lady in the room coms in about 5 times during the video, stops it and starts yelling questions at random people. I was the only farang in the room.

'Hey farang' ( I kid you not that is how she addressed me') ' you speak Thai?' Nope.... I have a bit but not enough to follow your incoherent rumblings. 'What is the minimum speed allowed in the town?.' I have no idea, my mouth goes dry, 60 Thais are all looking at me......, ' 30' I guess. Wrong she shouts! ' it's 80' .....She meant the MAXIMUM speed (which I gleefully corrected her on) at which point she reverts back to Thai and I'm pretty sure she wasn't complimentry about the farang.

2pm ... Video over (finally) test time. Luckily I had reviewed the questions online .. 60 minute test .... I scored 47/50 and was done in 6 minutes.

Downstairs for a bit more queuing, take a photo, pay some money and at 3:30 I was presented with a 5 year motorbike license.

20 years of driving.........4 trips to the test center ..... About 8 total minutes of actual testing .....2.5 months for my friend to wait.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Nbarcroftr

[PremiumLane]

I did mine at the Honda training center, took 2 days:

Day 1: lecture and PowerPoint presentation, took the written test

Day 2: took the written test again (everyone had to take it twice - I passed both times, then 3 hours of bike practice and then the practical test, finished with all the eye, reaction tests

Got a certificate to take to the DLT office to get the licence

Easy-peasy

1000 Baht

[KhruGin]

In my town was about a 7 week wait. The actual test day sucked the life out of me. 10 hours and 15 minutes at the transport centre .... 2 mins reaction and colours test, 2 mins ride round the course test, 8 mins to complete the 50 questions on the computer (49/50 well passed).So the essentials 12 minutes in total.

Totally meaningless wasted time: Tad over 4 hours of subtitled videos treating you like an anubaan child followed by a 2 and 3/4 hour lecture in Thai by an agent dressed in a gestapo uniform (it was a Monday) also treating you like an anubaan child and of course some sitting around time waiting for something to happen no time soon. Boy was I glad to leave that place at 6.10 pm.

Following day pick up 2 year license and not painful at all, take a photo and pay 155 baht, job done and game over.

Im sure they mean well with their educational videos, lectures and all that but it obviously doesn't work given Thailand has the highest accident rate per capita in Asia and is near the top globally. Well the answer to that one lies in the attitude of road users here and also how the law is enforced or not as the case may be.

Glad its over for me and good luck to those who yet have to do it ...jai yen yen.