Motorbike license - sharing my experience & some questions

[Payanak212]

I recently applied for a motorbike license and thought I would share my experience and frustrations on here in the hope of helping others. The whole procedure is an illogical and ridiculous inconvenience that has no real world value in improving the driving standards in Thailand, apart from perhaps weeding out the most incapable of potential drivers. The learning material and assessment were of such poor quality and so irrelevant that it destroyed any confidence I had that the Thailand was making any real progress in moving towards anything like international standards or even taking the task seriously.

Foreigners need to book in advance at one of the Land transportation offices. It would appear the waiting list is a few weeks to several months depending upon where you apply. This information is not online nor do I know if it can be done over the phone. When I had a Thai friend try on my behalf they were passed department to department and even given advice which turned out to be incorrect. Mo Chit seems to be the most efficient and least frustrating place to do it with the shortest waiting time. The day of booking I was also able to take the eye and reaction tests and told to come back and take the training on the scheduled day at 9am.

I arrive at 9am and register. Then had to wait one hour in a non air conditioned room before a woman came over and shouting "Englit" and pointed to a room. We entered and sat down and made to watch a ridiculous DVD about driving a car (even though I was there for a motorbike license) in Thai with poorly translated English subtitles. At 12PM lunch was one hour, no information was given as to were we could buy food on the grounds. I chose to walk down to Saphan Kwai. At 1PM we were handed a file with information about driving rules in Thailand. No information or advice was provided, everyone guessed that we should simply read and memorise it which we did. Most people finished in about 30 mins. Then we had to sit and wait for one more hour. The next stage was the theory test, we were taken to a room with touch screens and took a multiple choice test of 50 questions, all the questions are about driving a car and not a motorbike. I already have a car license and recall taking these same questions before and passing yet for some irrational fixation on duplication Thai officialdom is famous for I must take again. A score of 45 or more is a pass. The same questions are repeated a couple of times. Many questions are difficult to decipher precisely what the question is asking. Additionally many questions are about things that which we simply did not encounter in the learning material. I didn't quite achieve the 45/50 score which meant I failed. "Come back tomorrow" the woman said. I informed her I work and could not and then asked what the procedure is for rescheduling, the women was disinterested in even trying to help me. After this stage I suspect the other candidates went on to take a practical test. I had had enough for one day and chose to leave rather than trying to pursue finding an answer to what must be a very standard question.

My advice for anyone taking this test is to take a few practice tests online to learn about the road rules that the learning material so poorly addresses and get an understanding of what the answers should be to some bizarre questions. Also take a book/laptop to help you survive the DVD and waiting around.

Does anyone know the procedure for rescheduling? Do they keep my eye test, reaction test and medical certificate documents for a period of time or do I have to take them all again? Can training and tests be booked over the phone? Any other helpful advice?

[macknife]

Had to book? Weird, in Bangkok, recently, one of my friends just turned up in the morning and did it.

You should have been practicing the theory test on the terminals outside the testing room. It's all the same questions as the test and they give you the answers.

That's how it works here, all the answers are available before you take any test.

[rodknock]

medical cert. is only good for 30 days. does not matter if they have it or you have it.

i had my medical when i went to register and had to get another as it was over 30days till the class.

[darkian]

As with everything in this country, the day you go and who you speak to can mean a completely different experience, and therefore all these 'reports' are only of limited use.

I didn't have to book in advance, nor when I renewed, and there was no major drama. Yes a bit frustrating, a bit difficult with the language barrier, but then I did choose to live in a country where I don't speak much of the language...

[eeeya]

Taling Chan in Bangkok was quite painless.

[Longbow212]

You should have been practicing the theory test on the terminals outside the testing room. It's all the same questions as the test and they give you the answers.

That's how it works here, all the answers are available before you take any test.

I saw the terminals, at no point did anyone inform me what they were for or that I could have a few practice goes before the real test. This goes to show again how poorly the whole thing was managed.

Thanks for telling me about this, I'll give it a go next time.

[steve187]

maybe they didn't like the look of your face.

Pattaya and Rayong is turn up and do. or was

[bramds]

same in Bang Chak (sukhumvit 99)

just go early and do all the tests

speaking a bit of the language does help