webfact Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Stricter driver theory test for candidates for driving licenses BANGKOK: -- Beginning today, candidates applying for driving license will need to attend longer driver theory test to make sure qualified drivers know how to drive safely. This is aimed at increasing road safety and reduce traffic accidents of which Thailand comes second as the country with highest road fatalities in the world. Under the new regulation, the Department of Land Transport will implement stricter new driver theory test and examination process to get a driving license. Candidates for new driving license is now required to attend additional driver theory class for five hours from previously four. Director General Sanit Promwong of the Department of Land Transport said this was to increase the skills on safe driving, to cut the numbers of accidents, injury and death. He said candidates for new driver license and drive license holder who failed to renew the license within one year have to attend the driving theory class longer, from four hours in the past to five hours. Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/stricter-driver-theory-test-candidates-driving-licenses/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-01-04 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taichiplanet Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 16 minutes ago, webfact said: now required to attend additional driver theory class for five hours from previously four. wow, an extra hours sleep in the class; where do i sign up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pdaz Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 This translates to the price now going up to 1000 baht.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooked Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 (edited) Theory, not practice. Edited January 4, 2017 by cooked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavisH Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Don't drink and drive / ride; wear a seat belt / helmet; don't speed. It's not rocket science, What Thailand needs is proper law enforcement. Nothing will change until that changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickJ Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 The populace needs to be hit where it hurts most. There bank accounts. I always wear a helmet. The other day I needed milk. Hoped on the scooter to drive to 7/11 without the helmet. Three policeman coming out as I pull up. Should have got a ticket. They just smiled. It wasn't check for helmet day. When they see a viable infraction it should be immediate response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryinTH Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Didn't they make it harder a year ago or two and it was TOO HARD, so everyone failed and they reversed it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooked Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Everybody here seems to want to hang, draw and quarter offenders. How about doing that to the Road Safety Council, which only raises its ugly head twice a year, Christmas-New Year and Song Kran, with threats about what is going to happen to people that don't really know any better. Prevention: through education on TV, like we had in the UK 50 years ago. Engineering: Road engineers should have their drawing boards broken and be obliged to attend a traffic engineering abroad. Policing: shouldn't consist to 99% of collecting tea money, their activities should be preventing accidents, not encouraging people to carry on as before. Suppression: this should come at the bottom of the list after all the above has been exhausted, and be exemplary. And of course not only be done but be seen to be done (Red Bull anyone). If you know Thailand and like Thailand, you will know that none of this is going to happen any time soon. I for one am happy not to be driving down a particular road I know in Farangland with speed limits changing from 50K/h to 90K/h and back again about 10 times over a 10Km stretch, with speed cameras mounted at each point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezzra Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 The secrets to good driving habits starts at home when the youngsters see how their parents drive and behave on the road, also, better enforcements of the road rules and laws, there're hardly real police patrolling the roads and stopping drivers who commit driving infringements, mostly they do road check and blocks, and for the obvious reasons that we all know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackstask Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 (edited) What a joke! A more difficult Theory test. What about more difficult practical driving test. No chance! Bureaucrats just trying to justify their departmental positions. This is what we expect in Thailand every New Year, total carnage. Inadequate policing and a government that doesn't give a shit about it's citizens. Thailand is still No: 2 in the world for road traffic deaths and is fighting to claim top spot. Edited January 4, 2017 by Mackstask Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMuhummad Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 33 minutes ago, NickJ said: The populace needs to be hit where it hurts most. There bank accounts. I always wear a helmet. The other day I needed milk. Hoped on the scooter to drive to 7/11 without the helmet. Three policeman coming out as I pull up. Should have got a ticket. They just smiled. It wasn't check for helmet day. When they see a viable infraction it should be immediate response. Bank accounts wouldn't matter I feel. We would just see an increase in unpaid fines. Maybe starting road safety education in schools at a young age? And continue this until graduation, whenever that may be. Granted it won't get through to all but if it could touch just a small percentage of all children maybe it would correlate to a drop in road fatalities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryinTH Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I think the best part is, that you are required to bring your own vehicle to the driving test - before having a license of any kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgerking Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I doubt this will have any effect at all in this county. Educating the people is most import, and even more important is having a police force to reinforce and not be flexible with the rules and laws that are already in existence. Paying your fine on the spot without a ticket just isn't the answer ,we have all been there... Until this mentality changes, the road toll over here will always be high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worgeordie Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 An important part of the test should be driving on the actual roads, all this driver theory in a room, in front of a computer,does not help when you have a truck hurtling towards you,or someone cuts you off,and all these other hazards you encounter every day. regards worgeordie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcsw53 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Question 4 - Should I drive when I am tired or drunk ? Answer - In Thailand this does not matter. Question 5 - What is the maximum number of people allowed in a minibus Answer - As many as you can fit in. Question 6 - What is the maximum speed a minibus is allowed to drive Answer - How high does the speedo go. Question 7 - Should I slow down in bad weather conditions Answer - Definitely not, you need to get there fast before you have an accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman34014 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Will make no difference whatsoever. Whilst we should applaud any effort to make things better, one of the greatest hurdles is Thai peoples 'attitude' . My Mrs says the majority of Thai's think they are cleverer than anyone else and they are never wrong in anything they do...it's always other people who are wrong and never them. If they break the law or do something stupid on the road they think they are 'smart' or 'clever' instead of recognising how foolish it is. My own neighbour prides himself on how fast he can drive his intimidating, Gas Guzzling Monster Pick-Up and is happy to force anyone off the road that he can. This is a 54 year old shortass of 5ft tall with a massive 'Thai style' ego and even his own Wife and Son won't travel with him. They recently went South on a five day holiday and he drove himself whist his family flew down and met him there ! There will never, ever be strict law enforcement of driving as most Cops live in Villages and elsewhere among the community and are expected to turn a blind eye to most offenders as they are known to be community drinkers and gamblers who drink and drive on a frequent basis themselves. At least 50% or more of the Village people around our parts drive with no license, no insurance, no tax, no number plates, no helmets, three or more on a motorbike etc etc. IMHO these are now massive problems that it is too late to fix; as when vehicle ownership grew in years past the Government's of the time should have put in place the safeguards that other countries do to ensure that the population 'grew up' into a modern and responsible society. Sadly; it didn't happen as this country is well known for not being proactive....just reactive after disasters occurs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick220675 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 They are tightening things up, when I renewed my licence recently they made me watch a video. The best bit of it was when the instructor said "don't use your horn or people may get angry and shoot you". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midas Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 (edited) The trouble in some other countries in this region they are going backwards. In Cambodia the Prime Minister fully endorsed scrapping licences altogether for motorbike riders who ride anything less than 125 cc he called it a “gift for the people " he also called for driving tests for motorcycle licences to be scrapped, saying riding a two-wheeler was “not very complicated”. Licences waived for 125cc motors http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/licences-waived-for-125cc-motors/ Edited January 4, 2017 by midas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred007 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 The Thai drivers theory test was based on the Irish version Question one .......What is the Colour of a Red Bus ? Question two ........If you picked any other colour then Red .....You will still get your drivers licence But it will be stamped you are Colour Blind :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernboy Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Enforcement of road rules is more needed than more tests. Clearly is just a cover up story to not make the police look bad and to get some more budget kickbacks. Is not they do not know the theory just too many bad habits and nobody enforcing the laws so they ta=ke risks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon467367354 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 there is a dangerous misconception that motorcycles are better off on the left side of the road, where that theory came from I have no idea. Personally I don't like to ride in the blind spot of other vehicles, compete with buses, vans, songteaws, vendors or cars entering or exiting businesses. Illegal parking is an issue, but never enforced. Motorcycle taxis frequently go in the wrong direction out of convenience. Theory is great in theory, but what about being practical and common sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon467367354 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Moving over to the right one lane. Driving safely or breaking the law? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdkane Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Skip the "theory"...just have them drive for christ's sake...and enforce the laws of the road...the biggest contributor to the carnage on Thailand's roads are the ineffective police. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BsBs Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Lucky us ! Thai roads will be a lot safer ! Thank you men in charge to bring back happiness ! Do you expect to beat this year death toll all time record ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impulse Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 (edited) 4 hours ago, midas said: The trouble in some other countries in this region they are going backwards. In Cambodia the Prime Minister fully endorsed scrapping licences altogether for motorbike riders who ride anything less than 125 cc he called it a “gift for the people " he also called for driving tests for motorcycle licences to be scrapped, saying riding a two-wheeler was “not very complicated”. Licences waived for 125cc motors http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/licences-waived-for-125cc-motors/ I remember years ago when we didn't need an M/C license back home to ride any scooters that didn't require shifting. They were classified as "mopeds" and your car D/L was adequate. I think that went by the wayside when some of the car sized 2 wheel sleds with 1000cc and bigger engines got auto transmissions. Maybe not- it's been a long time since I checked. For Cambodia, I wonder how the insurance companies deal with it? Can an unlicensed scooter pilot get decent insurance? Edited January 4, 2017 by impulse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydebolle Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Breaking news, in 2079 the DLT will introduce a minimum of one driving lesson by a professional instructor which also will sign off the sheet against a little contribution. Next to theory, which should be based on common sense (a rare commodity in the Land of Smiles) most European countries insist on a minimum of 20 driving lessons by a professional driving teacher. This includes changing of a tire, basic preventive maintenance (cooling fluid, distilled water replenishment in car batteries and engine oil check). The alpine region includes even the use of snow chains - good luck it does not snow yet here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retarius Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I'm not buying into the need for this. The need is for an effective police force….one that enforces law and doesn't take tea money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
licka Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 It wont matter if they pass the test or not Most will ride their bike / car after the test Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCC1701A Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 And I bet there will not be one question about safe stopping distance. http://www.drivingtestsuccess.com/pages/stopping-distances-and-the-theory-test or driving at a speed that is safe for current road conditions. (Basic speed law) https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/hdbk/speed_limits+ and this pdf at this link this all the Thai government needs to copy. Just like back in Thai school during exams. Nothing to "invent" or think too much about. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/web/eng_pdf/dl600.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deepinthailand Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 555 want a car or bike licence 10000bht and you get both on Blackmarket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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