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Learning to Drive - Legally!


Mattd

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My son turns 18 on Wednesday and wants to learn how to drive, does anybody know how this can be done legally, whether it is via a driving school, or in a private car?

 

As there isn't such a thing as a provisional driving licence in Thailand, then my understanding is that so long as the person is 18 years old or above and is under instruction by a person who holds a driving licence that is valid for the vehicle being driven, then this is OK?

 

Plan is to teach him the basics in a big open space that isn't a public road,  then progress to the roads, gradually building up from quiet rural ones to busier roads.

 

Lastly, can anybody recommend a driving school in the Pattaya area, one that will actually teach him to drive properly, if such a thing exists?

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7 minutes ago, Mattd said:

my understanding is that so long as the person is 18 years old or above and is under instruction be a person who holds a driving licence that is valid for the vehicle being driven, then this is OK?

 

Plan is to teach him the basics in a big open space that isn't a public road,  then progress to the roads, gradually building up from quiet rural ones to busier roads.

Yes to both OK.  :thumbsup:

Ask someone locally about driving schools,  maybe try Pattaya forum.

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Well if I am not mistaken they just passed a law requiring all new drivers to take a formal class at a licensed Driving School .  Unfortunately it is difficult here in Thailand to tell whether some new law was actually passed or they are just thinking about it 

 

I sent my Thai girlfriend to a Driving School on Pattaya Tai, on the same side of the street as Friendship, right before the hotel / guest house going towards 3rd Road.   Excellent training and I am so confident in the results that I let her drive most of the time since I find it hard to deal with the stupidity of many of the drivers here 

 

I would suggest that you take your boy to the parking lot at the National  Sports Center on Chaiyaphruek  to learn the basics in a safe place without the distractions of other drivers.  

 

There is no such thing as a "learners permit" here in Thailand but  I have never heard of anyone getting in trouble trying to teach someone how to drive 

 

 

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Years ago I tried to teach my wife to drive. I didn't have the patience and turned that job over to her uncle. My trying to teach her would have no doubt resulted in a divorce. I insisted that she learn with the manual trans Toyota 4X4 because if she could drive that, she could drive anything. I bought her automatic trans car after she had her license. It took her two tries to get her license and she passed the second try.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well, he just passed his driving test today 2 weeks after his 18th Birthday!

 

Aside with some driving with his Mother, the main learning was at the ABS Driving School located in, or close to, the Nong Palai area somewhere (Pattaya side of 36), I took him to there last Saturday, what a horrible place to find, but what a surprise it was, it is quite a big concern with loads of cars and a road network inside, including traffic lights, a roundabout, areas to learn how to park etc. I was reasonably impressed!

 

He did learn with a manual car at my insistence, as it was important to me that he did, might not drive another one for a while, but at least he knows how to now!!!

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My wife asked me to help her nephew learn to drive.

 

I started exclusively off road and got as far as trying to get him to brake correctly stopping at a defined point from varying speeds.  After an hour of that he had had enough.

 

Next day he was on the Bangkok ring road in dad's truck which must have been a baptism of fire given he had never been over 40 kph.

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"There is no such thing as a "learners permit" here in Thailand but  I have never heard of anyone getting in trouble trying to teach someone how to drive "

 

One concern might be with an insurance company if there was an accident with an unlicensed driver.

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5 minutes ago, TerryLH said:

One concern might be with an insurance company if there was an accident with an unlicensed driver.

This was a big concern of mine and it was checked with his Mother's insurance company, who said that he would be insured if he was with a licensed driver, I'd recommend informing the insurance company prior just to be sure.

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49 minutes ago, TerryLH said:

"There is no such thing as a "learners permit" here in Thailand but  I have never heard of anyone getting in trouble trying to teach someone how to drive "

 

One concern might be with an insurance company if there was an accident with an unlicensed driver.

Another western mis-conception imported,  the vehicle's are insured in Thailand by the gov compulsory insurance, when additional voluntary private insurance is purchased some companies stipulate DL rules and other conditions on cover.

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4 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Another western mis-conception imported,  the vehicle's are insured in Thailand by the gov compulsory insurance

You are correct that all vehicles must (in theory) maintain the Government Compulsory Third Party Liability insurance, however the vehicle itself or other vehicles and property is not insured by the CTPL insurance, this only covers bodily injuries, disabilities or death resulting from an accident.

Although this is of course of primary concern, I was also worried about any liability to damage to other vehicles or property etc. so did check with his Mother's insurer in that regard.

Personally I would never consider driving any form of vehicle with only the CTPL insurance as my only cover.

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The temporary 2 year driving licence (1 year up to recently) would appear to be the equivelent to a provisional driving licence.

   My wife used a driving school on Theprasit Rd. 

  I believe they now get you the licence also.

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Think the difference is that even though it is a temporary licence the holder does not need to have another licensed driver with them after it is issued.

Not really sure of the logic behind it, would make more sense if the holder had to display some sort of plate on the car to show that they have only just qualified to drive.

 

My son's driving school did take care of all of the test arrangements, provided the car for the physical test etc. The son did have to take the computer test, physical test etc. 

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13 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

The temporary 2 year driving licence (1 year up to recently) would appear to be the equivalent to a provisional driving licence.   

It's a temporary 2 year driving licence full stop and you have to learn to drive to get it.

Or provide a full valid DL from another country.

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3 minutes ago, Jonmarleesco said:

It might not be called that, but a temporary licence is a provisional licence by another name.

Understand exactly where you are coming from, but the definition of a Provisional Driving licence in the UK is that it gives you provisional entitlement to drive or ride a vehicle, in the case of a driving car, then you must be accompanied by a driver over the age of 21 that has held a full licence for a minimum of 3 years, whilst displaying L plates on the car to show other users that you are learning.

This then means that you learn to drive that car whilst be supervised by a 'competent' driver.

Once you pass both parts of the test, then they issue a full licence.

The difference here is that doesn't exist, the person learns how to drive with no licence, takes a test after minimum training and then gets given a licence that allows them to drive (and hence learn / gain experience) on their own.

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23 hours ago, Mattd said:

Well, he just passed his driving test today 2 weeks after his 18th Birthday!

 

Aside with some driving with his Mother, the main learning was at the ABS Driving School located in, or close to, the Nong Palai area somewhere (Pattaya side of 36), I took him to there last Saturday, what a horrible place to find, but what a surprise it was, it is quite a big concern with loads of cars and a road network inside, including traffic lights, a roundabout, areas to learn how to park etc. I was reasonably impressed!

 

He did learn with a manual car at my insistence, as it was important to me that he did, might not drive another one for a while, but at least he knows how to now!!!

 I have to say I cannot accept that someone is qualified or experienced to drive after two weeks

From what I have seen of the driving test here in the North where they are not even tested on the open road it is a farce and explains why the standard of driving is so poor

In Australia it takes 3 years to get your full license which includes documented on road training computer tests one on road test for about 40 mins with an examiner and further computer testing before receiving the full license 

I rest my case

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14 hours ago, StevieAus said:

 I have to say I cannot accept that someone is qualified or experienced to drive after two weeks

From what I have seen of the driving test here in the North where they are not even tested on the open road it is a farce and explains why the standard of driving is so poor

In Australia it takes 3 years to get your full license which includes documented on road training computer tests one on road test for about 40 mins with an examiner and further computer testing before receiving the full license 

I rest my case

 Well this here is not Australia but a place called Thailand where there are different rules and laws.:smile:

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55 minutes ago, bandito said:

 Well this here is not Australia but a place called Thailand where there are different rules and laws.:smile:

What you mean is that there are no rules or laws and if there are they are not taught or enforced hence my comment

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On ‎6‎/‎3‎/‎2017 at 8:29 AM, StevieAus said:

What you mean is that there are no rules or laws and if there are they are not taught or enforced hence my comment

 

There are and there is even a traffic law.

These are enforced when the police has to determine who is or was the quilty party after an accident.

Quite different from Oz, huh? :cheesy:

Don't get mad, I'm joking.

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