mlmcleod Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 After 3 years in Thailand I decided that having an automobile would be a nice thing. My USA driver's license expired years ago so I was faced with taking the Thailand Driver's license test. I had heard that it was a one day ordeal but learned the hard way that it is a two day process. I am retired so getting up at 6 AM two days in a row was not pleasant. Here was my itinerary: Day 1: I arrived at the land office at 7:45 AM hoping to get my license that day. At 8AM there was a very large crowd at the door but those taking the driver's license tests were admitted first. There were numerous grumblings in the crowd about jumping to the head of the queue! Just ignore them. First, we were given the color blindness, depth perception and response times tests. They are all done in a whirlwind. Then we were sent to a training room with a smallish television set. I assumed that we would watch a one hour video and be off to our actual driving tests. What followed was four and a half hours of videos about driver safety. Most of the videos cover the material twice so the boredom factor is immense. Sadly, the videos are not like any of the reality I see on Thai roads every day! I was brain dead for the drive home! Day 2: We met at the driver's course in the back of the building at 8AM. The practical driver's course test is very simple and follows the Youtube videos. After that we were shuffled off to the test room on the second floor for the multiple choice test. The test is not all that challenging for English speakers and I was well prepared by taking the numerous Thai driving tests on the internet. You will get to review an old driver's test at the end of the first day. I suggest you study it closely for there are a few questions that I did not see on the internet tests that I researched. You will get a Pass/fail score immediately after the test. If you fail, I heard that you could retest but not when. After the test is passed, you go to pay your fees and get a number and are told to return at 1PM. After lunch, I went back to the second floor had my photo taken and got my license after a 15 minute wait. My observations are that it is amazing that the Land Office personnel can follow the paper flow so well. I speak ZERO Thai and they speak little English but I was able to make it through the course without too much confusion. I also note that this is Thai Bureaucracy at it's finest! I am very happy that I have completed this task and hope I never have such an intimate association with the bureaucracy mill again!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asiantravel Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 " The practical driver's course test is very simple and follows the Youtube videos " I only did a fraction of what you did because I was able to produce my current drivers license from overseas but what I was surprised at was the high number of Thai's that failed the reaction test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siam2007 Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 Just wonder how is the procedure nowadays for someone who has not only a valid license of his home country but as well an international license. Must be a lot less hassle, hopefully ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 1 hour ago, Asiantravel said: what I was surprised at was the high number of Thai's that failed the reaction test. Many of them seem to have no reflexes and no spatial sense either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 2 hours ago, siam2007 said: Just wonder how is the procedure nowadays for someone who has not only a valid license of his home country but as well an international license. Must be a lot less hassle, hopefully ? I think it reduces the OP's tale to a one-day event with the omission of the actual driving test but the videos and all the other internal tests still prevail. I doubt they care if one has an International Drivers Permit, it's a valid national license that determines an applicants basic eligibility for a Thai one. Special thanks to the OP for posting this experience though and having the patience of Job to get 'er done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkk6060 Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 Yes the reaction test and color blind test get more failures then you think. There is another thread on the color test failures in the Bangkok forum. I have some color issues, but don't worry I won't crash into you I can see the green and red lights on the roadway. With this, I paid an agency and got everything in less then an hour. I did nothing but sit for a photo. Just saying, it is an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Dwyer Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Just wonder how is the procedure nowadays for someone who has not only a valid license of his home country but as well an international license. Must be a lot less hassle, hopefully ?As Nanlaew has said with your valid home country driving license you don't have to do the actual driving part of the test or the test , only the colour, reaction and depth perception ( watching the video seems to be optional, depending on which province).The IDP ( internacional driving permit) is only a translation of your license into English .If your license is already in English it's not really needed to obtain Thai DL although most people get one to be able to drive in Thailand with less hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiBob Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Nice story, of course you didn't take the tests at the Land Office but the Transportation Office off of Highway 36. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LennyW Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 2 hours ago, ThaiBob said: Nice story, of course you didn't take the tests at the Land Office but the Transportation Office off of Highway 36. It's called Chonburi Department Of Land Transportation if you insist on nit-picking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiBob Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 25 minutes ago, LennyW said: It's called Chonburi Department Of Land Transportation if you insist on nit-picking. Thank you for the additional detail, not nitpicking, as this is this is how misinformation can spread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jip99 Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 51 minutes ago, LennyW said: It's called Chonburi Department Of Land Transportation if you insist on nit-picking. I can never understand why people confuse accuracy with nit-picking. It is not nit-picking to correct LO to LTO......... as the poster said, correction saves misunderstanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topt Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 6 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said: The IDP ( internacional driving permit) is only a translation of your license into English . If your license is already in English it's not really needed to obtain Thai DL although most people get one to be able to drive in Thailand with less hassle. My understanding is different to yours. To drive here legally in theory you still need to have an IDP backed up by your home licence. If you are going to be here for more than 3 months you are supposed to get a local licence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digbeth Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 4 hours ago, Jip99 said: I can never understand why people confuse accuracy with nit-picking. It is not nit-picking to correct LO to LTO......... as the poster said, correction saves misunderstanding. I'm sure no one would turn up at the land office (where you go and transfer land and houses) to get a driving licence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Dwyer Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 My understanding is different to yours. To drive here legally in theory you still need to have an IDP backed up by your home licence. If you are going to be here for more than 3 months you are supposed to get a local licence.Yes, you are correct, I was meaning to get the Thai driving license it doesn't do anything if your DL is in English anyway.But yes I agree, to drive legally ( for 3 months) you need the IDP . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jip99 Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 2 hours ago, digbeth said: I'm sure no one would turn up at the land office (where you go and transfer land and houses) to get a driving licence. Are you you absolutely sure???? ? In any event it is potentially the equivalent of saying visa renewal when you mean annual extension of permission to stay based on retirement or marriage......... it can cause confusion...... I am with ThaiBob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farang two dot zero Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 How much does it cost to get Chonburi Department Of Land Transportation by taxi from Sukhumvit Rd - Chonburi/Bangkok ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baxer Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 15 hours ago, Farang two dot zero said: How much does it cost to get Chonburi Department Of Land Transportation by taxi from Sukhumvit Rd - Chonburi/Bangkok ? About 1500 Thb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farang two dot zero Posted August 25, 2017 Share Posted August 25, 2017 On 14/08/2017 at 7:33 PM, Baxer said: About 1500 Thb 1500 bath go and come back ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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