Taking the Thai motorcycle test
Re: Taking the Thai motorcycle test
Ah well I don't have a UK licence, so I doubt I'll get it that easy!
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Dannie Boy
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Re: Taking the Thai motorcycle test
I really don't know why it was so easy - having the UK license, having my Thai wife with me or just that they (or the specific woman who dealt with me) are less strict? Mind you it could have been the fact that I am a "hansum man" and gave her a brown envelope that did the trickPleng wrote:Ah well I don't have a UK licence, so I doubt I'll get it that easy!
Re: Taking the Thai motorcycle test
Is anybody able to pinpoint on a googlemap where the Cha-Am test centre is? I had a ride around the main road up as far (and just past) the Sheep farm and couldn't see any signs (perhaps there aren't any in English)?
Re: Taking the Thai motorcycle test
Drive through Cha Am and turn on to Petkasem heading north, towards a footbridge over the road,at about4/5km, but it’s the only one in that immediate area so you can’t miss it, as you approach the bridge get into the middle of the road ready to make a U-turn.
After the U-Turn you need to take the first sharp left down a small road keep to left and you will come across a government building which is the driving license/test center.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@12.84136 ... 297516,19z
After the U-Turn you need to take the first sharp left down a small road keep to left and you will come across a government building which is the driving license/test center.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@12.84136 ... 297516,19z
Atheists have no need of a god. Our lives are not based on fear or guilt. We are moral because we know it's right.
Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity. R J Hanlon
Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity. R J Hanlon
Re: Taking the Thai motorcycle test
Yes, it's a small road between hedges and easy to miss, the building is the first one on the left after about a hundred meters.
Re: Taking the Thai motorcycle test
Thanks for the tips guys. I presume it's the one marked "Phetchaburi provisional transport office" on the map? 
Re: Taking the Thai motorcycle test
Yes, it seems to be on Google maps if you know what to call it! I've been getting my truck taxed there for nearly ten years and every time I almost miss the street.Pleng wrote:Thanks for the tips guys. I presume it's the one marked "Phetchaburi provisional transport office" on the map?
Re: Taking the Thai motorcycle test
Did this in Cha-Am over the last couple of days, and thought I'd post some updated information and tips..
After doing the eye and break test, I was separated off from the Thai conglomerate and told to go downstairs with my paperwork. I did so and was told that I had to watch 4 hours of videos, but first I had to sit and wait. I did as told and, after about 45 minutes of waiting I heard one of the girls asking another what I was waiting for, and another saying that she didn't know. After a bit of deliberation between the staff they finally realised that I was waiting to watch the videos. I had assumed I was waiting for others to join me, or something. So (Tip 1) if you're seated for more than a few minutes then ask what's going on.
Once they'd figured out what I was waiting for, I was taken to a computer in the corner which had a folder full of video files. I was told I had to "buup and buup and buup", with a few hand gestures indicating mouse clicks. So I started watching the videos which did have English subtitles. Why they just couldn't install a second TV in the main room with English subtitles I don't know, but luckily for me the video player was VLC which has the convenient feature of (Tip 2) being able to speed up and slow down the video by pressing the plus and minus keys. I generally had most videos running at 1.5 and sped up to 2, 4 and 8 speed when the videos were repeating things over again (which happened a lot, especially in one of the videos).
The first video was a video concerning road regulations, vehicle classifications, licence types, loading restrictions, fines and penalties etc and lasted about 2 hours. The subtitling on this video was pretty good.
The second video was a 'polite driving' video that focused mostly on parking and overtaking. It was one of these juvenile videos with ridiculous Thai ove-racting and I would assume dumb sound effects (there was no sound so I couldn't tell; but I'd place money on it!) The subtitles on this video were full of Tinglish and, as can be the case with that particular language) sometimes didn't make sense at all. The content of the video had mostly, if not totally, been covered in the previous video and I had this on x8 speed for the most part.
The third video was showed some very graphic accidents. All credit to the Thai authorities here; they didn't mess about. It was like a highly intense version of "Police, camera, action" in the UK but instead of only showing accidents where those involved survived ('miraculously the driver and passengers all got away with minor injuries but it could have been so much worse...' etc), these were accidents where people lost lives (well, not may people can survive being lifted off their bike at speed by the front of a truck and driven straight into a lamp-post...) and they just might make the people watching think about what happens. I severely hope that there were no comedy effects accompanying the soundtrack of this particular video.
There was then an adequately subtitled video showing what the various road signs meant.
The last video focused on drink driving and drowsy driving, featuring stories of people who had caused or been the victims of accidents. I particularly felt sorry for one woman who's husband's drowsy driving caused them to have an accident, and 6 months later he then left her because he didn't want to be left with a woman in a wheelchair. Nice guy...
After the video it was time for the test. I was extremely lucky in that I finished the videos just before the big group came out of their classroom so was able to get straight onto a machine. I failed the first test pretty badly (see the end of this post for more details there) and, unlike what has previously reported here, I was not allowed to take a second test. I was told to come back the next day where I could have up to two more attempts. After taking the test you are, fortunately, given a summary of what you got wrong and what the correct answer should have been.
Came back the next day (today) and took the test. Failed by one point on the first time (irritatingly one of the questions I got wrong I had changed, from the correct answer to the incorrect one, while reviewing my answers). Before taking the test the second time (which, thankfully, I passed), I had a go at the test machine - (Tip 3) Some of the 'correct' answers required on the test machine are NOT the same as they are in the main machine. For example, a 30 in a blue circle - on the main machine the answer they are looking for [I think incorrectly?] is that it means a minimum speed of 30Kph. On the test machine selecting that answer gave you a FALSE and tells you that it is the maximum speed. I seem to remember another one that was different, but can't remember what it was now.
After passing the theory test, I was directed outside to do the riding test. There was a big tree which really should have been pruned back as it obstructed the beginning of the cone section of test. Having focused on this rather than the arrow markings on the road, I realized I was actually going the wrong way around each cone. Luckily the instructor wasn't watching at that point so I passed. I don't know if I'd have had a second chance at that, but I presume I probably would have.
After that I was given my documents told to go inside where I waited briefly for my photo to be taken and licence to be issued. The whole process on the second day took just over 2 hours.
Regarding my first test, I got 12 wrong, when you're only allowed 5 wrong:
5 of my 'incorrect' answers were due to the parking picture questions being incorrectly calibrated. On every one of those it said I had picked a picture which I *definately* hadn't. Like a car parked right on the entrance to a junction, a couple of double parked vehicles, and one parked before a train crossing! I mentioned this to the examiner (in the hope that I'd get a retry on the same day) but he just shrugged. It wouldn't have made enough difference to change between a pass or not so I didn't pursue it but I was nervous it would happen again the next day (it didn't)
5 of my incorrect answers were the same question - the machine doesn't seem smart enough to make sure all your questions are different so you get a lot of duplicates - though the options to choose from are different so (Tip 4) if you get the same question come up a lot flick through your answers at the end to see if there is one answer common to all of them - that's probably the one to go for!
The other two incorrect answers were, well, just questions I got wrong. One of them was a bit of a trick question, of which there are quite a few...(Tip 5) - make sure you read all the questions and answers thoroughly; there are quite a few "can"s where you expect "cant"s and "with"s where you expect "without"s littered around. A little unfair, I feel, as it's supposed to be a road awareness test - not a reading comprehension one.
After doing the eye and break test, I was separated off from the Thai conglomerate and told to go downstairs with my paperwork. I did so and was told that I had to watch 4 hours of videos, but first I had to sit and wait. I did as told and, after about 45 minutes of waiting I heard one of the girls asking another what I was waiting for, and another saying that she didn't know. After a bit of deliberation between the staff they finally realised that I was waiting to watch the videos. I had assumed I was waiting for others to join me, or something. So (Tip 1) if you're seated for more than a few minutes then ask what's going on.
Once they'd figured out what I was waiting for, I was taken to a computer in the corner which had a folder full of video files. I was told I had to "buup and buup and buup", with a few hand gestures indicating mouse clicks. So I started watching the videos which did have English subtitles. Why they just couldn't install a second TV in the main room with English subtitles I don't know, but luckily for me the video player was VLC which has the convenient feature of (Tip 2) being able to speed up and slow down the video by pressing the plus and minus keys. I generally had most videos running at 1.5 and sped up to 2, 4 and 8 speed when the videos were repeating things over again (which happened a lot, especially in one of the videos).
The first video was a video concerning road regulations, vehicle classifications, licence types, loading restrictions, fines and penalties etc and lasted about 2 hours. The subtitling on this video was pretty good.
The second video was a 'polite driving' video that focused mostly on parking and overtaking. It was one of these juvenile videos with ridiculous Thai ove-racting and I would assume dumb sound effects (there was no sound so I couldn't tell; but I'd place money on it!) The subtitles on this video were full of Tinglish and, as can be the case with that particular language) sometimes didn't make sense at all. The content of the video had mostly, if not totally, been covered in the previous video and I had this on x8 speed for the most part.
The third video was showed some very graphic accidents. All credit to the Thai authorities here; they didn't mess about. It was like a highly intense version of "Police, camera, action" in the UK but instead of only showing accidents where those involved survived ('miraculously the driver and passengers all got away with minor injuries but it could have been so much worse...' etc), these were accidents where people lost lives (well, not may people can survive being lifted off their bike at speed by the front of a truck and driven straight into a lamp-post...) and they just might make the people watching think about what happens. I severely hope that there were no comedy effects accompanying the soundtrack of this particular video.
There was then an adequately subtitled video showing what the various road signs meant.
The last video focused on drink driving and drowsy driving, featuring stories of people who had caused or been the victims of accidents. I particularly felt sorry for one woman who's husband's drowsy driving caused them to have an accident, and 6 months later he then left her because he didn't want to be left with a woman in a wheelchair. Nice guy...
After the video it was time for the test. I was extremely lucky in that I finished the videos just before the big group came out of their classroom so was able to get straight onto a machine. I failed the first test pretty badly (see the end of this post for more details there) and, unlike what has previously reported here, I was not allowed to take a second test. I was told to come back the next day where I could have up to two more attempts. After taking the test you are, fortunately, given a summary of what you got wrong and what the correct answer should have been.
Came back the next day (today) and took the test. Failed by one point on the first time (irritatingly one of the questions I got wrong I had changed, from the correct answer to the incorrect one, while reviewing my answers). Before taking the test the second time (which, thankfully, I passed), I had a go at the test machine - (Tip 3) Some of the 'correct' answers required on the test machine are NOT the same as they are in the main machine. For example, a 30 in a blue circle - on the main machine the answer they are looking for [I think incorrectly?] is that it means a minimum speed of 30Kph. On the test machine selecting that answer gave you a FALSE and tells you that it is the maximum speed. I seem to remember another one that was different, but can't remember what it was now.
After passing the theory test, I was directed outside to do the riding test. There was a big tree which really should have been pruned back as it obstructed the beginning of the cone section of test. Having focused on this rather than the arrow markings on the road, I realized I was actually going the wrong way around each cone. Luckily the instructor wasn't watching at that point so I passed. I don't know if I'd have had a second chance at that, but I presume I probably would have.
After that I was given my documents told to go inside where I waited briefly for my photo to be taken and licence to be issued. The whole process on the second day took just over 2 hours.
Regarding my first test, I got 12 wrong, when you're only allowed 5 wrong:
5 of my 'incorrect' answers were due to the parking picture questions being incorrectly calibrated. On every one of those it said I had picked a picture which I *definately* hadn't. Like a car parked right on the entrance to a junction, a couple of double parked vehicles, and one parked before a train crossing! I mentioned this to the examiner (in the hope that I'd get a retry on the same day) but he just shrugged. It wouldn't have made enough difference to change between a pass or not so I didn't pursue it but I was nervous it would happen again the next day (it didn't)
5 of my incorrect answers were the same question - the machine doesn't seem smart enough to make sure all your questions are different so you get a lot of duplicates - though the options to choose from are different so (Tip 4) if you get the same question come up a lot flick through your answers at the end to see if there is one answer common to all of them - that's probably the one to go for!
The other two incorrect answers were, well, just questions I got wrong. One of them was a bit of a trick question, of which there are quite a few...(Tip 5) - make sure you read all the questions and answers thoroughly; there are quite a few "can"s where you expect "cant"s and "with"s where you expect "without"s littered around. A little unfair, I feel, as it's supposed to be a road awareness test - not a reading comprehension one.
Re: Taking the Thai motorcycle test
According to the Department of Land Transport web site a number in a blue circle is minimum speed - same as in UK. Seems like the real test machine has some different correct answers than the test test machine. The test questions are available for practice here in English and in Thai. Some of them do have different answers in Thai than in English (including the minimum speed limit one that Pleng found). Probably down to bad translation skills than trying to fool the farang.Pleng wrote:... Before taking the test the second time (which, thankfully, I passed), I had a go at the test machine - (Tip 3) Some of the 'correct' answers required on the test machine are NOT the same as they are in the main machine. For example, a 30 in a blue circle - on the main machine the answer they are looking for [I think incorrectly?] is that it means a minimum speed of 30Kph. On the test machine selecting that answer gave you a FALSE and tells you that it is the maximum speed...
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Ginjaninja
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Re: Taking the Thai motorcycle test
Thanks for the information Pleng. I intend to do my motorcycle test sometime this year.
F.Y.I: for those of you riding a motorcycle in Thailand without a motorcycle licence will not be fully covered by insurance!!
GN.
F.Y.I: for those of you riding a motorcycle in Thailand without a motorcycle licence will not be fully covered by insurance!!
GN.
Re: Taking the Thai motorcycle test
Oh yes I totally agree with you; I don't think there was anything sinister going on - just a bit of mistranslation. There was one question on the real test that had a very unclear picture, a question saying simply "Which is true?" and the possible answers were something like "Slow down", "Not have", "Car A" and "Car B" - I miraculously got that one right (it was Car A!)hhinner wrote: Probably down to bad translation skills than trying to fool the farang.
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dragonseeker
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Re: Taking the Thai motorcycle test
Got paperwork yesterday and licences today this update for those with existing foreign car/motorcycle licence.
Doctors Certificate:
To Sumet clinic (On main road opposite 711 near end of Soi 80) at 11:00 gave passport and went into queue with queue number 29. 70 minutes later saw doctor who shone a light into my eyes and put a stethoscope to each lung for two seconds. Signed letter which I took to reception and paid 100 baht.
Letter of Residence:
Went to immigration with photos, business card of my guest house and passport. Filled in a form and took copies of 90 day reporting piece in passport, original visa, current visa and photo page. Took these to first office at 14:30 and was told it would take an hour. 70 Minutes later was called in and asked for passport. Ten minutes later paid my 500 Baht and got the letter.
Cha-Am Transport Centre.
Next day rode from Hua Hin through Cha-Am, past Santorini the took first U turn and then first turn on left. Transport office is purple building on left a couple of hundred metres from the highway. Arrived at 08:40 and there was about twenty people in front of me. A helpful lady at a desk marked “information” took my passport, residence letter and doctor's letter. Got multiple copies of passport, visa, Australian Driving permit copied at 5 baht a piece at another desk in the lobby. Was directed to counter number two at 09:00. At 09:20 was called to counter and directed upstairs.
Upstairs after a short wait performed a colour test. Looked at an illustration with one eye covered whilst the instructor pointed at different colours and I called out the colour. Repeated for other eye.
Next was reaction test. Sat on plastic chair with an accelerator pedal and brake pedal on the floor in front of me. Pressed the accelerator pedal and watched for the red light to come on before pressing brake pedal. Indicator on display shows your reaction time. Passed.
Confusing test which I think was depth perception followed. Grasped two strings like horse reins. Had to move the left “rein” to shift a rod until it moved level with another rod. Have no idea how good I was with this but got a tick so must have been satisfactory.
Collected papers from male instructor (“how old are you?” “63” “very handsome”!!).and was sent back downstairs at 09:40 was sent downstairs to counter two again.
Waited until about 10:00 and was called to counter, paid 370 baht for Car licence and Motorcycle licence and directed to photo room.
Waited in a queue with four others for photo to be taken then returned to lobby for five minutes before collecting both 12 month provisional licences and exiting about 10:20.
Doctors Certificate:
To Sumet clinic (On main road opposite 711 near end of Soi 80) at 11:00 gave passport and went into queue with queue number 29. 70 minutes later saw doctor who shone a light into my eyes and put a stethoscope to each lung for two seconds. Signed letter which I took to reception and paid 100 baht.
Letter of Residence:
Went to immigration with photos, business card of my guest house and passport. Filled in a form and took copies of 90 day reporting piece in passport, original visa, current visa and photo page. Took these to first office at 14:30 and was told it would take an hour. 70 Minutes later was called in and asked for passport. Ten minutes later paid my 500 Baht and got the letter.
Cha-Am Transport Centre.
Next day rode from Hua Hin through Cha-Am, past Santorini the took first U turn and then first turn on left. Transport office is purple building on left a couple of hundred metres from the highway. Arrived at 08:40 and there was about twenty people in front of me. A helpful lady at a desk marked “information” took my passport, residence letter and doctor's letter. Got multiple copies of passport, visa, Australian Driving permit copied at 5 baht a piece at another desk in the lobby. Was directed to counter number two at 09:00. At 09:20 was called to counter and directed upstairs.
Upstairs after a short wait performed a colour test. Looked at an illustration with one eye covered whilst the instructor pointed at different colours and I called out the colour. Repeated for other eye.
Next was reaction test. Sat on plastic chair with an accelerator pedal and brake pedal on the floor in front of me. Pressed the accelerator pedal and watched for the red light to come on before pressing brake pedal. Indicator on display shows your reaction time. Passed.
Confusing test which I think was depth perception followed. Grasped two strings like horse reins. Had to move the left “rein” to shift a rod until it moved level with another rod. Have no idea how good I was with this but got a tick so must have been satisfactory.
Collected papers from male instructor (“how old are you?” “63” “very handsome”!!).and was sent back downstairs at 09:40 was sent downstairs to counter two again.
Waited until about 10:00 and was called to counter, paid 370 baht for Car licence and Motorcycle licence and directed to photo room.
Waited in a queue with four others for photo to be taken then returned to lobby for five minutes before collecting both 12 month provisional licences and exiting about 10:20.