Acquiring a Thai Private Car Driving Licence.

I wanted a Thai driving licence, less for driving, more to prove I am a Thai local whilst travelling. 

For those of you outside Thailand, this might sound like a lot of effort for ostensibly a Thai ID card, but three things:

• According to the Third Global Status Report on Road Safety, Thailand has the second-highest road traffic fatality rate in the world. Vulnerable road users including motorcyclists, pedestrians and bicyclists comprise 83% of the fatality. I would probably only want to island drive or in an emergency.
• Thailand’s dual pricing policy is at best annoying – with a Thai Driving licence we have had some success at proving we are local residents – at worse called price discrimination, we are local residents and pay Thai tax. Nuff said!
• Bangkok’s traffic jams are legendary and public transport is quick efficient and easy.

However it is not that simple, you definitely need to want a Thai Driving licence, unless you have got the right husband, haha. Read on and enjoy 🙂

I wouldn’t say I married badly, but the American lady at the Thai driving test centre did better. With a military husband, everything was organised for her by the US Embassy. She was ordering her first latte of the day by 9.20 am with a shiny new licence. Little old Moi meanwhile was schlepping the streets in search of new footwear having failed to be properly attired.

They don’t make it easy to get a Thai driving licence. It took weeks of my own military-style manoeuvres to arrive with:

• Proof of Residency certificate: obtained by submitting our rental agreement to the Department of Immigration. This took about 2 weeks.

• Five Diseases certificate: THB 650 from Bumrungrad Hospital. ( I still have no clue what these are)

• Current Driver Licence

• Passport with visa and photocopies

You might not have to prove you can actually drive a car to pass this test but a double degree in Logistics and International Relations helps!

With no appointments available within 4 months, I took my chances for one of the 50 walk-in testing slots available daily from 8 am.

I arrived at 7.20 am to find a shaded waiting area with social distancing stickers. At 7.50 am three ladies with boxes of paper arrived; 8 am a man with a megaphone gives out instructions and waves us forward.

I was chuffed to be given Foreigner Number 2 ticket, to any Brit, this is a real bingo moment. However, in the lift scrum to the second floor, my number 2 card was swapped for a number 6 card!

After another check of the already checked paperwork on the third floor, I failed the closed shoe test. Honestly! People normally fail on speeding or not indicating properly …

The lady on the door smiles sympathetically and tells me there is a market close by but sod that for a hot game of soldiers.

Our car is wedged in the parking lot so tightly that I’m tempted to just take the smart black work shoes off our driver but instead yell  ‘Does anyone know how to park around here?’

No need to answer! Eventually, I return with new Big C shoes and am given my fourth queue number 278. It’s 10.20 am.

There is no social distancing, we’re squashed together. I did have a wry smile, noting we may be free of 5 diseases, but I’m hoping that there is nothing more sinister lurking amongst my fellow wannabe Thai drivers. 

I watch a 20-minute video, in Thai and then in English about the upcoming four driving tests:

• Colour Blind: naming colours seen on screen – Red, Green or Yellow. Don’t get cocky and yell out amber!

• Computer Dexterity: moving one line to be parallel to a fixed-line on a computer screen – no idea what that was about!

• Brake Reflex: You hit the brake when a green light turns red, within designated good reaction time.

• Peripheral Vision: Someone stands behind you waving circles of traffic colours for you to identify the correct colour.

I passed! Next a safety video with blurry English subtitles.

Eventually, I end up back in the room where I started. I have my photos taken, pay THB 205 and receive my licence exactly five hours after arrival. 

Lesson: To obtain a Thai driving licence you need patience, stamina and a good pair of shoes!

Receiving my licence felt quite emotional, it was another step in my deepening connection with Thailand and it felt good.

If you enjoyed this you might like:

• Driving in Bangkok 8 things to consider
• Learning to Drive in Victoria, Australia 

This article was originally posted in The Big Chilli Magazine Bangkok November 2020 edition Page 10-11

Linking with thanks to Angie at Mosaic Monday