Driving License (Bike) without Visa?

[aldriglikvid]

Hi, 

 

Looking to do to the Bike Test + Exam to finally grab me a license. However, I'm on my last 30 days and I'm currently on a traditional visa exempt (not any other visa). 

1) Will I be able to get a residence certificate from Immigration

2) Will I be able to take the license 

 

Thanks ????

[richard_smith237]

Yes, you can get a 2 Year Temporary licence with a Visa Exempt stamp (or at least I did years ago, I assume this hasn't changed).

 

You will not be able to get a Proof of Residence document from Immigration (you can only get this if you have submitted a 90 day report).

 

You can get an Affirmation of Residence letter from your Embassy (you will need to show a bill, rent contract etc, something which shows your residence).

 

You will need a Medical Certificate (from a local clinic - tell them its for a driving licence).

 

The next steps depend on whether or not you have an existing licence and if its in English language or not (if not, it needs an accompanying IDP).

 

You will either transfer your existing home country driving licence to a Thai License (keeping your home licence). You will need to do a handful of tests - Colour blindness / Reaction test / Proximity test, then watch a 45min video. 

 

If you do not hold an existing licence (i.e. first time to hold a licence in any country, or it has expired) you will also need to do a written and practical test. 

 

You may need to book in advance for the appointment to apply for the licence and carry out the tests etc (this may differ from DLT area to area).

 

Also note: Some home country licences (i.e. UK Driving Licence) carry the motorcycle category (i.e. A1 upto 125cc - I think)...  if so, you may be able to transfer this into a Thai Motorcycle licence (I did without having to do the full written and practical test).

[Lookard]

Stay off coffin on wheels. 

[Vacuum]

9 hours ago, aldriglikvid said:

Will I be able to take the license 

It's not unheard of to get it without a visa, but you should call your local DLT and ask for the rules in your area.

[moose7117]

2 hours ago, Lookard said:

Stay off coffin on wheels. 

Yes i agree !

wrap yourself in bubblewrap, put on clean underwear, sit all day at your computer and post useless drivel and complain as your life goes by !

[giddyup]

12 minutes ago, moose7117 said:

Yes i agree !

wrap yourself in bubblewrap, put on clean underwear, sit all day at your computer and post useless drivel and complain as your life goes by !

Or you could dice with death or serious injury every time you ride.

[richard_smith237]

45 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Or you could dice with death or serious injury every time you ride.

Or walk down the pavement in the rain (past electric cables)... or take trip on the expressway... or... or...  

 

Riding a motorcycle anywhere definitely adds an elevated level or risk to your wellbeing, riding Thailand further elevates this risk - but its not quite the 'roll of the dice' which implies a 1 in 6 chance (when using roll of the dice).. Riding is safer than that, even in Thailand, especially for those who ride with extreme caution. 

 

 

[giddyup]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

  Riding is safer than that, even in Thailand, especially for those who ride with extreme caution.

 

Statistics disagree. Thailand is, if not the most dangerous place in the world, is certainly in the top three for riding a motorbike, extreme caution or not. If everyone drove/rode with extreme caution it would be different, but it's not.

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Statistics disagree. Thailand is, if not the most dangerous place in the world, is certainly in the top three for riding a motorbike, extreme caution or not. If everyone drove/rode with extreme caution it would be different, but it's not.

 

74% of deaths on the roads are motorcyclists - The road death and accident stats for Thailand are damning... You are correct there

But we have to look a little deeper into the make up of that statistic to provide a more balanced outlook.

 

How many of those road deaths / serious injuries are those who didn't wear helmets ? (there is no available stat, but I'd hazard a guess and suggest its greater than 70%)

 

How many of those road deaths / serious injuries are those who rode without care and took chances? (there is no available stat, but I'd hazard a guess and suggest again that its greater than 70%)

 

How many of those road deaths / serious injuries occurred at night (drunk riders)? (there is no available stat, but I'd hazard a guess and suggest again that its greater than 70%)

 

How many of those road deaths / serious injuries were of those in the 16-30 age bracket  (there is no available stat, but I'd hazard a guess and suggest again that its greater than 50%)

 

 

We can greatly reduce the risk by wearing protective gear, riding with care, not riding at night and not being a kid (racer)... The risks are still elevated, but not to the point that it makes riding a guarantee that we will die on Thailands roads. 

 

As another poster wrote, you can wrap yourself up in cotton wool and never leave your place, or you can evaluate the risk. Which you do if you've ever had to cross a busy road in Thailand.

 

Biking is dangerous, there is no escaping that - but as I wrote, its not quite 'dicing with death' as you outlined otherwise of the 30-40 or so Westerners I know over the past 20 years who've been riding motorcycles more of them would have been hurt. Only one I know has had an accident (which happened in Bangkok). 

 

I know of a couple of Thai lads who've died. One rode into the back of an unlit parked Truck at night (he was drunk). Another out on a 'boys trip' cornered too quickly on his Ducati hit the alcove, broke his neck. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tagged]

18 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Statistics disagree. Thailand is, if not the most dangerous place in the world, is certainly in the top three for riding a motorbike, extreme caution or not. If everyone drove/rode with extreme caution it would be different, but it's not.

Have you seen locals drive bikes? 

[Vacuum]

23 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Or walk down the pavement in the rain (past electric cables)... or take trip on the expressway... or... or...  

...get out of bed in the morning.

[moose7117]

there are over 20 million motorcycles registered in Thailand.

over 37 million vehicles in total.

with a population of @ 70 million that equates to about i bike per 3.something people.

and that is registered motorcycles.

the number of registered motorcycles in australia is just over 1 million with a population of over 20 million.

8.4 million bikes in the US, dunno how many people.

with that many bikes in such a small country ridden by every type of person from all age groups in all weather on a daily basis you will get a lot of deaths.

but in Australia or USA things are different, you have to be a certain age, if its raining we drive our cars. we probably don't text and ride, we are trained to ride properly and the scooter/motorbike is not daily essential family transport for the vast majority of users.

you can twist statistics to tell any story you want, go ride in Vietnam or India pound for pound i think they are a lot worse and much more dangerous than Thailand. 

i actually do ride a bike here and so do a lot of my friends.

there is the odd idiot on the roads but the roads are so much busier i don't find the percentage of idiots here any higher than anywhere else.

check the figures on the number of Deaths per annum in Thailand as against the number of vehicles.

Thailand is way down the list.

 

 

[giddyup]

2 hours ago, Vacuum said:

...get out of bed in the morning.

I'll take my chances on getting out of bed over riding a motorbike in Thailand any day.

[richard_smith237]

10 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I'll take my chances on getting out of bed over riding a motorbike in Thailand any day.

 

Yawn... this is getting borish...  Yes bikes are dangerous.. so are lots of things... no one disagrees. 

 

Its like someone asking for Visa advice and someone else pipes up, completely off topic and suggests 'don't come to Thailand its more dangerous than your home country'... 

 

I'm sure the Op is intelligent enough to evaluate the risks himself... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[giddyup]

1 hour ago, moose7117 said:

 

you can twist statistics to tell any story you want, go ride in Vietnam or India pound for pound i think they are a lot worse and much more dangerous than Thailand. 

i actually do ride a bike here and so do a lot of my friends.

there is the odd idiot on the roads but the roads are so much busier i don't find the percentage of idiots here any higher than anywhere else.

check the figures on the number of Deaths per annum in Thailand as against the number of vehicles.

Thailand is way down the list.

 

 

The "odd idiot on the road"? What is causing all these deaths then? Must be brake failure obviously. Hey, I don't really care if someone chooses to ride a bike here, their life and limbs to with as they will. Hopefully they will carry enough insurance to cover them in the event of an accident, not just be another Gofundme beggar.

[giddyup]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Yawn... this is getting borish...  Yes bikes are dangerous.. so are lots of things... no one disagrees. 

 

Its like someone asking for Visa advice and someone else pipes up, completely off topic and suggests 'don't come to Thailand its more dangerous than your home country'... 

 

I'm sure the Op is intelligent enough to evaluate the risks himself...

 

Making statements like "so is getting out of bed" is ridiculous, as though that can be equated with riding a bike here. As I just said, ride a bike, take your chances, up to you.

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, giddyup said:

The "odd idiot on the road"? What is causing all these deaths then? Must be brake failure obviously. Hey, I don't really care if someone chooses to ride a bike here, their life and limbs to with as they will. Hopefully they will carry enough insurance to cover them in the event of an accident, not just be another Gofundme beggar.

[I don't really care if someone chooses to ride a bike here]

 

Then, pray tell, why do you feel compelled to preach-off topic about how dangerous riding a bike is and take over a thread about obtaining a licence?

[richard_smith237]

Just now, giddyup said:

Making statements like "so is getting out of bed" is ridiculous, as though that can be equated with riding a bike here. As I just said, ride a bike, take your chances, up to you.

 

Yes... thank you... why are you preaching then?

[giddyup]

Just now, richard_smith237 said:

[I don't really care if someone chooses to ride a bike here]

 

Then, pray tell, why do you feel compelled to preach-off topic about how dangerous riding a bike is and take over a thread about obtaining a licence?

Because people keep defending it as though it's the safest thing in the world, and the risk of death or injury is greatly exaggerated. I guess it's a kind of whistling through the graveyard.

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Yes... thank you... why are you preaching then?

Having an opinion is preaching? I could say the same for you presenting your rather biased point of view.

[Traubert]

3 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Having an opinion is preaching? I could say the same for you presenting your rather biased point of view.

Nobody asked your opinion. They asked how to get a driving licence.

 

Have you anything to offer on that, apart from 'don't?'

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Because people keep defending it as though it's the safest thing in the world, and the risk of death or injury is greatly exaggerated. I guess it's a kind of whistling through the graveyard.

Exaggerate much???

 

We'd have to bring in to question your reading comprehension if thats what you understood from the many posts on this subject.... 

 

You are in the wrong thread... You seem to feel very strongly about this, such that you wish to completely change the character of a thread intended by the Op for information on something else... 

 

Your opinions would be welcomed on this 'On topic' thread - which you have not yet contributed to... 

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1097272-is-it-safe-to-ride-a-bike-in-thailand/page/3/#comments

 

 

[cyril sneer]

16 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

If you do not hold an existing licence (i.e. first time to hold a licence in any country, or it has expired) you will also need to do a written and practical test. 

what is the written test?

 

i thought it was a multiple choice test done on a computer

[AlexCanada]

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

74% of deaths on the roads are motorcyclists - The road death and accident stats for Thailand are damning... You are correct there

Anyone have any idea how many actual motorbike deaths or serious injuries (ie. broken leg or worse or a head injury) there are in Pattaya annually?  

 

What is safer?  To ride a motobike down Soi Buakhao or to walk along Soi Buakhao?

[richard_smith237]

57 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

If you do not hold an existing licence (i.e. first time to hold a licence in any country, or it has expired) you will also need to do a written and practical test. 

what is the written test?

 

i thought it was a multiple choice test done on a computer

 

I've never had to do it... But I was referring to the Multiple Choice test...  (which I'd always assumed was by hand - perhaps mistakenly so). 

[aldriglikvid]

Thanks for all the feedback. Sorry to cause all the uproar...

I'll buy a light motorbike (125cc click) and my main purpose is to drive locally. I doubt I'll hit the main streets very often. Hopefully that will reduce a future accident from 'death' to just 'injury'. ????

 

I've managed myself quite well without a Bike but I gotta be honest and say I've missed out on a few outings as well. 

Anyways: From what I've heard the bike test is made up of 1) Riding between cones 2) On a straight line 3) Speed and up and hard break. 

 

Even tough I don't have many hours on a Bike I think I would manage that. 

 

Any info/documents/websites on what to expect on the theory exam? ???? Do you think I will pass with my "driving license experience"? 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, aldriglikvid said:

Any info/documents/websites on what to expect on the theory exam? ???? Do you think I will pass with my "driving license experience"? 

 

If you mean 'Thai Driving Licence Experience'....  if I am not mistaken (I have not taken the tests myself) with the exception of the Motorcycle Practical (cones etc) the Multiple Choice test and other parts of the process remain the same as for the Driving Licence. 

[moose7117]

12 hours ago, aldriglikvid said:

Thanks for all the feedback. Sorry to cause all the uproar...

I'll buy a light motorbike (125cc click) and my main purpose is to drive locally. I doubt I'll hit the main streets very often. Hopefully that will reduce a future accident from 'death' to just 'injury'. ????

 

I've managed myself quite well without a Bike but I gotta be honest and say I've missed out on a few outings as well. 

Anyways: From what I've heard the bike test is made up of 1) Riding between cones 2) On a straight line 3) Speed and up and hard break. 

 

Even tough I don't have many hours on a Bike I think I would manage that. 

 

Any info/documents/websites on what to expect on the theory exam? ???? Do you think I will pass with my "driving license experience"? 

 

 

the last time i got a licence @ 18 months ago as previous had expired, the lass at the local registry looked at my Aussie licence and said "no test" , i had to watch a video, in Thai, and sit a colourblind test. done deal, hand over the cash and i was outta there.

however i do live in a smallish town.

in Pattaya or Bangkok you might face the usual drama of needing more paperwork.

i also took my yellow book but you can get a letter from immigration confirming your address, even if it is a hotel, and that will suffice and take a copy of your passport.

last time was on a tourist visa as marriage had expired.

 

good luck and just remember to smile.

[aldriglikvid]

Thanks Guys! 

What I meant with previous experience is that: do you think my history of 10 years with a traditional driving license (car, home country) is sufficient to make me pass the theory exam, or that I should hit the books. 

 

I'll try one time without any studying and see how it goes. 

[moose7117]

13 hours ago, aldriglikvid said:

Thanks Guys! 

What I meant with previous experience is that: do you think my history of 10 years with a traditional driving license (car, home country) is sufficient to make me pass the theory exam, or that I should hit the books. 

 

I'll try one time without any studying and see how it goes. 

Sorry i didn't make it clearer.

You should not have to do a theory or practical exam if you can show a valid licence from your home country.

 

just watch the video, basic colour and reaction test and that's it.