Confirmed: "Big Bike" riders will need special training from next year

[Khun Paul]

So if caught without the requisite training, bike seized and crushed or a 500 baht fine . 

[Scot123]

This is unbelievable but typical Thai logic and then lie with figures. I've been riding motorbikes for over 40 years and rode 7 years in Thailand "what an adrenaline rush" you literally take your life in your hands. It is not the bikes causing accidents it is mostly pickups, trucks, buses and cars pulling out and killing bikers on thai roads. You have younger than 12 riding motorbikes on the roads, carrying 3, 4, 5 or more not wearing helmets. I've seen 8 year olds riding 125cc motorbikes.... but, head in sand and blame big bikes who are a minuscule percentage of deaths. Sort out the police first and inforce the rules you already have before making up new ones.

[Thaifly88]

7 hours ago, Seismic said:

What about the many big bike riders who have been riding them for years, or even decades?. Again, an ill-thought out idea, with many questions still left unanswered. Another knee-jerk reaction to a problem that does not actually exist, from people with no expertise in the area.

As the article says, 70% of Thailand’s huge road death toll is from motorcycles. Additional requirements and testing is one way the authorities can address the issue. They could also enforce the wearing of better safety gear including full face helmets and protective clothing.

[bougnat]

Why licence, I ware my amulet, it's enough.....

[Tarteso]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

motorcycle riders on high powered machines must undergo special training and answer more questions to obtain a licence. 

What you will do with the lower powered machines? They are the real killers on the road.

[BKKBike09]

1 hour ago, SS1 said:

 

Assuming the light changes green, what's wrong with that? The bigger problem is those cutting corners in the intersection, running red lights etc - which are mostly little 110cc motorbikes.  But yeah, cops sit in their box and don't give a s**t. 

On average big bike riders ride much better than the small motorbikes. Of course there are exceptions too. 

 

"Assuming the light changes green, what's wrong with that?" - since the reaction of most road users here is to speed up, not slow down, when approaching a junction where the lights are counting down 3...2...1... and they know that red will be either "275" or, even worse, the dreaded "- - -" no time showing, so could be 5 minutes, dumping the clutch and burning rubber to be first off a green light is asking to be side-swiped. I always let some little guys on their Scoopys go first for that reason.

 

"On average big bike riders ride much better than the small motorbikes" - not really. It's just that it's harder to be an annoying <deleted> in Bangkok traffic on a big bike because many gaps are too tight. 

 

 

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

You really have to wonder at what level of thinking the country is doing when it comes to calling a 400CC and over a big bike.

You know how Thailand thinks... more zeros more result.

[solent01]

Just use an International Licence, I'm from England, we have had CBT and restrictions in place for years, I've been riding and driving in Thailand for 16 years with an International, never had a problem (and riden high power bikes since I was tall enough to touch the ground when stationary) it's really just a translation of your native licence.  I don't ever intend getting a Thai licence.......

[jesimps]

I should imagine that there are a very small number of big bike accidents here compared to small bikes. The accidents aren't caused by the bikes but by the brain-dead riders. Talking of brain-dead, the authorities here will do anything rather than ask for advice from countries with low accident rates how to reduce road deaths here. This is just another hairbrained scheme that's going to have zero effect on road safety, but is going to pee a lot of people about.

Edited October 28, 2020 by jesimps

[Traubert]

Pride comes before a fall, gentlemen.

 

Or otherwise.

[MarkT63]

My Honda Rebel 300 is proving again to be the great purchase I knew it was!!!

Edited October 28, 2020 by MarkT63
Gramatical error

[fordguy61mi]

7 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

i am sitting in my love nest right now on Sukhumvit right next to Asok BTS.

 

When the light changes bikes like Kawasaki 1000 cc take off as fast as possible.

 

I mean they are really haulin' ***.

 

not a cop in sight. 

 

and that is why this BS will never change.

 

 

 

Wow, 5 minute walk to Soi Cowboy. Nice!

[dlclark97]

Almost every morning I sit outside with my coffee on the bar street in Ban Chang.  Watching the big trucks speeding by, passing within an intersection, driving on the wrong side of the road and so much more.  Then there are the motorbikes.  Not big 400 cc bikes but most likely 125 cc and less.  Very young boys likely underaged, unlicensed and uninsured popping wheelies as they go speeding down the road.  And, let's not forget the modified exhaust systems that prevent anyone nearby from having a normal conversation.  Some law enforcement just to keep people from killing themselves is drastically needed along this road but never a policeman in sight.

[2 is 1]

Hmmm.... what about my V8?

 

[mikosan]

What about those of us farangs that have been riding big bikes for years and passed the required tests, in our country of origin, before we came to Thailand and have the licence to prove it.  Any ideas where we stand?

[DrTuner]

1 minute ago, mikosan said:

What about those of us farangs that have been riding big bikes for years and passed the required tests, in our country of origin, before we came to Thailand and have the licence to prove it.  Any ideas where we stand?

The usual was that you can get a Thai license if your native license is in English or you have the international driving permit (which is just a translation of your license). Remains to be seen if Thais do it with logic or somchai it up.

[MarkT63]

8 minutes ago, mikosan said:

What about those of us farangs that have been riding big bikes for years and passed the required tests, in our country of origin, before we came to Thailand and have the licence to prove it.  Any ideas where we stand?

Hi Mikosan

 

Technically, if you have been in Thailand for more than 60 days you are supposed to get a Thai driving licence and not rely on an International Licence.

 

I am sure this rule is not enforced but not 100% sure how it would effect your insurance.

 

Don't really understand the reluctance of people to get a Thai driving licence. The test was easy and I had such a laugh at the test centre for the half day I was there watching how the Thais do on the theory and the practical!!

Edited October 28, 2020 by MarkT63
Gramatical error

[xtrnuno41]

Damn, said the senior police officer, what can i do as report?

No not the trucks without lights or wrecks

No not the Thai without helmets and with more then 2 people on it and breaking all the rules.

No not the roads which can be in horrible shape, lacking stripes, lighting, reflectors.

Aaah yeah, big motorbikes, farang and some rich Thai, thats a good idea.

Hurray, i came up with something and now im famous.

[jwbrit]

After a couple of cross country driving trips, I'd also suggest training for anyone in a moving vehicle with focus on these 3 areas:

1. Driving on the correct side of the road.

2. The meaning of yellow and white lines.

3. Stopping distances.

 

[SupermarineS6B]

Have a look on the RTA stats and see how many are killed on crotch rockets, 125s ...... What will they do next, ban all motorbikes ?    Oh yes, that's possible i forgot, if you can ban tourism and fun and lock the country up into poverty then what's the problem with a few motorbikes ?    The problem lies in training and testing...... but as we all know, if you've paid your money you have to pass....... Isn't that what Chula does ?  

[mattpatt]

When I lived and worked in Japan at the end of the 90's, I was given an up to 400cc license, based on my full motorcycle UK license. Didn't stress me in the slightest even though my previous bike had been a GSXR1100. If I wanted to ride a so called big bike then I would have needed to take a test. Never bothered.

Having ridden and raced everything from 50cc scooters up to full blown Superbikes, I have to say that for 99.9% of the time spent riding the streets of Thailand, nothing more than a 400cc is necessary. I say 400cc based on the Ninja 400, which is a very capable motorcycle and has enough power to get you out of trouble when necessary......but also has enough to get you into trouble too of course!

Any of the current 1000cc Superbikes are a handful, and anyone that says different has either never opened the throttle more than 10%, or is not telling the whole truth (or you're Marc Marquez!). Blindingly fast and in my opinion, totally unnecessary for regular street riding.

The key word here is "training". But that shouldn't start at big bikes. It should start at your first bike, no matter what capacity. The basics of riding safely cover all capacities. If you can ride your Honda Dream safely and with full awareness of your surroundings, and of course you're ready with PLAN A, B and C in the event of a "situation", then this can be put to good use no matter what the size of bike. The trouble is that on a Superbike, these situations happen A LOT faster, and can end incredibly painfully!

Getting to my point. Training for all I say. Irrespective of what bike you're riding. If you don't pass the test, you don't get the license. But not entirely sure that it'll happen quite like that ????

 

 

 

 

[apetryxx]

Will these guys ever learn? Are there crazy big bike guys, yes, but there are hundreds of thousands more “little” bike fools everywhere on Thai roads driving like maniacs with no helmets. Are the laws enforced? Everyone reading this knows the answer to that and until  traffic laws are enforced across the board edicts like this are useless.

[ICELANDMAN]

22 minutes ago, jwbrit said:

After a couple of cross country driving trips, I'd also suggest training for anyone in a moving vehicle with focus on these 3 areas:

1. Driving on the correct side of the road.

2. The meaning of yellow and white lines.

3. Stopping distances.

 

Only 3 ? I guess you haven't traveled extensively in Thailand because the list would go up to at least 50

 

[KhaoYai]

8 hours ago, Seismic said:

What about the many big bike riders who have been riding them for years, or even decades?. Again, an ill-thought out idea, with many questions still left unanswered. Another knee-jerk reaction to a problem that does not actually exist, from people with no expertise in the area.

I haven't seen anything that says those simply renewing a licence will have to take part in any 'special training'. I would expect these changes to be applied for new applicants but if they are applied universally, personally, if I had to have any additional training, I would consider it a nuisance but its not really a big problem.

 

What would make sense, now that they've realised that a Scoopy and an R1 are a little different to each other - is big bikes being allowed on tollways and motorways.

Edited October 28, 2020 by KhaoYai

[sencelebi]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Confirmed: "Big Bike" riders will need special training from next year

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

A senior policeman tasked with looking into changes to Thailand's traffic laws has revealed that motorcycle riders on high powered machines must undergo special training and answer more questions to obtain a licence. 

 

The new regulations apply to riders of 400cc machines and up.

 

Pol Maj-Gen Ekkarak Limsangkat, deputy of Region 6, said that the changes were announced in the government gazette and would come into force on 19th February 2021, 120 days after the announcement last Thursday. 

 

The Thai Rath story suggested that riders would need to provide evidence of having been through the required training before a licence could be issued. They would also have to answer additional questions on a test.

 

Exactly what this would mean has yet to be revealed. 

 

The government gazette announcement is part of changes to update and modernize.laws promulgated in 1979.

 

Thailand had seen a great rise in the use of high powered motorcycles in recent years, notes Thailvisa, with many bike companies producing machines in the kingdom.

 

A previously more niche market has thus become far more widespread. 

 

Furthermore Thai press reports of "big bike" accidents" now seem to have forced the hand of the authorities in taking action to address the issue, though the actual extent of accidents involving those on high power machines is largely anecdotal.

 

Thailand is one of the biggest markets in the world for motorcycles of all descriptions. 

 

About 70% of Thailand's estimated 20,000 plus death toll on the roads is motorcycle riders. 

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-10-28

 

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They need to make sure 125 CC riders have license and they don't ride 15KM per hour in middle of the road. They need to train and teach traffic laws to 125 CC riders first. They have to know scooters don't have the right to ride in middle of the road and block the cars and they have to learn that mirrors have on the scooters to check the rear traffic not an accessories.They adjust their mirrors to see their own face not the rear traffic.

[LukKrueng]

8 hours ago, Seismic said:

What about the many big bike riders who have been riding them for years, or even decades?. Again, an ill-thought out idea, with many questions still left unanswered. Another knee-jerk reaction to a problem that does not actually exist, from people with no expertise in the area.

 

I also wonder how it will work for people who already own and ride big bike, those who also hold big bike license from other countries, those who can prove they've been riding big bikes for long time. 

The fact that the article doesn't provide answers to those questions doesn't necessarily mean the authorities don't have them

7 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

So lets take a look at the Yamaha MT-15, it is only a 155CC bike, yet can do 140 Km/H. Enough torque and 6 speeds to accelerate as fast as a larger bike and yet would not be considered a big bike.  You really have to wonder at what level of thinking the country is doing when it comes to calling a 400CC and over a big bike.

 

Even the Kawasaki Ninja 400 would not be considered a big bike as it is only 399 CC and a top speed of 191 km/h.  Yet still not a big bike either according to the new law, just makes one kind of laugh at why the decided 400 cc's and above was a big bike.

Thailand is definitely not the only country in the world that class bikes according to engine size. And the fact that some bikes have a 399 cc engine which will be classed as "small bike" is not uncommon in the world. Happens a lot when road tax is calculated by categories and manufacturers "reduce" engine size just enough for the vehicle to fit into a cheaper category

[JIMHILL]

8 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Many countries have tiered systems for motorbike licences. This is not a new idea.  Some counties it is 125cc and up. Thailand has chosen 400 cc. For many, many years in Indonesia anything over 200cc was illegal.

What would be more realistic would be an age factor not the bike size. 

 

 

 

Re Age factor, well said.

[merijn]

8 hours ago, Seismic said:

What about the many big bike riders who have been riding them for years, or even decades?. Again, an ill-thought out idea, with many questions still left unanswered. Another knee-jerk reaction to a problem that does not actually exist, from people with no expertise in the area.

I believe it's for new DL applications and not for renewals.

[VocalNeal]

I was thinking maybe the answer would be that one cannot apply for a "Big Bike" license until one renews an existing 5 year license that would mean firstly young Thai would need a license if they ever want a big Bike license. But it might be flawed in the case of mature foreigners who already have a full license in their own country.

Fortunately I don't have to institute or organize this.

Edited October 28, 2020 by VocalNeal

[ThailandRyan]

4 minutes ago, merijn said:

I believe it's for new DL applications and not for renewals.

Will be interesting to see how it plays out.  Wondering if those of us with the Motorbike license will be grandfathered in, or at the time of renewal we will need to upgrade to meet the new standards.  If it is the latter then I will have 5 more years on my license since I just renewed last month.