Done today, piece of p**s.
Didnt book on line, rocked up at Bang Jak on Suk Rd, right next to the Levis factory outlet store, at about 7:30.
Doors opened 8:00, straight to information, documents handed over, checked and issued a ticket number CXXXX.
It would appear those with A or B ticket numbers had booked on line.
First step, test station, eyes on the machine, light flashing to your left or right, tell them the colour.
Next step, line up the sticks, green to go forward or red to come back, next step, brake test.
All the above finished by 8:30, coffee break, go into the office next door for the video (hilarious) at 9:00.
Video finished, go outside and get in line, about 10:00, took about 2 minutes to check docs and take photo, walked out the door before 10:30 with new license, due for renewal in 6 years.
My birthday was last month, renewal starts from 5 years after your next birthday, next birthday next year, 2020, add 5 years, renewal date june 2025.
Cost 505 baht today, 50 baht for doctors report, 200 baht for immi for certifiacate of residence, total cost 755 baht for 6 years driving, bargain.
Be aware, dont turn up like a KSR pikey, long trousers.
Did mine today. Rather than piece of p**s, I'd describe it as waste of F***ing time
Went to the one at Bang Jak too (Area 3)
Department of Land Transportation (Area 3), Sukhumvit
2479 สุขุมวิท 62/1 แขวงบางจาก Phra Khanong, Bangkok
Unfortunately got stuck in traffic on the way there. Set off from our place before 8am. Arrived about 9am so over an hour.
Not helped by the fact that Sukhumvit 62/1 should be on the EVEN number side of Sukhumvit which of course it is. But the actual Land Registry which also has Sukhumvit 62/1 in its address is actually on the ODD number side of the street
Things went OK at first once inside.
Reception about 9am. They sent me upstairs to get my Cert of Residence stamped, then back to reception again.
Did the physical tests around 9.30. really not sure what some of them are actually testing. But my summary:
1) Can you brake test? Press accelerator when you see green then press brake quickly on red. Sort of makes sense.
2) Vision distance - matching 2 sticks a few metres away. Had to put my glasses on for that, as usual when I drive. There's supposed to be a red pointer at the bottom of the left stick, but that disappeared on all these machines years ago. But who cares.
Why TF anyone looks at 2 sticks 20cm apart about 5 metres in front of you for while you're driving is anyone's guess.
3) "Side vision" red/green. You need to put your nose on a stand (that a dozen unhygenic people have done before you), and look straight ahead throughout and call out the colours that flash about 10cm to your left and right. Never sure if you should say the yellow ones or not as many people just seem to do green and red. I actually failed this one first time, for reasons below:
-First of all when a light flashes to my left or right I look at it. So I don't keep looking ahead. Same way when driving, I look to the left and right and observe what's going on around me. My head doesn't remain facing forward without moving when driving Perhaps that explains why there are so many poor drivers in Thailand. They have been educated not to move their head and look directly ahead at all times.
- Secondly if I wear my glasses as I do for driving, then close-up is blurred just a few cm s away. I have "presbyopia or ageing eyes", which is common after aged 40. With glasses you see perfectly at distance, but your eyes don't focus as clearly close up.
- So thirdly I took the glasses off. I would never choose to drive without glasses or contact lenses. So this is of course testing something not connected with driving. I can see better without them, but still a bit blurred as so close.
What I realised is that for so close up, I would actually need reading glasses For me: 1) up to about 20cm in front is blurred without reading glasses, 2) about 30cm to a metre needs nothing, and 3) beyond say a metre I need glasses or lenses.
Of course when driving this is all irrelvant as everything is beyond a metre away as I'm sat in the car which extends a metre or so in front of me.
So next time I guess I need the reading glasses for test 3). How F*****g stupid is that? I have never in my life driven in reading glasses. My vision would be blurred, and I wouldn't see properly.
So basically
Test 1) no glasses or glasses OK.
Test 2) Need glasses
Test 3) Scraped thru without glasses second attempt, but next time bring my reading glasses maybe ???!
... and those 3 test what exactly in terms of competence for driving? Which of course I do with glasses or contact lenses.
After the tests = wait for about 20 mins or so until VDO around 10am
VDO in Thai with Engligh subtitles finished before 11am. Or should I say they just stopped it. Didn't really go to the end.
I think most Thais remember the bits not to do. That certainly seems to be the case when I'm out driving
The most bizarre one I saw was saying when you "outpace" (= overtake), you should "wink twice quickly" =( indicate righ quickly, twice). The car in front should "wink" to acknowledge. I've never seen anyone do that anywhere in the world let alone Thailand. Even the Mrs said she never learnt you should do that.
So aside from general humour and enlightenment as to why there are so many poor Thai drivers, a waste of time.
11am - 1pm after the VDO = 2 hours waiting for my number to come up. 63 people were ahead of me in the C**** numbers. Luckily they don't close for lunch
So start to finish = 4 hours. 4 hours? I did a proper UK driving test in much less time than that. That proved I could actually drive. Not which glasses I need for which distance
Best part was it took me only 20 mins to get home as the traffic was much better.
All told wasted my morning and part of the afternoon + a couple of hours at Immigration to get the Residence certificate + a trip to the doctors to answer no to everything and tell him I've never starred in a John Hurt movie
Cost: 555 baht at DVL + 100 baht medical cert + 500 baht Cert of Residence (from immigration) + 800 baht fine for the Mrs at immigration for not registering me via TM30 on the day we arrived in Thailand + about 10 baht on various photocpies