Jump to content

Thai driving licences: Those with certain diseases to be barred - Big Bike confirmed as 400cc up


Coss
 Share

Recommended Posts

For the first time the Department of Land Transport has acknowledged that most of the accidents on Thai roads are caused by people - the drivers and riders themselves. 

So in an effort to address the appalling carnage on the roads that sees upwards of 20,000 deaths a year the DLT are proposing new measures to modernize the application for licences and the issuing of licence extensions. 

The latest plan is to prohibit anyone with a congenital disease (roke prajam tua) from driving. 

The DLT plan to contact the health authorities to determine what diseases should be on the list of those that make it dangerous to operate a motor vehicle, said deputy chief Yongyuth Nakdaeng yesterday. 

Thai Rath also confirmed that the term Big Bike that is bandied about in the news refers to 400cc and up machines.

In future riders of these will have to undergo special training in order to get a motorcycle licence as the power of the machines has been deemed to make them especially dangerous.

They should therefore be considered separate to smaller bikes. 

These regulations will come in within 120 days.

Source: Thai Rath  via Thai Visa

____

A congenital disease ?  this sounds too Thai to be true, my limited understanding of congenital diseases, is that they are something one is born with, i.e.  the most common are Heart defects, Cleft lip and palate, Downs Syndrome and Spina Bifida.

So it's either an unenforceable bunch of measures, or an easy win for the boys in brown.

In that, how are they gonna find out, if one has a heart murmur or a repair of a cleft palate?

Conversely, someone who suffers from Downs Syndrome or Spina Bifida, may not be able to get on a bike in the first place, rendering such measures redundant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Correct, 

According to this it does not matter if you lose your sight after birth or have to undergo kidney dialysis you will still have your license  

If aThai does not get a license they will continue driving/riding anyway 

Why not teach Thais how to ride “”Little Bikes” first. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

"roke prajam tua"
"my limited understanding of congenital diseases, is that they are something one is born"

Not really the Thai definition. I have high blood pressure, and this is considered "roke prajam tua" when getting a check up for my work permit.
Of course, high blood pressure in no way influences my driving.

I do think the separate license for 'big bikes' is good thing though, but as usual the boys in brown will likely look the other way for a few hundred Baht.

I disagree that it is just the people that are the cause of the large amount of traffic deaths. The government is to blame for not providing adequate road safety (u-turns from fast lane to fast lane, WTF are they thinking!) and road safety education, the police for not enforcing the laws (only fining people for no helmet when they have a specific road block setup for instance) and the general public for totally ignoring the laws and lacking even the basic knowledge of traffic rules (how many people stop for zebra crossings here?).

I find that getting a license here is based on being physically able to operate the vehicle, which is NOT the same as being able to drive it in traffic. One of my staff got her license after spending 6 hours driving around on a parking lot. How the fuck does that prepare you for driving in actual traffic?

Sanuk!
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember about 20 years ago why a mates Thai Wife took her “Driving Through Cones in a Car Park” Test.

She must have flattened every cone but at end of the test slipped the examiner a couple of thousand Baht. My mate and I were pissing ourselves laughing and he accused her of bribing the examiner. She replied”No, No I not bribe, just pay for cones I killed” 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thailand banned driving for people with epilepsy, - must be for nearly 8-10 years now

I was diagnosed with epilepsy around the same time, an when it was not managed - it was a great idea.

Same goes in Australia, you banned from driving for a year after an event,

once you epilepsy is managed you can drive

I also recently had an issue with my heart,

it stops for up to 20 seconds at a time, had to put in a pacemaker, in 3-6 months time the surgeon would allow me to drive (if I didnt have the dam epilepsy which still isn't being able to be managed)

All good ideas frankly, including the bike one.

Note though, trying to get a dodgy license I have found is impossible for the last 10 years at least.

Bangkok test is a joke, but you still can't bribe them, if it was done, it was done years ago.

Rural police it was said are easier, knowing the local cops out my way when I lived there, who would take a 100 baht note for anything it couldn't be done, even though many of them had been family friends.

Driving tests had been taken out of their hands and into the other department, which again, couldn't be bribed easily that I know of,

Of course a keyboard warrior will claim it's not so and still done all the time

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...