Fact Check: People From Myanmar DO Need To Take Tests To Obtain A Thai Driving License

Fact Check

  • by: Chatwan Mongkol
Fact Check: People From Myanmar DO Need To Take Tests To Obtain A Thai Driving License Same Rules

Do people from Myanmar not need to take any test in order to get a driving license in Thailand? No, that's not true: Tests are still required for non-citizens, as are for Thai citizens. There are exemptions, however, according to officials.

The claim appeared in a video posted on TikTok on October 23, 2024 (archived here), which had the following on-screen caption, in part saying (translated from Thai into English by Lead Stories staff):

Thai people have to spend time studying and taking exams before they can get their license. Some people have taken the test ten times and still can't get it. But for Burmese, there is no need to take the difficult test. It's easy.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Jan 2 12:44:18 2025 UTC)

The 10-second video only features the above texts with a Thai flag, asking viewers to reflect on those statements. The texts went on to say that people from Myanmar have more rights than Thai citizens in every regard.

According to the Thai Department of Land Transport (archived here), to obtain a new, two-year driving license in Thailand, non-citizens are required to take a five-hour training course before completing a physical examination, a written theory exam and a driving exam -- a requirement Thai citizens are also subject to.

However, foreigners can request an exemption from the theory and driving exams if they present a valid international driving license or a local driving license from their home country translated into English or Thai, certified by their embassy.

With that, a non-citizen only needs to take a one-hour training course before taking the physical examination.

On the claim that people from Myanmar have more rights than Thai citizens, the video also claimed that it's easier for Myanmar citizens to open a business in Thailand while Thai citizens have to go through a long process, instead.

Both claims are not true. The 1999 Foreign Business Act (archived here) in Thailand restricts foreign ownership in certain Thai industries, essentially defining which businesses can be operated by foreigners in Thailand and requiring them to obtain a specific license if they wish to engage in restricted sectors.

To operate a business in a restricted category, a foreign entity must obtain a "Foreign Business License" from the Department of Business Development, a process a Thai company doesn't have to endure.

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