Smart Drive has been around for years, -- not only can they teach you to drive, they can also issue your official Thai license at the end of the course!

Need a license? Why not have a look!!

http://www.smartdriveudon.com/favicon.ico

Money talks and B/S drives, a conveyor belt of poorly trained drivers ready to add to the death and injury toll. I know I have followed enough of the Smart drive school cars as they pass my house almost daily.

Khun Paul wrote:Money talks and B/S drives, a conveyor belt of poorly trained drivers ready to add to the death and injury toll. I know I have followed enough of the Smart drive school cars as they pass my house almost daily.

Presumably it's students driving those cars, from whom one can't really expect the same proficiency as one might expect of someone who's been driving for decades, no? It's a driving school, where they are learning how to drive.

Khun Paul wrote:Money talks and B/S drives, a conveyor belt of poorly trained drivers ready to add to the death and injury toll. I know I have followed enough of the Smart drive school cars as they pass my house almost daily.

I've followed a fair share of driving school drivers who all seem to obey the rules. If they drive slower than others, it's only because they're more likely to follow the speed limit. I'd be willing to wager a few baht that the truly bad drivers on the roads here are those who never attended a driving school or slipped a few red notes under the table to 'pass the test' as was easily done not so many years ago. If a driving school student does something stupid, it's sort of expected. When I see a driving school vehicle, or one of many vehicles that have มือใหม่หัดขับ emblazoned on the rear windshield, I treat them as I'd treat any same vehicle back in the US......proceed around them with caution.

I am ALWAYS pleased to see a student having a go with a Smart Drive vehicle. For sure easy to go around.. and easier to support the effort of the few. Enlightenment is a long, slow process. Well done UM for promoting the cause. MY wife hasn't driven for years.. off there shortly to be reminded how to!

My wife took driving lessons at Smart Drive about 9 years ago. She is a very good driver, has never had an accident and I estimate that she puts on 80% of all kilometers driven. I typically sit on the passenger side whenever we go on errands about town or trips to the village. If other graduates of Smart Drive are only partially accomplished as she is it's a major contribution to local road safety.

KP
I always look forward to your negative views.
Without you so many would have not responded

I will pass you supposed feedback to my brother in law who works there

THe positive to this is that so many take the time to go and learn how to drive including my wife
This is a positive
Ding

I tried my best to get my teerak to have her 17 yr old daughter go and have at least a few lessons with smart drive.
Big fail there....to expensive!
Any way the younger version of my stubborn missus went to the day or half day class lesson that now has to be done prior to the question section. Mum sat with her and told me she kept falling asleep. She works late shifts for work till about 2 am. Passed the questions by the barest of margins. I think mum got more out of it.
Next was the driving test a couple of days later. She has had some driving around different places learning and experiencing the basics with mums small car. No way was she ready.
Off they go together and do the practical driving test. Passed it all except the reverse park. She took 8 attempts, testing officer says you only get 7, WTF. Fail....Books in 2 days later and only has to do the reverse park. Still took 4 or 5 goes and passed....now has a shiny new license.
I would think that lessons from Smart Drive would at least help them to be more proficient at least in the basics.

dingdong wrote:KP
I always look forward to your negative views.
Without you so many would have not responded

I will pass you supposed feedback to my brother in law who works there

THe positive to this is that so many take the time to go and learn how to drive including my wife
This is a positive
Ding

Although i see khun paul as a condescending know all who talks down to people like some sort of milk monitor on steroids(he loves to name drop as well ) i can get were hes coming from,my wife has just done a course at so called driving school and was told,''Don,t worry you pass for sure''bearing in mind she drives my cbr 500,no problem,but ive give it a few weeks and i really don,t know how she passed,ive never had so many grey hairs pop up in such a short time,most of my finger nails can be found stuck in the dashboard of my car,she learnt in a manual diesel pick up,apparently very hard to stall the engine?????,fast forward my manual petrol,and then we start to learn to drive????

Not being funny,but stevie wonder would pass

I have been taking my wife and 2 cousins plus 1cousin's husband to this school
The cost is 5000bht per person for 4 days of 4 hours lessons
and then the driving and computer test to be done next week
The cousins all have been driving or riding so no problem
My wife had a few driving lessons from me but was not good
First day diving school practical lessons slow but improving
Second day marked improvement getting some confidence
Will keep you updated on progress
So in my opinion this school is very good

Now if someone knows a better one in Udon feel freeto tell me

My wife took that driving test..she still won't drive to this day. Wonder what they did to her?
Myself, having to sit an hour watching a movie to renew license, most slept..not a word about using turn signals.
Hmm? all were charged about 200 tb..mine was about 1,200 tb
Seems "children" don't need drivers license...maybe they are "Grand fathered" in.

My wife used them 3 years ago and got her thai licence. She then had to do 6 months worth of lessons to pass her licence in Qatar and has been driving daily since then without a problem.

Whatever I might feel about the quality of the training is irrelevant compared to the massive positive impact it has had and her being able to drive and get her own car.

I'd urge any of you guys to get their wife's driving. For one it means you don't have t drive them to the bloody shops every 5 minutes and they can have their independence!

I'd urge any of you guys to get their wife's driving. For one it means you don't have t drive them to the bloody shops every 5 minutes and they can have their independence!

I completely concur with deankham! We took it nice and slow and even after my wife got her license there was about a one year period when she did not drive when it was raining or at night. As her confidence and capabilities progressed she eventually demonstrated that she was prepared to drive in Udon Thani traffic under all conditions. I cannot imagine what life would be like here is she wasn't able to drive a car anywhere and anytime she wanted. I absolutely did not want her to use a motorbike for shopping and errands. We gave the moto-cy to a family member in the village as soon as possible.

There is a new law now that says u can get a licence once you get a certificate from a driving school. 4 hours training and it's a guarantee apparently


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alanhass wrote:There is a new law now that says u can get a licence once you get a certificate from a driving school. 4 hours training and it's a guarantee apparently


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Would a farang be able to get a license thru them?

Mosquito wrote:

alanhass wrote:There is a new law now that says u can get a licence once you get a certificate from a driving school. 4 hours training and it's a guarantee apparently


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Would a farang be able to get a license thru them?

Apparently not yet but from may yes.


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A mate of mine called one in bkk and they said should be up and running then. It's up and running now for Thai's god help us


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Mosquito wrote:

alanhass wrote:There is a new law now that says u can get a licence once you get a certificate from a driving school. 4 hours training and it's a guarantee apparently


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Would a farang be able to get a license thru them?

I got my licences thru this school 6 years ago still have their address on my licenses