10 year Cambodian driving license

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YaTingPom
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Re: 10 year Cambodian driving license

Post by YaTingPom »

Kammekor wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 3:09 pm
Tommie wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 1:25 pm What about some of us that have all the licenses in Europe; ABECEDE. Can I just take the bus/ lorry license in KOW and get the others (lower licenses) as a result of that?
No,

B doesn't allow A for instance (car license (B) not valid for motorcycle [A]).
Plus you are not allowed to take bus or lorry tests here, only locals.

I looked into doing the truck test and after a lots of discussions with the "top bloke" at the test center (he had his own office and lots of stripes on his shirt) he said only locals, even though at the time I had a valid truck licence from the UK.

Also, he said "I watched you do your test cunt. You can't drive for toffee" or words to that effect. ;)
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Re: 10 year Cambodian driving license

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hanno wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 2:25 pm
highrider wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 9:37 am Look, I've been driving in Cambodia for years. I'm driving here right now. I simply want a 10 year Iicense, which I'm sure I'll get. I also know how to parallel park.

Those who are saying it's difficult, probably can't drive very well and don't want to admit this to themselves.
Whilst others are too full of themselves. There is also a lack of reading comprehension: I was NOT talking about parallel parking, that one is easy.
I just did my test and got the license. As long as you follow the instructions of the officials on duty, then the 3-point turn is also quite straightforward. Only two people took the manual test, myself and a Romanian guy. I think he failed the theory test, because I didn't see him after the test. I was the second person to finish the theory test; I could have been outta there more quickly, if I didn't carefully go over my answers before submitting them.

Two people in front of me failed the practical test; one was Chinese and the other Cambodian. The first Chinese guy failed the three-point turn in an automatic car, because he tried to move forward to correct his position. The second guy failed because he moved in front of me, while I was parked in the three-point turn bay after completing the maneuver. He should have waited his turn, as it was quite clear I wasn't done yet. I told the official I wasn't able to get out because that guy was blocking my way; instant fail for him.

So to conclude, the test is relatively easy if you've been to the test center at least once before undertaking the test and know exactly where to align your vehicle before performing both the three point turn and the parallel parking.

The theory test can be difficult if you don't memorize the questions, which are improperly translated. There's even one question, where the answer given is wrong, but you have to choose that answer, because neither of the other two options are correct either. It turns out that instead of saying MINIMUM, on the test says MAXIMUM. I'm talking about the symbol, where the minimum 30km/h speed limit zone ends (white on a blue background with a diagonal red line through it). The correct answer is "End of compulsory minimum 30km/h zone", but on the test, it says "End of compulsory MAXIMUM 30km/h zone". There are also many other questions where the English is incorrect, but it's not too difficult to decipher the meaning.

Another key thing to remember is that vehicles from the right always have priority, which is an odd rule that differs from most right-hand traffic countries, where priority goes to vehicles coming from the left. Still, if you remember this golden rule, then choosing the correct priority for vehicles at an intersection (there's bound to be up to 5 questions on this on the test) is easy enough.
Last edited by highrider on Wed Jan 15, 2025 11:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 10 year Cambodian driving license

Post by highrider »

YaTingPom wrote: Thu Dec 19, 2024 6:30 am
Kammekor wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 3:09 pm
Tommie wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 1:25 pm What about some of us that have all the licenses in Europe; ABECEDE. Can I just take the bus/ lorry license in KOW and get the others (lower licenses) as a result of that?
No,

B doesn't allow A for instance (car license (B) not valid for motorcycle [A]).
Plus you are not allowed to take bus or lorry tests here, only locals.

I looked into doing the truck test and after a lots of discussions with the "top bloke" at the test center (he had his own office and lots of stripes on his shirt) he said only locals, even though at the time I had a valid truck licence from the UK.

Also, he said "I watched you do your test cunt. You can't drive for toffee" or words to that effect. ;)
That's probably because foreigners can't be employed as bus or truck drivers in Cambodia. Makes sense to me. After all, no one takes a bus or truck exam in order to drive one of these vehicle types just for fun. They do it for employment purposes.
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Re: 10 year Cambodian driving license

Post by YaTingPom »

highrider wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2025 11:30 am
YaTingPom wrote: Thu Dec 19, 2024 6:30 am
Kammekor wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 3:09 pm
Tommie wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 1:25 pm What about some of us that have all the licenses in Europe; ABECEDE. Can I just take the bus/ lorry license in KOW and get the others (lower licenses) as a result of that?
No,

B doesn't allow A for instance (car license (B) not valid for motorcycle [A]).
Plus you are not allowed to take bus or lorry tests here, only locals.

I looked into doing the truck test and after a lots of discussions with the "top bloke" at the test center (he had his own office and lots of stripes on his shirt) he said only locals, even though at the time I had a valid truck licence from the UK.

Also, he said "I watched you do your test cunt. You can't drive for toffee" or words to that effect. ;)
That's probably because foreigners can't be employed as bus or truck drivers in Cambodia. Makes sense to me. After all, no one takes a bus or truck exam in order to drive one of these vehicle types just for fun. They do it for employment purposes.
Well yes, I thought that would be obvious but thanks for pointing it out.
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Re: 10 year Cambodian driving license

Post by highrider »

highrider wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2025 11:28 am
hanno wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 2:25 pm
highrider wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 9:37 am Look, I've been driving in Cambodia for years. I'm driving here right now. I simply want a 10 year Iicense, which I'm sure I'll get. I also know how to parallel park.

Those who are saying it's difficult, probably can't drive very well and don't want to admit this to themselves.
Whilst others are too full of themselves. There is also a lack of reading comprehension: I was NOT talking about parallel parking, that one is easy.
I just did my test and got the license. As long as you follow the instructions of the officials on duty, then the 3-point turn is also quite straightforward. Only two people took the manual test, myself and a Romanian guy. I think he failed the theory test, because I didn't see him after the test. I was the second person to finish the theory test; I could have been outta there more quickly, if I didn't carefully go over my answers before submitting them.

Two people in front of me failed the practical test; one was Chinese and the other Cambodian. The first Chinese guy failed the three-point turn in an automatic car, because he tried to move forward to correct his position. The second guy failed because he moved in front of me, while I was parked in the three-point turn bay after completing the maneuver. He should have waited his turn, as it was quite clear I wasn't done yet. I told the official I wasn't able to get out because that guy was blocking my way; instant fail for him.

So to conclude, the test is relatively easy if you've been to the test center at least once before undertaking the test and know exactly where to align your vehicle before performing both the three point turn and the parallel parking.

The theory test can be difficult if you don't memorize the questions, which are improperly translated. There's even one question, where the answer given is wrong, but you have to choose that answer, because neither of the other two options are correct either. It turns out that instead of saying MINIMUM, on the test says MAXIMUM. I'm talking about the symbol, where the minimum 30km/h speed limit zone ends (white on a blue background with a diagonal red line through it). The correct answer is "End of compulsory minimum 30km/h zone", but on the test, it says "End of compulsory MAXIMUM 30km/h zone". There are also many other questions where the English is incorrect, but it's not too difficult to decipher the meaning.

Another key thing to remember is that vehicles from the right always have priority, which is an odd rule that differs from most right-hand traffic countries, where priority goes to vehicles coming from the left. Still, if you remember this golden rule, then choosing the correct priority for vehicles at an intersection (there's bound to be up to 5 questions on this on the test) is easy enough.
Actually, after double checking, it turns out the "priority to the right" rule is actually the norm in most countries, regardless or whether they drive on the left or the right.

Some of them emphasize this rule more clearly than others. I got my first license in Australia, where this rule was strongly emphasized. I then moved to the USA, Texas specifically, where I also remember the rule being "yield to vehicles coming from the right". I had to undertake a practical test in order to receive a Texas state license, upon presenting my Australian state license. I did not have to undertake a theory test. Nevertheless, the "priority to the right" rule seems to apply generally at 4 way intersections, where all vehicles arrive at the same time. Otherwise, it's whichever vehicle arrives first.

Over the past 2.5 years since the end of Covid restrictions, I've been to Europe twice and observed a number of vehicles yielding to those from the left, although the rule is priority from the right. Cambodian road rules are probably modeled on those from France after all.

In Thailand, I've noticed a loose tendency to yield to vehicles coming from the left. I think it's supposed to be yield to vehicles from the right as well.

What happens in practice is often quite different from the theoretical. Having driven in countries ranging from Australia to western Europe, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, mainland China and Taiwan over the past couple of years, the only ones where priority rules really matter are in those jurisdictions where traffic laws are strictly enforced / adhered to by the public. Everywhere else, it's a free for all.
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Re: 10 year Cambodian driving license

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Joining a roundabout the priority is how big your vehicle is, perceived value, wether you are a barang, how many beers you have had.
Iv'e had people stop for me when normally people don't and I think some drivers are wary of any white skinned driver, not so much in PP but it still happens.
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Re: 10 year Cambodian driving license

Post by highrider »

YaTingPom wrote: Mon Jan 20, 2025 5:33 am Joining a roundabout the priority is how big your vehicle is, perceived value, wether you are a barang, how many beers you have had.
Iv'e had people stop for me when normally people don't and I think some drivers are wary of any white skinned driver, not so much in PP but it still happens.
Indeed. On the test, it says the priority goes to vehicles from the right, but in any other country it would be priority to those vehicles already inside the roundabout.

Some rules just don't make sense here but few are followed anyway and this was admitted to me by testing officials.

They said that driving on Cambodian roads is "easy" and that rules only matter for the test.
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