After living in Adelaide for about a month, I wandered around looking for a job, taking buses and trains, and realising that the public transportation system here could have been better. However, once work started, I found that:
- Some bus routes are rare, especially on weekends or at night. Sometimes there are gaps of an hour or more between buses.
- If you use the adult fare, the price is high and increases during peak times. However, this problem is the same in other cities.
- When travelling to different suburbs, sometimes we have to take a detour or change buses in the city, which is quite time-consuming. From a distance that can take about 15 minutes by car, it can take 40 minutes or more by bus.
The solution was…getting a driver’s license!!
So I could travel on my own and save a lot of time. Also, it allows me to explore outside the city on weekends. Fortunately, my Thai driver’s license, valid for five years, can be converted here without having to start from scratch. However, though I had a driver’s license from Thailand, I still had to pass the three tests of the transport department in South Australia. (I knew this condition when I was in Queensland.)
Service SA is like a state document service I had to go to register. So the documents I needed to prepare were my Thai driver’s license, passport, and bank statement that showed the address in South Australia. And they said there are three steps to getting an Australian driver’s license. And so I walked into Service SA and made an appointment for the first test.
STEP 1: The Theory Test
It is about traffic rules here in South Australia. The test consists of two parts.
- The first part is about pictures of giving way to road users, there are a total of 8 questions, and you must pass all of them before proceeding to the next part.
- The second part is about traffic rules, with 42 questions. I can’t remember how many per cent you need to pass, but I got about 38 correct.
But don’t worry too much because they provide practice tests and study materials for you to prepare before the test day. They will send a link to our email after we have selected the test date and paid about A$30. Then, if we pass the test on the same day, we can make an appointment for the next test. Or if we fail, we can book the test again.
Example test: https://mylicence.sa.gov.au/my-car-licence/practice-theory-test
STEP 2: The Hazard Perception Test
A simulated driving test that tests whether the driver can make safe decisions while driving. It is a video-based test that requires us to make decisions, such as turning right at an intersection. In the test, we must press the action button when we think we should turn. But we don’t have to press the button if we don’t think it’s safe. The test measures whether the driver can drive on the road without endangering other road users. There are probably around 10 questions, and the test cost is about A$30.
Example test: https://mylicence.sa.gov.au/hazard-perception-test
After passing the written test, you will be given a temporary driver’s license for 3 months. After that, we will have to take the last exam;
STEP 3: The Practical Driving Test
It’s conducted by private companies within this time. Otherwise, we have to go with a Learner plate which is a super painful process. This is where the fun part begins. Usually, there are two options for this test:
- The VORT or Vehicle On Road Test is a direct test with an instructor.
- The CBT&A or Competency Based Training and Assessment, where you have to attend a certain number of hours with an instructor who will teach you to drive and test you on each aspect of driving. (The cost of regular driving lessons in Adelaide is around A$95-130 per hour, which is quite expensive.)
I thought the VORT option would be cheaper because I could choose a package such as 5 hours of lessons and 1 hour of VORT for A$730, or take a few lessons (A$100/60 mins) and then take the test separately (A$200-300). After comparing the options, I plan to take a few lessons and the VORT test.
Finding an instructor to teach us how to drive was difficult, but finding a good instructor who was not just after our money was even more difficult. I spent a lot of time searching and found an instructor named Chris, who I thought was Australian, but turned out to be Asian. He seemed nice at first, and I thought it was okay.
During my first driving lesson, he said I made many mistakes, but I didn’t mind and tried to drive better. On my second attempt, I broke the traffic rules, and he made me stop and taught me theory for almost half an hour, which was a waste of time. And on my third attempt, he started the day by repeating the traffic rules for another half an hour. At the end of the day, I paid for 90 minutes of driving lessons but only went on the road for 30 minutes. It was unbearable, so we gave up and looked for a new driving instructor. I was pissed off and never went back to him again.
I was about to give up and just didn’t care anymore. But my partner was helping me to find another instructor named Angelo, who was an Italian-Australian. And he bought a package of lessons and the test without telling me. So I thought, just give it ago.
But wow, it turned out so impressive. During our first two-hour lesson, he taught me everything I needed to know for the test. To be fair, I had to credit Chris too for some of the tips he had taught me. I then had another two-hour lesson with Angelo after that, and it was a happy experience, unlike the stressful three weeks we spent learning with Chris. I completed all aspects of the test in one day.
Angelo’s driving school: http://learnpassdrive.com.au/
But the rollercoaster ride didn’t end there. Late at night, Angelo sent a message saying that our Temporary Driving License was expiring one day before the test date he had booked. I was confused and didn’t know what to do. Oh my god, what a mess!!!
All my money and time would be meaningless if we couldn’t take the test. So I took a deep breath and begged to reschedule the test to an earlier date. Luckily, Angelo managed to find a new date and examiner for me. The only problem was that the test location was in a different suburb from where I had practised driving. What a disaster! But at least I was still lucky to be able to take the test before our temporary driving license expired. Otherwise, I would have had to start from scratch as a Learner again.
On the morning of the test day, I left home early and started with warm-up driving with Angelo for 1 hour. He asked if I was nervous. Of course, I was because it was a new area I had never driven to. But Angelo let me go around and warmed up everything I needed to do for the test. After that, I met the examiner. He was a serious and scary-looking guy. In my heart, I prayed that he would be nice to me.
After explaining the details and documents, the exam started. I looked at the paper and the examiner, and kept switching back and forth. I shed a few tears and felt my fate was hanging by a thread. But then, after a very long one hour I have ever experienced, the examiner smiled and said that I had passed with a 91 out of 100. Oh my god, I was over the moon!
After passing the Practical Driving Test
I received a Certificate of Competency from the examiner. I took this certificate and other identity verification documents to Service SA and applied for a driver’s license. They would give us a choice of how many years we wanted the license for. I opted for two years, which cost around A$116. They would give us a temporary letter while mailing us the card later. If the license expires, we could renew it through their website. Finally, the stress was over.
In summary, the process of converting a Thai driver’s license to an Australian driver’s license in South Australia was completed before the deadline, which took nearly 4 months in total and cost A$1,600. However, despite the difficult and inconvenient process of obtaining the license, it is worth it because it reflects one’s personal identity and responsibility for using the roadways safely and responsibly.
While some people in Thailand may be able to learn how to drive from their relatives and pass the exam without spending as much time or money, the process of obtaining an Australian driver’s license has taught the author the importance of taking responsibility for their actions on the road and in society. Each person’s background and experience may differ, but once they become part of a community, their actions can impact others. Therefore, obtaining a driver’s license in a new country can be a way to build a new layer of self-awareness and social responsibility.
At the end of the day, I am so proud of myself that I made it! I got my Australian driver’s license which represents a small but positive contribution to society as long as I continue to drive responsibly and with respect for others on the road.