davhend25

39 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

@davhend25

 

Have you considered applying for a Tabien Baan at your local Amphoe.

You'll never need a CofR again.

 

Out of curiosity what documents did you provide to Immigration as proof of address.

Does your wife own the house, or do you rent?

My wife owns the house and has for about ten years. We use her blue tabien baan and I guess she swears or fills out a form (tm30 maybe) that I live there with her. That is how we set up my 90-day reports six months ago. I know that the first 90-day report, IO had her fill out 2 or 3 full page forms. Also IO wanted photocopies of her Thai ID card and Tabien baan pages. Reporting has been really easy since then.

6 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

@davhend25

 

Have you considered applying for a Tabien Baan at your local Amphoe.

You'll never need a CofR again.

I don't think I would be eligible as our home is in my wife's name and our marriage has not yet been registered. Getting a CofR doc from my embassy is not a problem as I have to go there for an Income Affidavit anyway.  The only problem would be if the CofR needed to be translated from English into Thai.  That would be a major inconvenience as we are totally reliant on public transportation, and the U.S. Embassy and the MFA are not anywhere near close to each other.  Thanks for the suggestion, though.

34 minutes ago, Saltire said:

For what it's worth what I found was that not all Immigration Offices can issue (or perhaps don't feel like issuing) a Certificate of Residence, as I tried at the 2 offices near me, (Sangkhlaburi and Kanchanaburi) both told me that I would have to go to the (UK) Embassy in Bangkok. This was reinforced by a visit to the Kanchanaburi Transport and also the local one nearest to my home. Both showed me copies of previous applicants CoR from Canadian and French embassies and insisted I go to my embassy to do likewise.

 

I subsequently went to the UK embassy (make and appointment online - were booked solid for 3 weeks) in Bangkok and for £50 (!) was in and out in a couple of hours. 

 

Returning to my local transport office, watching the video, eye test, paid 205 Baht and left with a 2 year car licence.

 

My only real gripe is they insisted on keeping both the original copies of the CoR AND my medical certificate, which means if I need another it's off to Bangkok again.

Wow...great information!! I feel somewhat better knowing that what I'm going through may not be that unusual. One question, though. Did you need to have your embassy document translated into "Thai" for your local transport office?

Thanks for this post!! 

DH

5 minutes ago, Mattd said:

I don't think they will, but I do believe that you can elect to have it sent to you by EMS.

Thanks, I never thought of that...I guess the point of my last rant, is that I would prefer not to go through the translation/certification process unless absolutely necessary. 

Thanks for your kind suggestions and input.

DH

13 minutes ago, Mattd said:

I have had the same thing from the UK Embassy accepted without in Chonburi DLT office, but if I were you, then it is probably best to air on the side of caution and get this done.

 

Seems crazy that they will not accept anything but the embassy version and that your IO will not issue one.

Yes, it does seem a bit inconsistent to me as well.  This stuff happens, with bureaucratic entities in the U.S. as well; just not as often as here, and it's in English, so I can eventually sort it out.

The problem for me is that I don't have a car, and there is virtually no public transportation between where I live and these offices in Chanthaburi. My Thai wife's sister has been taking us there when she has time, but this is only about once a month. If I had a car, I would go to these offices everyday and just camp out until everything that I needed was clear or in hand. When I try to call, I just get native Thai speakers and nothing gets accomplished.  

At some point in next 3 or 4 months I will need to visit the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok (4 hour bus ride) to get an "Income Affidavit."  I can easily get this "Residence Affidavit" at the same time.  However, the embassy and the MFA are nowhere near each other and we don't have transportation other than bus/taxi. And this is all after I find someplace to do the translation. Does the MFA and translation services do these things while you wait? If not, we could be staying in a hotel in Bangkok for 3 or 4 days $$$, before the 4 hour bus ride home...

11 minutes ago, Saltire said:

For what it's worth what I found was that not all Immigration Offices can issue (or perhaps don't feel like issuing) a Certificate of Residence, as I tried at the 2 offices near me, (Sangkhlaburi and Kanchanaburi) both told me that I would have to go to the (UK) Embassy in Bangkok. This was reinforced by a visit to the Kanchanaburi Transport and also the local one nearest to my home. Both showed me copies of previous applicants CoR from Canadian and French embassies and insisted I go to my embassy to do likewise.

 

I subsequently went to the UK embassy (make and appointment online - were booked solid for 3 weeks) in Bangkok and for £50 (!) was in and out in a couple of hours. 

 

Returning to my local transport office, watching the video, eye test, paid 205 Baht and left with a 2 year car licence.

 

My only real gripe is they insisted on keeping both the original copies of the CoR AND my medical certificate, which means if I need another it's off to Bangkok again.

Wow...great information!! I feel somewhat better knowing that what I'm going through may not be that unusual. One question, though. Did you need to have your embassy document translated into "Thai" for your local transport office?

Thanks for this post!! 

DH

17 minutes ago, HampiK said:

When I call them to ask what I need they always told I need a residence certificate or certificate from embassy.

Does anyone here know, definitively, whether or not a "Residence Affidavit" from the U.S. Embassy needs to be translated into Thai and then certified by the MFA office of counselor affairs; in order to get a Thai drivers license at the DLT office in Chanthaburi City? This Embassy certificate appears to be my only option, as my IO in Chanthaburi seems incapable, or unwilling, to issue me a "Certificate of Residence."  And, right or wrong, the people at the DLT office (where I must apply) will only accept a document from my Embassy.  I know that is not right, but as many have said on this forum, these bureaucratic offices here can, and do, make up their own rules, even contradicting their own websites at times.

Thanks to all who have responded to my original post on this subject.

DH

35 minutes ago, Mattd said:

I would definitely try to go back to the immigration office with the form Joe passed to you filled in, you should also take a photo, copies of your passport cover page, TM.6, last entry stamp and extension of stay page, plus some proof of residency, like a bill in your name with the address on it.

As for it be FOC, that depends on the office you apply at, most will charge you for this and even though it is technically free, I see nothing wrong with paying a small fee, after all it does use resources to produce.

Thanks! Good advice!

16 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

@davhend25

 

Whatever your wife completed at Immigration, it certainly wasn't for a CofR.

If you've downloaded the application form for a CofR, you'll notice there is no receipt portion to return to you.

 

The Cof R should resemble this one I obtained a long time ago.

 

I fully agree! Thanks for posting this example...

27 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

It sounds as though you asked your IO for a certificate of residence when you hadn't even registered your address with them.

The IO therefore had your wife complete a TM30 (address registration of an alien).

 

As far the DLT is concerned, the woman is ill informed.

Their own site clearly states a Certificate of Residence from your Embassy or Immigration.

https://www.dlt.go.th/en/renew-license/

 

I'd reapply for a CofR from Immigration using the form Joe supplied.

Then reapply for the licence.

Don't take the wife, it complicates the issue and they rarely stand up to officials.

Thanks for your reply...no, when I requested this "certificate of residence," I was there, having just completed my third 90-Day report. I was fully in the system at that point. I told the officers on duty that I needed the document to apply for a Thai drivers license. I was very clear about that and, at least one officer spoke fluent English, and, I assume, understood what I was asking for. 

My wife filled out all that paperwork (TM30) on my first 90-Day report visit. She is Thai national and owns the property where we both reside. It did seem like she was filling out all the same stuff as our first visit, when I asked for the CofR. I thought it was strange since she had already done that the first 90-day report visit. This IO is a small office with only three officers on duty. I'm not sure why the confusion for what seemed like a simple request from someone already in their system?

The officer supposedly working on the CofR asked for copies of her Thai ID and Tabien Baan pages. Then copied information from my U.S. passport. I asked if he needed my photos and he said he didn't. Then he tore off the bottom portion of the form he'd been working on, stamped it with an official looking seal (in color), and assured me that it would be adequate for the LTO people.  I agree with all who have responded to my post...what he gave me could not have been a CofR.  Ubonjoe suggested it might have been a receipt for a CofR application. I showed my wife a copy of the CofR application form (link provided by Ubonjoe) and she believes that is what she filled out for the IO officer.  Could this CofR be forthcoming in the mail/post? They didn't mention that it would be, or that I should come back in a few weeks to pick it up?

I agree that the woman at the LTO is mis-informed about only being able to accept something from my embassy, but not a native speaker myself, it was hard to argue. And yes, my Thai wife was of no help to me in this situation, being totally subservient to this woman. 

If what Ubonjoe says about an "Affidavit of Residence" from my embassy needing to be translated into Thai and certified by the counselor's office of the MFA, then I think I'll pursue the CofR from the IO.

Anyway, I'll keep working on this. Thanks again for your kind reply to my problem.

DH

11 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

As far as I know it has always been a requirement for it to be translated. I can recall several reports of it being needed.

It could depend upon the DLT office you go to.

11 hours ago, Mattd said:

Quite likely then.

In which case, a residency certificate issued by immigration would be the way to go, far cheaper and less hassle.

It's interesting, though, the woman in the LTO wasn't interested in anything the IO could provide...only wanted a doc from the U.S. embassy?  These two offices, both in Chanthaburi City, are only a mile from each other, but don't seem to be operating on the same page. Go figure...

Responding to the discussion so far...The woman at the LTO in Chanthaburi showed my wife and I an example of a form submitted for another man, from the Swedish embassy which verified his address and also asked for assistance in getting the man a Thai DL. The entire document was in English. My Thai wife said that this was the type of document they were looking for. It was definitely in English.

As far as what happened in the IO. I clearly asked them for a certificate of residency, and I brought up the link that ubonjoe kindly provided and I showed it to my wife and she said that was the form she filled out. And what the IO officer tore off at the bottom did appear to be more of a receipt rather than an actual document. I asked him if he needed photos and he said no. Is it possible that this certificate is forthcoming in the mail/post? Ultimately, it may not matter because the woman at LTO was adamant about wanting something from my embassy.

Any additional input would be helpful...

Hello all,

I'm an American living here with my Thai wife on a non-immigrant O Retirement visa. I have been here for almost one year. We live in the western part of Chanthaburi province about 200 km south of Bangkok. Have been doing my 90-day reports at the immigration office in Chanthaburi city. 

After reading as much information online as possible over a period of months, I went to my IO for my regular 90-day report, and said I would like to apply for a Thai drivers license and that I needed a certificate of residence from them. My Thai wife (marriage not registered yet) was then asked to fill out several full page forms. She suppled copies of her national ID card and pages from her blue tabbien baan book. After he looked and copied information from my passport and filled out a full page form himself, he tore off the bottom 3 inches of the form and said that it would suffice at the LTO for the drivers license. He also put some kind of colored official looking stamp on it. 

 Along with the note of residence from the IO office, I had a current medical certificate, my passport of course, photo copies of all the pertinent pages, including my departure card stapled in. Copies of my current valid Florida (USA) driver's license good until late 2020. I had an International Drivers Permit that I had gotten in the U.S. before my first visit in November of 2016, so I could drive here if I had to in an emergency. So yes, it was a few months expired, (and she noticed that) but my drivers license which it was based on, was valid until late 2020 and was in clear English.

Anyway... the woman at the Chanthaburi LTO entry desk only spoke Thai (of course), so she and my wife had a brief conversation. The lady said the only way I could get a drivers license would be to get something from my embassy stating something or other, I don't know. The woman told my wife that since Americans drive on the right side of the road and Thai's drive on the left, I might have trouble driving here.  

The U.S. embassy in Bangkok does have a doc you can download which verifies your address, and you can check off a box for what you need it for. Nothing fancy like the Swedish example, just a kind of form letter. Since I will soon need an income verification letter for my visa extension, I'll just do both at the same time.  

Does anyone know if either of these embassy docs need to be stamped by the MOFA's?  I tried to call these people at the IO and LTO offices, but no one speaks English, or at least I couldn't connect with anyone who does.

Has anyone run into this much trouble trying to get a Thai drivers license? Sorry for the length of this post, but my understanding was that If your current valid home country license was in English, you didn't need anything from your embassy. That a residence verification from the IO where you were doing your 90-day reports would suffice. With this LTO, it wasn't a matter of needing to take the practical driving tests and the 5 hour video, or not. It was, you're not getting a license until you come back with something from your embassy. 

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

DH

On 9/11/2017 at 5:57 PM, bazza73 said:

I've been assured by my visa agent all I need ( Australian ) is a Statutory Declaration witnessed by an Australian Consulate officer stating my monthly income in dollars - Immigration does the baht conversion.

The Consulate didn't even ask to see supporting documentation - in my case last year's tax return.

Same here for the U.S. Embassy. Just asked me to swear under oath that the pension amount on the income form was correct. No supporting documentation was asked for. 

6 hours ago, stevenl said:

No, also other DLT's possible. I know people living on Phuket applying in Phang Nga.

Thanks for the info...I've seen several places online that say the opposite??  "Amazing Thailand."

Does anyone know if you have to (or can only) apply for a Thai drivers license at the LTO in the province where you reside?

5 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Yup...that dear ol' Beltway,huh?Lol.

When I first relocated to the DC area in 1980, you could drive the beltway midday and not see another vehicle for a minute or two. When I left the area in 2012, it had become a rolling parking lot! Believe me, I don't miss it...Lol  

8 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Right,splendidly put.

 

Could you possibly use paragraphs in future-instead of typing directly from the screen in front of you?

Yes, you're right! There should have been at least a couple of paragraphs in that post. I kind of got carried away with my rant...Lol. Thanks for pointing that out.

13 hours ago, wotsdermatter said:

Please, tell us if you travel in Europe< Canada, and the USA, if you see many police "managing traffic" because when I travel in other countries it is a rare occurrence to see police unless they are hiding somewhere with their radar guns or controlling traffic at collision scenes, etc.  While Thailand has a poor record other countries do not necessarily fare better, regardless of reports from worldwide agencies.

Wotsdermatter makes an excellent point here...I'm an expat from the USA, only been here in Thailand for a year.  I lived in the Washington, DC/Northern Virginia area for 32 years. The driving habits of a significant number of Americans are atrocious. The U.S. has cracked down hard on drunk drivers over the past 20 years or so, but reckless driving and excessive speeding has increased substantially. And, yes, you can drive for literally hundreds of miles without seeing a police officer! It had gotten to a point, in my area, where I was literally afraid to drive on the Capitol beltway in Washington. A local news crew drove around the beltway to determine average speed. After completing the 64 mile/103 Km trip, they discovered an average speed per vehicle at 136 Km/hour. The posted speed limit is 105 km/hour. What saves the U.S. and probably a lot of other non-Asian countries, from the road carnage being experienced here in Thailand, is significantly better equipment, i.e., newer and better maintained vehicles. Annual vehicle inspections are pretty much standard in most U.S. states. Things like brakes, lights, and tires are rigorously inspected. Vehicles failing these inspections are taken off the road until appropriate repairs are made. I know first hand because my tires failed one year and I couldn't legally drive my car until they were replaced. There are currently measures being taken to target "aggressive" driving in the U.S., similar to what has been done with impaired driving. Penalties are severe. Additionally, when you get a speeding ticket in the U.S. your car insurance rates get jacked through the roof for at least 3 years!  The bottom line is that we are now living in a "Me Me Me" "Now Now Now" world. It's not just Thailand. 

11 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Don't forget that you will need 2 licenses one for a car and one for a motorcycle, the LTO may accept photocopies of your paperwork for the second licence, but they could insist on originals (in Udon Thani copies are OK)

 

If you don't fill in 2 applications you will only get a car licence and will be illegal on a motorcycle.

Thanks for that reminder.  It says somewhere, maybe the LTO website, that photocopies are ok for one of the two license applications. But I'll probably try to take 2 sets of originals just in case.

Thanks for your helpful reply.

DH

25 minutes ago, BEVUP said:

It Jo Ho in Korat & was in August last yr

I only sat 30 mins of the 1 hr movie as they must have decided they will go through with it since they hadn't seen a lisc from Auss like mine

The test was

* Big circle with coloured dots

* Put your head in like a 3D set of glasses & identify the colours in the corner of your eyes

* Accelerator/ break - Hit the accelerator (lights go up pretty quick like a drag car start & hit the brake before turning red

 

Good luck

PS You may need a COR (cert of residence ) from Immigration 

Thanks, BEVUP for the information. I just did my 90-day report last week and got a letter from the immigration officer stating my residence here. I also got a medical certificate yesterday from a local clinic here in my town. My Passport is also fully up to date. My only concern is this IDP thing. I will bring the one I have even though it expired last November. My USA drivers license is for both car and motorcycle and is good through 2020. I'll let you know what happens next week. 

Thanks again for your help.

DH

30 minutes ago, BEVUP said:

Hello Davhend

As Somtimes mentioned this would be the most logical answer at this stage

Is there any hurry, if not why not just take as many documents as you can (like if you were going to Immigration with the suitcase ) the next time you thumb a ride in the local pickup.

Just drop in & see 

In my case it took 4 hrs but had to be early 7.30 am 

Had Auss lisc (english ) no IDP

Do three physical tests, no exam & watch a movie (that time varies )

All done no problem

 

Thanks, BEVUP...  May I ask how long ago you applied and at which office? I'm encouraged that you didn't need the IDP.  I always take more than I need for all this kind of stuff, just in case. I fully agree with you on that.  Thanks again for your kind reply.

DH

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

Can't you get a Thai speaker to phone the LTO office to ask what they require from you?

My Thai wife speaks very little English, and from what I've experienced in these governmental offices, the folks there speak very little English as well. I'm not sure what would be lost in translation. I'm not sure that my wife would be able to ask this specific question; although I don't have a lot to lose. Thanks for your reply and kind suggestion.

DH

1 minute ago, sometimewoodworker said:

There is no standard answer that applies to all LTO offices.

 

Some will require an IDP, some maybe OK with your licence only.

 

It maybe that some will accept an expired IDP and valid licence.

 

Some will not accept either or both.

 

The only way to be sure is to try it at the most convenient LTO.

Thanks for your kind reply.

The reason I would like to find out beforehand is that the nearest LTO office to where I currently live is 40 miles away and I don't have a car. So it is not convenient to take a baht taxi (back of pick-up) truck just to find out. But I also realize that may be what I need to do, or try to get another IDP from USA. I can get one but it's a little tricky. 

Thanks again for your reply.

DH

Hello all,

Can't seem to get a straight answer to this:

for first 2 year Thai drivers license do I need both a current license (USA) AND an International drivers permit? My American license is current and in ENGLISH. My IDP is 3 months expired. I have searched all over the net and the answers vary. Some say If your foreign license is in English, that is all you need. Others say you need both the IDP and the current foreign license in English. WHICH IS IT???

Anyone know the answer to this question I would be forever grateful.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

DH

3 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

Well said.

 

OP, you think too mutt.

 

All Thais have to transact many different things at government offices every year. The majority can't afford color copies.

 

 

Good point, Sir...