rahil627

ah yes, your post was valuable too, sorry. im doing this from an old phone, hard to reply to a pageful. your situation is indeed similar to mine. thanks for the input!

this was the answer i was looking for. thank you FriendlyFarang. i wasn't aware of getting another 2 years. this is pretty rad. unfortunately, i don't think one can get a Thai IDP with the 2 year license (on paper, i think). Still a super dope option! btw, Dr. Jack, the certificate of residence actually is as easy as handing over baht, just to the immigration office (personally done at Chiang Mai, Ayyuthaya). the duration is tied to visa expiration. yes, sorry to be vague: i typically live in a nearby country where getting a driver's license is only possible if you have residence card, which expires when that resident card expires, which itself is kinda tied to a proper visa. between those times, it's a problem. ive actually never rode a motorcycle in the US, and i'd imagine it would be strange riding there; I've never rode on a highway except when there's no other choice (my hometown is all highways). i'm used to the Asian way, lol, country-side driving. Once i'm back in the States, i'll try to get one. Thus, getting a license + IDP in a nearby country is interesting to me. The license reciprocation document accepts most nearby countries. Im for sure certain it's easier to obtain than in the US, but i believe the US license lasts much longer than 2 years (at least cars do). anyway, thanks for the info. i got ill driving to and back that provincial land transport office. it was a hot day. ugh. i'll go at it again tho. a good ride.

i was thinking about trying to get a driver's license (again), before i leave the country, since i hear its pretty easy, and because for the countries i want to go to, it's near impossible. Just to have something to show the cops.. (i've only ever had a car driving license) however, from what i heard at the office, it sounds like you can get a 2-year driver's permit(?) on a tourist visa easily (with a certificate of residence), but after that, to get a proper 5-year license, you will eventually need a non-immigrant visa (and then after that you may get an IDP). but i wonder if anyone got the 5-year license with just a tourist visa? if it's not possible or too much hassle to get the 5-year, i'll skip it. It just would be really convenient to have a license in this part of the world, with a simple process. also, is 800 baht for a 'certificate of residence" a crazy price? i read 300, 500, but i was quoted 800 at my local corrupt immigration office here in Ayutthaya city. The driver's license total cost is less than that! (which is incredible compared to many Western countries!) pro-tip: for anyone doing this, the city's transport offices were booked like two months in advance (Chiang Mai city, Ayutthaya city) when i checked, but you can get an appointment within the same week easily in a smaller town in the same province (Maha Rat, Ayutthaya province) sources: expatden

just want to update: got my second shot on September 1st, and Bang Sue is still the same as before: nearly empty, no queue, about 30 people waiting for "observation". as for the vaccine passport, it still exists. It takes like a week, and you should get it after you have all the doses you want on record. (I got it after the first shot, thinking they could just easily stamp the next one--nope! Must wait another week, and create a whole new passport...? (also, somehow, they screwed my first one up, showing only a 2nd dose, when it was my 1st; maybe the lady was trying to help me out?)) but yeah, hopefully the app is enough, i'll try it tomorrow. update: can't download the app because my iOS device is too old, lol. One day i'll get a newer one... one day.

yeah, i noticed the agreement, but i read the reality is different: that no one cares about it. im surprised to hear so many people cite that old agreement! cool. then yeah, i agree: the thai license is def worth getting. i'll try do it asap, thanks! anyway, it'll be nice to have like 3 motorcycle licenses to feign to the cops my lawfulness.

ah ok. a traveller who just came from Vietnam (to Thailand) was checked a few times, so i just thought about this... and maybe it'll make renting easier? no one has ever stopped me in Thailand, during the pandemic, but i feel all is changing now; as tourism begins again, so do scams (including the police). I imagine it's the same over there... anyway, it's only 30 days, so unfortunately, i don't have the time to buy and sell a bike i really like, which leaves renting. =/

i read somewhere about using the Thai driver's license in other countries? or is it some special ASEAN sticker or something?? just thinking whether or not i should get one here in Thailand before i go to Vietnam for a bit, as it's a surprisingly simple process here. From what i've read, Vietnam's motor-vehicle bureaucracies are a <deleted>, and you basically need a Vietnam driver's license and a vehicle already registered there. I'm not even sure if international driver's permit works there! if that were true, then all short-term tourists are driving illegally?? https://aseannow.com/topic/397894-thai-drivers-license-in-vietnam/ - from 2010

dang, yeah, i believe everyone about long-term Malaysia being a pain... i just felt it was a relief to get a visa so easily, lol. i normally live in Taiwan... and well, Taiwan seems to have imported the overly fearful and safety-oriented government from nearby Japan, and is probably one of the last countries to re-open (along with Japan). Even family couldn't go back for two years (very strange for being such a family-oriented culture...). the people are so different from the gov, barely caring about covid. and now, the missile game with China... =[ in hindsight, maybe i could've done a big Latin America trip..?

in the post in the link i provided, just above your post, i mentioned this, but i'll elaborate here: in my experience, i was able to go to malaysia, no problem, no vaccine check, BUT, on my way back, there was a vaccine check by a Thai health person (disease control center or whatever). I only had one vaccine just two weeks before (here in Thailand!!!), and i was just lucky to be able to get by that dousche-bag. You really need proof of two shots to get by that guy, doesn't matter when, even if it's just some kind of web-site thing from any country in any language (i saw other people just show their phones). Another worker somehow helped me go through, knocking some sense into that dude. (i likely have a higher effectiveness rate than that dude, since i just took it!) this is just my experience at the pedang besar station

dang, super interesting but unfortunate to hear that about yet another south east asian country: corrupt governments doing nothing with money, again? =[. I wonder how can one do worse than not have any sort of public water storm drainage system at all? (as the rivers around Ayuthaya begin to flood, as it does every year). The traditional house on stilts is legitimately a good private solution. i think you're right though, i should cherish that during my stay (outside of Bangkok) i've felt very safe and nothing bad has ever happened, day and night (as a male). Thai people def don't bother others. A peaceful time. =] (...except the Thai party music)

just wanted to update (from page 1), i opted for a trip to Malaysia for a visa-exempt thingy, more info if interested here: https://aseannow.com/topic/1149321-pedang-besar-visa-run i did this because i already wanted to leave (for a long time now..!), and just needed a little more time to pack up, sell stuff, 'n do some planning, and just not be rushed. 30 days is enough for me. Also because i wanted to take one last train ride to see the country once more before leaving. Thailand is absolutely not for me, but it was a relatively peaceful exile during the covid pandemic, away from all the governments 'n people crazed by the pandemic. =] Malaysia 90-day visa-exempt on the other hand was indeed super easy, professional, uncorrupt, and reminded me of how much of a pain it is worrying about visas here (in Thailand)! When the Malaysian immigration officer stamped me 90-days for free without question, it felt like a blessing! I thought, <deleted>, maybe i should have rode my motorcycle down to Malaysia long ago? ah well, the pandemic nightmare is over (or normalized) now, time to move on.

i did this... posted in an old thread: https://aseannow.com/topic/1149321-pedang-besar-visa-run unless you live in the south, it might be cheap enough to take a flight somewhere, because that's very very long roller coaster. as for the covid visa in ko samui, it was long ago, maybe last winter.

i've had normal 60 day covid visas, no consideration in: ko samui i've had "under consideration" two weeks in the following counties (annoying): chiang mai ratchaburi hua hin surat thani (at a higher price?; don't remember; didn't do) i've had "special" visa offered at a special price (~3500thb) in the following counties (but never took any offers): ayuthaya ko phangan (when it first opened, iirc) surat thani (i was given a choice after i said i was traveling north by motorcycle, iirc) as for how early, it's between a week before to a month before. too many factors determine it to be certain. anyway, 'tis the end of an era of covid visas!

thread revival? completed just before the covid-visa deadline. I didn't need 60 days, so i took a last epic train trip, before i fly out. trains are indeed running between Hat Yai and Pedang Besar, 50 baht, only two times: morning and afternoon, both ways, at separate times, which gives you just enough time to make it back. i think i took the 2pm to go to Malaysia, and tried the 4:30pm to come back to Thailand (i took the morning 9am'ish train back to Thailand). I arrived in Hat Yai in the morning, and "Hat Yai backpackers" was closed, but i still had good energy from sitting for so long, so i thought, might as well continue! the train was delayed so i had just enough time to go back, but that because i was also the last person to pass immigration (they couldn't find my departed stamp, which was thankfully on a very early page, saving valuable passport space). i tried to do it in the same day but was told i must stay at least one night by Malaysian immigration, and then told "enjoy Malaysia for a night" by another worker, along with giggles by the female workers. otherwise, very good immigration people, super straight-forward, like at an airport, both ways. However there was one snag: there's a Thai disease control person checking for vaccines upon re-entering Thailand (Malaysia didn't care, super easy). I only had one vaccine (a few weeks ago!!), about to do my second, thankfully, a kind and beautiful immigration assistant told that dude i'm fine (unfortunately health institutions don't care if you had the real covid or not...). The guy was bureaucratic-minded / lacking common sense, as he couldn't understand that i've been living in Thailand during covid. Otherwise, a good, quick experience after so many dreadful immigration office visits in Thailand! 30-days, no questions asked. ...with the exception of this 1 day being stuck in Malaysia. There's nothing near the Pedang Besar (Malaysia-side, Thai-side is closed?). You'd have to walk two kilometers out or take a taxi to get to the closest urban area, and i doubt there's a backpacker-style hostel. Best just skip to Buttersworth / Pedang for like 10myr (or if you know a decent stop along the train). I didn't see anyone to exchange money with at the station either. You'd have to use a credit/debit card at the train ticket machine! Otherwise, maybe you can just skip the ticket gate (there's a gate next to it to go to the toilet), sneak into Buttersworth, and try to exchange and pay there. I think they'd be... more competent than the train station people at Pedang Besar. if you can find the minivan for 50 baht in Hat Yai, that might be better? more guaranteed you can make it back? not sure... anyway, i just wanted to say, post-covid-visa, this is an option... but very very far and long from central Thailand. i think it took like 18 hours for the special "express" (supposed to be 15hr? not sure...). who knows how long for the "rapid". cheapest route is the "rapid" (read: slow) train 17X, from Bangkok (maybe goes to Bang Sue?) to Hat Yai: 260 for 3rd class 450? for 2nd class seat ? for 2nd class sleeper (fan) i don't like freezing air conditioner. new coaches of 3rd class (at least in special express) have blinding white light all night, you gotta walk around and find an old coach with dim lights to pass out in. Food and drinks (sugary) come every hour, for 18 hours, sometimes every 30 minutes. i think the special express trains add a standard fee across all coach types (but i'm not 100% sure...), only like 150 or 200 baht or something. Hopefully they skip a few stops, maybe have slightly better coaches. tldr: probably better to fly for most people, unless you want ab-exercises via roller-coaster treatment. I just wanted to do one last long train ride, and avoid paying my local corrupt immigration officer.

hmmmm, sounds like a trip to me! =] i mean, technically, i didn't have any visa-exempts entries this year... ????