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