Are the lifetime driving licenses still valid?  I think I've found my old paper license from 1978.  I'm struggling to read the small characters, but it looks to say "Bai anuyat cop rot", then typed in below is something like "Jakayan yon talot cheep".   Finally found it in with my old Thai ID card and about 16,000 Laotian GIP (from the pre-commie days) plus an autographed photo of Joan Baez when she visited the refugee camp way back when.

>>Are the lifetime driving licenses still valid? <<  No .

Could it be renewed (upgraded or whatever) without having to go through the driver's test? 

Even when you renew a current(new) ones you need to do the tests again, in Pattaya anyway

16 minutes ago, bartender100 said:

Even when you renew a current(new) ones you need to do the tests again, in Pattaya anyway

Also up here in Chiang mai .Its  really very easy anyway ,and does not involve any driving .Up here you do a few reaction type tests and then sit threw a road rules and regulations video for an hour .Thats it .

I changed my old paper lifetime license to the new plastic type last year without any problem. Validity is still for life.

My wife changed her lifetime paper licence to a new style plastic one ....no test no problems just pay the fee and wait to take digital photo at the Pattaya DLT.

On 9/10/2017 at 9:53 PM, anto said:

Also up here in Chiang mai .Its  really very easy anyway ,and does not involve any driving .Up here you do a few reaction type tests and then sit threw a road rules and regulations video for an hour .Thats it .

They made you watch the video again for a renewal in CM?  All I had to do was take the traffic light test (which takes a few seconds) when I renewed there last year.

14 minutes ago, flare said:

They made you watch the video again for a renewal in CM?  All I had to do was take the traffic light test (which takes a few seconds) when I renewed there last year.

Yes .Seems to depend on the day .They had me and another Farang sit by a PC and watch a video in English.The Thais were taken into a class room situation ,with a teacher/speaker .