Renewing Licence (Immigration Office Not Playing by the Book!!)

[Steps]

Hi All,

  I know there is a wealth of posts about renewing driving licence but i wanna post my specific situation................ and experience. 

 

I got my car and motorbike licence in Trat 5 years ago. I went back 2 months ago to renew the licence and was met with some unforeseen problems which was quite frustrating. When i went to immigration to get the neccessary documents, the individual who addressed me was very rude and abrupt and basically told me that i didn't have the right documents. I am well aware of Thai Bureaucracy and different rules for different offices. I clearly had the documents that it states on the web site (https://www.dlt.go.th/en/renew-license/) and have pointed this out but i am getting nowhere. 

 

This is what i have been told i need:

Immigration:

 

- Passport and work permit copy (2 set only car and 3 set with motorbike)

 

- Picture (2 set only car and 3 set with motorbike)

 

- Company house register

 

- HR Staff ID (On behalf of the company)

 

 

Provincial Transport Office to extending :

 

- Copy of Passport and work permit (I think 2 copies)

 

- A copy of the driver's license, personal or lifelong (with actual license), a license under the law of the Land Transport Department, which has not yet expired. *** (with actual version) ***

 

- Two photos of two inches ***(photo not more than 6 months). 

 

- Health check up.

 

- Fee about 505+

 

So since they have got me jumping through hoops, i want to know if i can renew my drivers licence in Chonburi seeing i will be going there for a visit soon. Does it matter what office you renew it from? Does it matter that my work permit is from another province? Does Chonburi follow these requirements? https://www.dlt.go.th/en/renew-license/

 

Thank you

 

[stevenl]

If you have a work permit you don't need immigration at all. Just go straight to DLT with coppies and original passport, copies and orginal work permit, copies and orginal DL, doctor's certificate.

 

No photos required at the DLT.

[Steps]

2 hours ago, stevenl said:

If you have a work permit you don't need immigration at all. Just go straight to DLT with coppies and original passport, copies and orginal work permit, copies and orginal DL, doctor's certificate.

 

No photos required at the DLT.

Hi Ste,

  I did that and they sent me to immigration to get some document. When i got to immigration i hit a complete road block. So can you tell me if this will be OK if i do it in Chonburi?

 

Thanks

 

Edit: The above list of requirements all came from immigration and without the document from them, according to the DLT, i will not be able to renew for another 5 years.

 

I was also supprised by this bit:

A copy of the driver's license, personal or lifelong (with actual license), a license under the law of the Land Transport Department, which has not yet expired. *** (with actual version) ***

 

I think they know that this is not possible because it ran out at the end of last year!!

[jackdd]

18 hours ago, Steps said:

I did that and they sent me to immigration to get some document.

[...]

and without the document from them

And what's the name of this mysterious document?

[Steps]

3 hours ago, jackdd said:

And what's the name of this mysterious document?

It was 4 months ago, but if you insist:

 

ORIGINAL PRESENT RESIDENT ADDRESS IN THAILAND CERTIFY FROM EMBASSY / IMMIGRATION BUREAU (VALID FOR 1 YEAR) OR WORK PERMIT WITH ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY

 

This is off the DLT website https://www.dlt.go.th/en/renew-license/ so i am guessing this is what i had to get.

 

So are you saying you never had to get such a document? and if so, where did you reapply for your licence (if you have one!).

 

Also, can you answer any of my questions above and be a god Samaritan? 

 

Thanks

[stevenl]

6 minutes ago, Steps said:

It was 4 months ago, but if you insist:

 

ORIGINAL PRESENT RESIDENT ADDRESS IN THAILAND CERTIFY FROM EMBASSY / IMMIGRATION BUREAU (VALID FOR 1 YEAR) OR WORK PERMIT WITH ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY

 

This is off the DLT website https://www.dlt.go.th/en/renew-license/ so i am guessing this is what i had to get.

 

So are you saying you never had to get such a document? and if so, where did you reapply for your licence (if you have one!).

 

Also, can you answer any of my questions above and be a god Samaritan? 

 

Thanks

From your requirements: OR WORK PERMIT WITH ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY.

 

Since you mention you had a workpermit, I really don't understand the issue and why you went to immigration.

[jackdd]

As stevenl said two times already now, you don't need anything from immigration if you have a work permit, because the work permit also proves your address, as you can also read for example here: http://thailawonline.com/en/business/work-permits/work-permits-in-thailand.html

Before you always just said that you need "a document", if i would work in the immigration and somebody wants "a document" from me, because they have no idea what they actually want i would also not be willing to put much effort in this.

Get the documents as listed on the DLT website, take these documents to the DLT (you don't need anything from immigration) and probably you will get your extension.

If they really want any other documents request that they write down (in thai) what documents exactly they want to have, take a picture and post it here.

The DLT in Chonburi could refuse to do it because you are registered in another province (maybe they still do it, i don't know for sure, never tried it ;))

[Steps]

47 minutes ago, stevenl said:

From your requirements: OR WORK PERMIT WITH ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY.

 

Since you mention you had a workpermit, I really don't understand the issue and why you went to immigration.

The DLT sent me there and this was after showing them my work permit, passport (all up to date) and driving licence which had ran out on that date.

 

Believe me i was frustrated and confused as you!

[Steps]

32 minutes ago, jackdd said:

As stevenl said two times already now, you don't need anything from immigration if you have a work permit, because the work permit also proves your address, as you can also read for example here: http://thailawonline.com/en/business/work-permits/work-permits-in-thailand.html

Before you always just said that you need "a document", if i would work in the immigration and somebody wants "a document" from me, because they have no idea what they actually want i would also not be willing to put much effort in this.

Get the documents as listed on the DLT website, take these documents to the DLT (you don't need anything from immigration) and probably you will get your extension.

If they really want any other documents request that they write down (in thai) what documents exactly they want to have, take a picture and post it here.

The DLT in Chonburi could refuse to do it because you are registered in another province (maybe they still do it, i don't know for sure, never tried it ;))

Thanks for the reply and info. I will do as you have said. This gives me some hope but it has also confused the hell out of me too!! I have been acting on the instruction of the "experts" .

 

I will follow up with my progress.

 

To be continued............................... 

[tebee]

I managed to get my (first) Thai driving licence in Si Sa Ket using an address in Bangkok last week - so certainly some offices will issue them with out of area addresses. 

[palomnik]

I'm wondering what hoops I may have to jump through about my Thai license.

I used to live in Thailand and I had an automobile license. I left Thailand a couple of years ago and moved to Vietnam. My wallet was stolen while I was in Vietnam, along with my Thai license.

Now I have moved back to Thailand. I want to get my license back. I've taken out a non-resident O visa again, so I should be legal. Presumably I'm still in their computer. Will I be able to do this without any particular hassle?

I'm in Chiangmai, if that makes any difference.

 

Thanks in advance.

[jackdd]

2 minutes ago, palomnik said:

I'm wondering what hoops I may have to jump through about my Thai license.

I used to live in Thailand and I had an automobile license. I left Thailand a couple of years ago and moved to Vietnam. My wallet was stolen while I was in Vietnam, along with my Thai license.

Now I have moved back to Thailand. I want to get my license back. I've taken out a non-resident O visa again, so I should be legal. Presumably I'm still in their computer. Will I be able to do this without any particular hassle?

I'm in Chiangmai, if that makes any difference.

 

Thanks in advance.

I was never in this situation personally, but usually if you are missing any document you have to report it to the police. Then you take the paper that you get from the police to the DLT and there they will tell you what to do.

[Steps]

Hi All,

  So i said that i would report back my experience. I took Jackdd advice and trusted that i had everything that i needed. I made sure i also printed off a copy https://www.dlt.go.th/en/renew-license/ of this page off as i had the dread that the woman would try and dismiss me again and try to send me to immigration. I got a medical certificate from the hospital (as there was a wait for the doctor at the medical centre) and was charged 600THB. As i was sitting there receiving my certificate, i found out that it was only 200THB for a Thai. I tried to contest this but was told that these were the hospital pricing. F*%k em i thought!

  I went to the test centre with all my docs and as i had feared, was told that i needed to go to immigration to get a housing doc off them. I was prepared this time and stood my ground showing them the renew licence off the Thai Government website. The lady was was indifferent to my plea and so there was a gathering of the 3 of the staff. One was sent downstairs to check with someone of higher authority whilst another one got on the phone to check with someone else. I could hear the lady repeating back the conversation on the phone and it was confirmed that i was in fact correct, to there bemusement.

  So in the end i got my licence after the song and dance ritual. The doctors letter was not needed according to them and this was not used. Waste of 600THB but i got my damn licence!

 

Thank you For the help to those who helped me clear this utter confusion and incompetence up.