A Brief Overview Of Getting A Thai License

[Random32]

A quick rundown of the process at the DLT Chatuchak office

 

My license from abroad expired a few years back so I was required to go through the entire process as if I was a new driver. 

 

Day 1: 

*Passport and visa copies, health check certificate from hospital or clinic, and residence affidavit from home embassy (apparently a work permit can be used in lieu of this if the location of employment is noted in the passport, but I cannot confirm).

*A few short physical tests. 
#1) A DLT employee will rotate colors on a street light unit and you will need to announce the colors as they appear (green, yellow, red).
#2) A depth perception test where you will need to align a narrow piece of plastic with another piece of narrow plastic using a two button controller.
#3) You will sit in front of a car pedal and brake unit. When the light turns green, you will step on the accelerator. When the light turns red, you have less than a second to hit the brake. 
#4) A peripheral vision test. While leaning your face into a headrest similar to that at an optometrist’s office, green, yellow, and red lights will appear to the side. You will need to identify the colors while looking straight ahead. 

 

Day 2: 
*VERY IMPORTANT NOTE. You need to wear a collared shirt and long pants. Myself, along with one other foreigner arrived in shorts and despite protest, were not admitted and made to return the following day. No one told either of us about the dress code and I very politely suggested that someone should have informed us of this PRIOR to our arrival. Unsurprisingly, they responded as if they could not believe my audacity to even suggest such a thing.

Therefore, seeing you are dressed appropriately and to their liking, you will will sit through a ridiculous five hours of driving videos. You will follow by taking a 50 question multiple choice test on a touchscreen. You must get 45 out of 50 correct in order to pass. 

 

Day 3:

(Remember the dress code)

You will take a brief driving test on a track at the DLT. It is located adjacent to the main building where the first two days take place. In short, you sit through another video for about 10 minutes explaining the test and what what is required. You then shuffle into another room where you are given a digital unit that plugs into the car cigarette lighter that is used to enter the location number of each task along the track with a start button. No one is in the car with you during the test, but there are DLT employees standing throughout the track. 

You can use your own vehicle as long as it does not have red license plates, or, you can rent one for 100 baht. I would highly suggest renting the vehicle and saving yourself the hassle of finding parking at the DLT, moving your vehicle to the test track, and then parking once again to return the digital unit and obtain test results. 
You will be tested on three very basic driving concepts. The first is driving straight between a line of poles, stopping at the white line, reversing, and once again going forward and stopping at the white line. You will pass as long as you don’t bump any of the poles. 

Second, you will need to park withing 25cm of a curb on the left hand side. If you bump the curb, you fail. 

Third, you will need to parallel park in a confined space, ending within 25cm of the curb. You may only shift between drive and reverse seven times in order to pass. I witnessed numerous people fail this task as well as one slam into the guide poles. Like the previous tests, it you hit the poles or bump the curb, you fail. If you have any experience driving, all three of these tasks should be relatively simple.

If you pass all three tasks, you will return to the main building to collect your license for 205 Baht.

 

Hope this helps. The process is simple and cheap, yet very time consuming. 

[ThaiBob]

Nice summary. When I  got my DL in Pattaya, the required residence certificate came from Pattaya Immigration (photo required) and not my home embassy, of course I had a valid DL from California at the time.  Lesson learned, do not let your home DL expire before getting your first Thai DL.  I have now let my home DL expire and use my Thai DL exclusively. 

[KhunBENQ]

Thanks for the report.

Nothing exceptional found, seems pretty consistent with rules/experiences.

 

Good that you point to the dress code.

In another thread there are still some know better who think they can ignore it (for immigration).

 

[Mavrix]

No dress code in Pattaya...farangs and Thais wearing all sorts

[eTiMaGo]

Re-did mine in Pattaya a couple of months ago, pretty much the same, although we didn't get a fancy digital box!

[Just Weird]

6 hours ago, Random32 said:

 

*VERY IMPORTANT NOTE. You need to wear a collared shirt and long pants. Myself, along with one other foreigner arrived in shorts and despite protest, were not admitted and made to return the following day. No one told either of us about the dress code and I very politely suggested that someone should have informed us of this PRIOR to our arrival. Unsurprisingly, they responded as if they could not believe my audacity to even suggest such a thing.

 

If you think about it rationally it was audacious of you to expect the LTD to have a crystal ball.   How would they know in advance that you were going to arrive inappropriately dressed in order to inform you beforehand? 

 

It is well known that in all government offices in Thailand proper attire is required and illustrated signs are posted to that effect.  That you didn't know this, or chose to ignore it, was not the LTD's fault. 

[ThaiWai]

Most importantly if you are only going for a motorbike or car license only tell them you want both anyway. You never know. Your plans may change and if you don't get them at the same time you have to sit through the five hours of videos and tests and everything else all over again. 

[ThaiWai]

46 minutes ago, Mavrix said:

No dress code in Pattaya...farangs and Thais wearing all sorts

No dress code in Phuket either but all other requirements will be viewed through an electron microscope in any hope of sending a farang packing. 

[realenglish1]

46 minutes ago, eTiMaGo said:

Re-did mine in Pattaya a couple of months ago, pretty much the same, although we didn't get a fancy digital box!

What do you mean by digital box

[electric]

Nice report OP .... but I do feel sorry for you guys living in the big smoke.

 

Buriram DLT. Car licence only.

 

1 - Wear what you like.

2 - Can use Yellow Book for residence confirmation.

3 - Show your International Driver Permit. No videos, no driving test, no 50 questions.

4 - Whole process from walk in the door with no licence, to walk out with new Thai licence took 40 minutes.

 

For the depth perception test ie. lining up the bits of plastic, we have to pull two bits of string !!  5555  No fancy buttons up here in the boonies.

 

 

[ThaiBob]

41 minutes ago, electric said:

Nice report OP .... but I do feel sorry for you guys living in the big smoke.

 

Buriram DLT. Car licence only.

 

1 - Wear what you like.

2 - Can use Yellow Book for residence confirmation.

3 - Show your International Driver Permit. No videos, no driving test, no 50 questions.

4 - Whole process from walk in the door with no licence, to walk out with new Thai licence took 40 minutes.

 

For the depth perception test ie. lining up the bits of plastic, we have to pull two bits of string !!  5555  No fancy buttons up here in the boonies.

 

 

What perplexed me was they wanted a residence affidavit from his home embassy and not Thai Immigration.

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, Mavrix said:

No dress code in Pattaya...farangs and Thais wearing all sorts

There is a notice in the DLT at Pattaya requesting no shorts etc. You may find that some day

someone will not let you in without wearing their dress code.

[rdhowell]

If possible, go to a city elsewhere (not Bangkok). I got mine in Yasothon. A video, a color chart identifying test, exam (with several errors on it btw), and short road test. None of those other requirements.

Much easier.

[Surasak]

Passport, Yellow book, home DL, IDP. No test.  No anything, wait 20 minutes walk out with first licence. Chum Phae KK 10 years ago. First 5 year renewal, no tests. Second renewal one hour video, no tests. I wont be going a gain as I find driving too stressful now. 

[Random32]

3 hours ago, Just Weird said:

If you think about it rationally it was audacious of you to expect the LTD to have a crystal ball.   How would they know in advance that you were going to arrive inappropriately dressed in order to inform you beforehand? 

 

It is well known that in all government offices in Thailand proper attire is required and illustrated signs are posted to that effect.  That you didn't know this, or chose to ignore it, was not the LTD's fault. 

 

Right...I am clearly the one who was supposed to have the crystal ball and magically know that I need a collar on my shirt and long pants to successfully sit in a room for five hours staring at a TV screen. Silly me. Or like you said, how inappropriate of me! Lucky I wasn't deported on the spot!

 

Not like they could have simply told me the first day I was there (wearing shorts) that there is a dress code for day two, which I would have been happy to honor. Oh, wait...actually, that would have been the perfectly reasonable and rational thing to do.  

 

Congratulations....you have gone full native. There is always one....

[Random32]

2 hours ago, ThaiBob said:

What perplexed me was they wanted a residence affidavit from his home embassy and not Thai Immigration.

Yep. I don't know the rhyme or reason behind it, but that's what they wanted. 

[bobonzo]

9 hours ago, ThaiBob said:

Nice summary. When I  got my DL in Pattaya, the required residence certificate came from Pattaya Immigration (photo required) and not my home embassy, of course I had a valid DL from California at the time.  Lesson learned, do not let your home DL expire before getting your first Thai DL.  I have now let my home DL expire and use my Thai DL exclusively. 

What is the issue if your home country DL has expired ? My Texas DL expired years ago but I do have a valid DL from Saudi Arabia.

 

Thanks

[Random32]

4 minutes ago, bobonzo said:

What is the issue if your home country DL has expired ? My Texas DL expired years ago but I do have a valid DL from Saudi Arabia.

 

Thanks

If your home country license is valid, you only have to take the physical tests and watch a 45 minute video. You can skip the full five hours and the driving test. Not sure if they will let you do such with a Saudi licence. Probably worth checking into before it expires. 

[Random32]

4 hours ago, eTiMaGo said:

Re-did mine in Pattaya a couple of months ago, pretty much the same, although we didn't get a fancy digital box!

There really isn't any need for them. There are DLT employees standing throughout the track and CCTV cameras aimed at each task.

[bobonzo]

1 hour ago, Random32 said:

If your home country license is valid, you only have to take the physical tests and watch a 45 minute video. You can skip the full five hours and the driving test. Not sure if they will let you do such with a Saudi licence. Probably worth checking into before it expires. 

thanks i will

[rosst]

On 03/04/2018 at 8:31 AM, ThaiBob said:

Nice summary. When I  got my DL in Pattaya, the required residence certificate came from Pattaya Immigration (photo required) and not my home embassy, of course I had a valid DL from California at the time.  Lesson learned, do not let your home DL expire before getting your first Thai DL.  I have now let my home DL expire and use my Thai DL exclusively. 

Hmmm, just wondering, I have a Philippines Driving licence and an Australian driving licence if I am on a tourist visa, can I get a Thai license? 

Without too much difficulty? 

[bigginhill]

On 4/3/2018 at 12:44 PM, Surasak said:

Passport, Yellow book, home DL, IDP. No test.  No anything, wait 20 minutes walk out with first licence. Chum Phae KK 10 years ago. First 5 year renewal, no tests. Second renewal one hour video, no tests. I wont be going a gain as I find driving too stressful now. 

Is it possibile to go to any office, or does the residence certificate have to tie up with the area the office covers?

[Sattphalat]

Hmmm, just wondering, I have a Philippines Driving licence and an Australian driving licence if I am on a tourist visa, can I get a Thai license? 

Without too much difficulty? 

 

Got this note from DLT . It is possible. Easy if you have a valid international license. A little more hassle if not. You need a proper visa, not only 5 week tourist visa free.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[jackdd]

5 hours ago, Sattphalat said:

You need a proper visa, not only 5 week tourist visa free.

If you have a tourist visa it's no problem.

If you have a visa exempt it depends on the DLT, some might issue you one, some not.

[Surasak]

17 hours ago, bigginhill said:

Is it possibile to go to any office, or does the residence certificate have to tie up with the area the office covers?

It has to be done in the area your residence cert covers.