Thai "five year" driving licence.

[wildpikey]

I have just seen this notice on a facebook group.

 

Are the five year driving licences no longer available for Foreigners? or am I missing something here?

Can anyone clarify?

Or have they started a new system where by Tourists on Tourists Visa can now get a Licence, but only for two years.

 

[blackcab]

5 year driving licenses are available to foreigners, but you must have a 1 year extension of stay based on retirement, marriage, work, etc.

 

If you have a 30 day, 60 day or 90 day permission to stay in Thailand then you can only get a 2 year driving license.

[johng]

3 minutes ago, blackcab said:

If you have a 30 day, 60 day or 90 day permission to stay in Thailand then you can only get a 2 year driving license.

I hear that includes the Thailand Elite visa too...only 2 years with that.

[blackcab]

1 minute ago, johng said:

I hear that includes the Thailand Elite visa too...only 2 years with that.

 

Yes, other members have confirmed that this was their experience. The Elite visa is a bit of an anomaly in this regard.

[wildpikey]

What about if you have a Non O Multi, I have always previously got the 5 yr Licence with that.? Or has that option fallen by the wayside now.

[stevenl]

36 minutes ago, wildpikey said:

What about if you have a Non O Multi, I have always previously got the 5 yr Licence with that.? Or has that option fallen by the wayside now.

Non immigrant visa can get you a 5 year license.

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, blackcab said:

 

Yes, other members have confirmed that this was their experience. The Elite visa is a bit of an anomaly in this regard.

I have a 5 year license but I got it about 4 years ago. They issued this to me because I had a 5 year visa. I was expecting another 1 year license at the time so that came as a bit of a surprise.

 

I will renew it shortly after my birthday next year.

[blackcab]

@ukrules Let us know how you get on. Your experience will help other members for sure.

[blackcab]

1 hour ago, wildpikey said:

What about if you have a Non O Multi, I have always previously got the 5 yr Licence with that.? Or has that option fallen by the wayside now.

 

Each office interprets the rules differently. Bear in mind that the Non O Multi is valid for 1 year but allows 90 day stays. Some officers may interpret that one way or the other.

 

The photo in the OP does specifically mention tourist visa, so hopefully you will be ok.

[Mak25]

I received my 5 year license during 1 year B extension. When renewed with a TV at Bang Chak, exactly as the OP photo mentions, they gave me only 2 years because of TV. 

[RBOP]

On a long stay visa when first apply for DL you get one year. The following year you will 5 years when renewing. Never knew they issued DL to tourists. That new on me. 

[ChrisKC]

I had a five year license (Chiang Mai) from 2008 (December) until 14 February 2014. Then I lapsed until September 2018 when I passed a driving and other written test.

My new license (Lampang) is shown to be "continuous" from 2008 and expires on 14 February 2024.

In other words it seems that it is possible to get a new 5 year licence that will actually last nearly 6 years depending on how close to your birthday you apply.

[bronzedude]

Is there a list of requirements for a 5 year license for those with retirement or marriage extensions? Or is it the same list?

[Grusa]

Wife and I recently (three weeks ago) renewed our 5 year DLs, no problem, even though I have turned 70.

[chrissables]

17 hours ago, ukrules said:

I have a 5 year license but I got it about 4 years ago. They issued this to me because I had a 5 year visa. I was expecting another 1 year license at the time so that came as a bit of a surprise.

 

I will renew it shortly after my birthday next year.

Renew it a few days late and it becomes 6 years ????

[jackdd]

https://www.dlt.go.th/en/two-year-license/

Don't get confused by the title of the page, they mixed up the contents.

To get a 5 year driving license it says you need a non-immigrant visa, so it shouldn't matter if you are on the extension of a non-immigrant visa or if you have a multi non-immigrant visa.

[essox essox]

i hope they are I got my 5 yr licence in February this year....and my friend in BKK got his in April.....dont know what your problem is.......

[LivinLOS]

19 hours ago, blackcab said:

5 year driving licenses are available to foreigners, but you must have a 1 year extension of stay based on retirement, marriage, work, etc.

 

If you have a 30 day, 60 day or 90 day permission to stay in Thailand then you can only get a 2 year driving license.

In practice I believe most non imms are accepted.. Perhaps they are less receptive to a single entry non imm but I had to replace some lost licenses and was on a multi entry and it wasnt an issue. 

[LivinLOS]

37 minutes ago, ChrisKC said:

I had a five year license (Chiang Mai) from 2008 (December) until 14 February 2014. Then I lapsed until September 2018 when I passed a driving and other written test.

My new license (Lampang) is shown to be "continuous" from 2008 and expires on 14 February 2024.

In other words it seems that it is possible to get a new 5 year licence that will actually last nearly 6 years depending on how close to your birthday you apply.

yes if you get a new one just after your birthday they always run up to the bob of the expiry year.. 

 

And I just noticed my licenses also date back to 07, when I must have finally got round to doing 5 year licenses.. Never noted that history before. 

[Mikeheart]

I can only say I changed from 2 year to 5 year in Chiang Mai about 3 months ago. I am on a multi. O visa

[blackcab]

58 minutes ago, RBOP said:

On a long stay visa when first apply for DL you get one year. The following year you will 5 years when renewing. Never knew they issued DL to tourists. That new on me. 

 

The one year license has been replaced with a two year license now.

[VirgoSG]

19 hours ago, johng said:

I hear that includes the Thailand Elite visa too...only 2 years with that.

FYI, I have a Thailand Elite visa and this week I renewed my licence for a further 5 years (in Koh Samui) without any problem.  There was no mention of my visa type during the process of renewal.  

[essox essox]

1 minute ago, VirgoSG said:

FYI, I have a Thailand Elite visa and this week I renewed my licence for a further 5 years (in Koh Samui) without any problem.  There was no mention of my visa type during the process of renewal.  

thats the problem many people get very very confused.....and thailand does NOT make it easy .....

[HarryAbel]

Vaguely relevant: I could not get a driver licence on a tourist visa (tried both offices in Bangkok, June and July 2019).

[recom273]

17 hours ago, blackcab said:

 

Each office interprets the rules differently. Bear in mind that the Non O Multi is valid for 1 year but allows 90 day stays. Some officers may interpret that one way or the other.

 

The photo in the OP does specifically mention tourist visa, so hopefully you will be ok.

In my experience they don’t have a clue at a (provincial) DLT. It’s not their job to decipher the difference between a ME and extension of stay. 

 

The last time I renewed, the guy issuing licenses didn’t have a clue, he tried to issue a 2 year ticket - I then pulled out a print out of the DLT website, he then made a phone call, and I heard the reply in Thai, if the guy has a Non-O - 5 years. 

 

I told him I had a Non-O (I had a ME) he squinted at the sticker, I pointed it out, then he called over 2 people from the queue, laughed and said “passa angkrit, Mai pben” they all stood their scratching their heads then granted me a 5-year license. 

[essox essox]

1 minute ago, recom273 said:

In my experience they don’t have a clue at a (provincial) DLT. It’s not their job to decipher the difference between a ME and extension of stay. 

 

The last time I renewed, the guy issuing licenses didn’t have a clue, he tried to issue a 2 year ticket - I then pulled out a print out of the DLT website, he then made a phone call, and I heard the reply in Thai, if the guy has a Non-O - 5 years. 

 

I told him I had a Non-O (I had a ME) he squinted at the sticker, I pointed it out, then he called over 2 people from the queue, laughed and said “passa angkrit, Mai pben” they all stood their scratching their heads then granted me a 5-year license. 

hence me saying earlier that it is all confusing here.....they do not make anything easy....

[allen303]

Talking about in each DL office doing thing different. This is not in reference to renewal but new DL.

Went to Nonthaburi DL office last week for my DL. I have a CDL class A (Commercial  Driver License) with HAZMAT endorsement, from Florida USA. Show the first girl and she said no good. The wife was with me so argued the point that a CDL is best you can get. Showed the wife’s Class E (regular license). She took to the head lady at the desk who gave to someone and went into the back. He comes out and gives to her and tells her something. She calls use over and states, he can only drive trucks no car so cannot issue him a license. Wife started to argue bit I just smiled and said never mind, no use. Some times in Thailand you just have to smile and say yes.

 

 

Will try Bangkok or just wait, have to go back to the states and need to renew any way. Don’t need a CDL any more, Class E cost less and less trouble to renew.

[The Theory]

I renewed/replaced my 2 year by a 5 year DL&ML 2 months ago. I’m on retirement extension. 

[Rdrokit]

17 minutes ago, HarryAbel said:

Vaguely relevant: I could not get a driver licence on a tourist visa (tried both offices in Bangkok, June and July 2019).

Why would you want a Thai drivers license on a tourist visa? You should have a International Drivers License issued from your home country to drive with.

[fvw53]

13 minutes ago, Rdrokit said:

Why would you want a Thai drivers license on a tourist visa? You should have a International Drivers License issued from your home country to drive with.

Yes indeed