5 Year Driving Licence renewal

[ouredd]

 Anybody been to get 5 year driving licence renewal at Pattaya recently.What's the best time to get there in the morning and do I need a doctors certificate.Also how long can you wait to renew it after you're birthday to get the extra year.Birthday falls on the weekend

[wgdanson]

Morning. Yes, Dr's certificate.

Are you wanting the extra year to save money, Bht 500 for 5 years = Bht 100 a year, 500 for 6 years = Bht 83 per year. Or to save you time? Will you be able to remember whether it was 5 or 6 years ago when you last went when it expires?

[johng]

At Pattaya you need to get there early  for when they open the doors at 8AM ( get there earlier though because there will be a queue already )  when the doors open go straight to the ticket machine and get a "number for foreigners"  then wait for the number to appear on the LCD screen and go present your documents  upstairs..if you go up before your number is called they'll send you away again...then the fun starts.

 

To renew a five year to five year you don't need a medical certificate.

Its been said you can  safely  renew up to a year after expiry without them making you do the whole kaboodle a couple of days after the expiry date will be fine  and you'll get a bonus of almost another year validity too.

[ouredd]

Thanks for replies,nothing to do with saving money,birthday is on the weekend.Will get a doctors certificate before I go as I don't want to risk somebody telling me you need to go and get one

[DavisH]

46 minutes ago, ouredd said:

Thanks for replies,nothing to do with saving money,birthday is on the weekend.Will get a doctors certificate before I go as I don't want to risk somebody telling me you need to go and get one

No Dr certificate is needed for a renewal of a 5 yr licence (unless Pattaya has a different rule). I recall a dr certificate was required for the first (2 yr licence). You can renew up to a year after your 5 yr licence expires - I renewed one day after expiry and got nearly 6 years. I don't suggest driving around on an expired licence, so do it asap after it expires. You need a copy of your passport and either a WP with your address or the residence certificate from Immigration. Get there early and get in the queue. 

[giddyup]

6 hours ago, ouredd said:

Thanks for replies,nothing to do with saving money,birthday is on the weekend.Will get a doctors certificate before I go as I don't want to risk somebody telling me you need to go and get one

Did my renewal last year, no doctors certificate needed.

[Iforbach]

Hi ..but am i right in saying you need certificate of residence from immigration for renewal of licence thank you 

 

[reargunnerph3]

It took me 5 1/2 hours. Get there early and get a ticket and wait downstairs until your number comes up , go upstairs to the desk at the top of the stairs and have your documents checked and get another ticket and go into a room sign the attendance book, official comes in and gives instructions in Thai only. Watch a video in Thai for 45 minutes. Do the color blindness test. Do the depth perception test if it's working. Do the brake reaction test if it's working, both were busted when I went there. Pay, get another ticket and get a picture taken. I had to come back at 1pm after their lunch break so 5 1/2 hours. Passport, doctors letter and letter of residence required.

[Peterw42]

10 minutes ago, Iforbach said:

Hi ..but am i right in saying you need certificate of residence from immigration for renewal of licence thank you 

 

That can depend on what documents were used for original license, if passport then passport No is on the license, and res cert is relevant. If yellow book and Thai ID No is on license then yellow book is relevant.

[syncmaster7]

as other had mentioned. DLT opens at 8am but be there at least 2 hours before it opens as the line grows longer for DL process. for 5 year renewal, can do it after the expired date and no medical certificate needed. if you have a new passport, meaning that the passport number on your DL is from the old passport, you may need to bring both passports for verification, well at least in my case in Pathumthani. if your address is based on your work permit, bring it also. If you're on a different permission of stay, a residence certificate or yellow book is needed. in case you've changed your address from the previous one, and they noticed it, they will change the address on your new DL and will charge you 50 baht for this.

[mrmicbkktxl]

15 hours ago, DavisH said:

No Dr certificate is needed for a renewal of a 5 yr licence (unless Pattaya has a different rule). I recall a dr certificate was required for the first (2 yr licence). You can renew up to a year after your 5 yr licence expires - I renewed one day after expiry and got nearly 6 years. I don't suggest driving around on an expired licence, so do it asap after it expires. You need a copy of your passport and either a WP with your address or the residence certificate from Immigration. Get there early and get in the queue. 

How about yellow house book and pink id as certificate of residence?

[DavisH]

7 minutes ago, syncmaster7 said:

as other had mentioned. DLT opens at 8am but be there at least 2 hours before it opens as the line grows longer for DL process. for 5 year renewal, can do it after the expired date and no medical certificate needed. if you have a new passport, meaning that the passport number on your DL is from the old passport, you may need to bring both passports for verification, well at least in my case in Pathumthani. if your address is based on your work permit, bring it also. If you're on a different permission of stay, a residence certificate or yellow book is needed. in case you've changed your address from the previous one, and they noticed it, they will change the address on your new DL and will charge you 50 baht for this.

Yes there is a small fee for changing data. I needed to change both my passport number and address. I had to get my address ammended in my work permit first though - actually the Labour office originally did not want to do it without my name in the blue housebook (not possible for me as I'm not a permanent resident). The second time they were approached, they changed it - think they realised the error of they ways lol

I was lucky as 2 of the testing machines were broken. I was in the first batch and got out around 11am.

 

[Peterw42]

3 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

How about yellow house book and pink id as certificate of residence?

See my post number 9. it usually comes down to what documents were presented for original license.

[Henricus]

download the DLT smart Queue app and book a Queue, i went there last week 07.30 and after waiting for more than 2 hours send back home because to many people, after i used the app no problem and finish at 10.30 

[BenCrew]

Will a residence certificate from the Embassy suffice?

[DavisH]

1 minute ago, Henricus said:

download the DLT smart Queue app and book a Queue, i went there last week 07.30 and after waiting for more than 2 hours send back home because to many people, after i used the app no problem and finish at 10.30 

Yes, when I was there, only one person had booked online. It's a good idea. 

[mrmicbkktxl]

2 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

See my post number 9. it usually comes down to what documents were presented for original license.

Oh well on my DL is old address and old PPnumber,does that mean I will need a certificate of residence from the immigration?

[Peterw42]

2 minutes ago, BenCrew said:

Will a residence certificate from the Embassy suffice?

Usually yes but keep in mind a couple of consulates dont issue them anymore. (Australia)

[Peterw42]

6 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

Oh well on my DL is old address and old PPnumber,does that mean I will need a certificate of residence from the immigration?

In that case it would be Res Cert and you would probably need old and new passport to update those details.

 

You can, in theory, switch to a license based on yellow book (Thai ID No not Passport) but when I enquired it meant cancelling existing license and start again.

Edited September 10, 2019 by Peterw42

[apetryxx]

Yes, you need either a certificate of residence from immigration costs Bt 1000 and good for only one transaction OR yellow Book. Either will suffice.

[Peterw42]

Just now, apetryxx said:

Yes, you need either a certificate of residence from immigration costs Bt 1000 and good for only one transaction OR yellow Book. Either will suffice.

Either will suffice for initial license and then ongoing renewals but some offices will insist on the original documents being used for any renewals , yellow book for yellow book renewals etc.

 

Which office charges 1,000 baht, thats very expensive for a Res Cert, mostly free or a couple of hundred baht.

[owl sees all]

My driving licence expires next November. At the mo' I'm in the 10th year of an 11 year licence. I hope to get another 11 years. But if not then five I guess.

[topt]

23 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Which office charges 1,000 baht, thats very expensive for a Res Cert, mostly free or a couple of hundred baht.

Agreed. Jomtien Immigration was 300 baht for one earlier this year. 

 

There were reports that yellow Book is not accepted anymore at Pattaya DLT but not sure how that works if you originally used one? 

[Jaxxper]

1 hour ago, Iforbach said:

Hi ..but am i right in saying you need certificate of residence from immigration for renewal of licence thank you 

 

In Banglamung if you want car and MB licence you’ll need two residence certificates from Immigration. Little bit of a con because they just print two off and stick your photo on each. Charge you for two of course...555

[jtb]

I'm sitting outside Banglamung DLT as I type this. Arrived 7.30am. Small crowd waiting outside and numbered tickets were being handed out on the entrance steps. I got #15. Doors opened at 8am. Went to document check at 8.45. No medical certificate required for 5 year renewal and, although Jomtien IO will tell you you need two residency certificates for car and bike licences (and charge you accordingly - 300b each), you don't. One plus a photocopy is sufficient. Despite my early arrival I was given another number and told to return at 11.30 so I don't expect to be out of here much before 1pm. Ho hum.

Edited September 10, 2019 by jtb
Added info

[johng]

9 minutes ago, Jaxxper said:

In Banglamung if you want car and MB licence you’ll need two residence certificates from Immigration

I've always been able to use 1 original certificate of residence and one copy   while applying for 2 licences at Barnglamung/Pattaya DLT.

 

17 minutes ago, jtb said:

One plus a photocopy is sufficient.

Yep

 

18 minutes ago, jtb said:

I don't expect to be out of here much before 1pm

if they call you to watch the video at 11.30 you might have a chance..there is another video session at 1pm and if you get assigned to that one..then make sure you  have money ready (try not to go to the toilet after sitting through the video as you'll be at the end of the queue again )   get in the  queue to pay quickly  as they stop taking money at 3pm ( or 3.30 )  if you don't pay in time then they won't take  photos and issue the licence  meaning you have to

"come back tomorrow" ....... Thailand 4.0 

[misterphil]

2 hours ago, Iforbach said:

Hi ..but am i right in saying you need certificate of residence from immigration for renewal of licence thank you 

 

Yes you do. 

[misterphil]

I renewed mine at Saraburi last month. 

1 x copy of passport

1 x copy of Non O visa

1 x original residents cert. and a copy of original if applying for both car and motorbike licence

Watched a Thai driving video for 1 hour

Received 5 years and 10 month licences in 10 minutes. 

[johng]

39 minutes ago, johng said:

as they stop taking money at 3pm ( or 3.30 )  if you don't pay in time then they won't take  photos and issue the licence

I just found my notes  from August 2018 visit to the Barnglumung/Pattaya DLT     they stop taking money at 3.30pm

 

Arrived at 8.45  would have been earlier but couldn't find a place to park the car..and once found a place I walked the wrong way straight into the Regents school..so wasted 20 minutes    ( next time take the motorbike)

 

After the document checks on the second floor I was given red ticket number 113

(was told they only process 120 people per day..maybe they meant 120 licence renewals not counting first timers ??)

and told to come back to watch the video at 1pm

the video was useless screen too small to read the subtitles...before it had finished the Thais where separated from foreigners and we "signed the book"   then the Thais came back and "signed the book"   then we all went out and did the eyesight and reaction tests..nobody failed that time but I have seen them fail a couple of people.

(then I made the mistake of going to the toilet)   came back upstairs to a very long queue to pay money  got  queue number 201 and just about got to the payment desk at about 3.15

out the door with 2 new licences at 3.50PM   ????

 

[junkofdavid2]

So if renew 5-year license after expiration, can get almost 6 years validity, correct?

 

Any penalty or extra hassle if renewing after expiration? ????

 

(Other than getting caught by cops or accident while driving with an expired license, which I don't intend to do)

 

By the way, I plan to renew at Bangchak, Bangkok

 

 

Edited September 10, 2019 by junkofdavid2
added info