Getting Thai Drivers License (converting from home-country license) at Chon Buri (Pattaya) Department Of Land Transportation

[WaveHunter]

My experience on getting a Thai driving licence (converting from home-country license) at CHONBURI (PATTAYA) DEPARTMENT OF LAND TRANSPORTATION:

I showed up at 8:45am; doors open at 8:30am.  I got queue ticket #29.  It took about 25 minutes for my number to be called and then proceeded upstairs and submitted all of my paperwork for review.

 

• Completed license application (did this before I arrived I arrived at DLT). I am attaching the Original blank copy plus translated copy (since the original is written entirely in Thai).
• original passport plus copies of main, TM7, visa, and extension pages.
• Original + copies of US Drivers license (front and back on the copies) and International Drivers Permit (all stamped pages in the copies).
• Certificate of Residency from Immigration.
• Medical Certificate
• TM30 (signed by landlord...new rule for residency certificate in Chon Buri)  plus rental contract.  Not sure if they are required, but brought them anyway.  They were reviewed, but I don't think they are actually required, considering the girl just passed them back to me.
• I brought extra photos of me (just to be safe) but none are actually required now (at least at ChonBuri).

 

All was approved and I was given another queue ticket for my vision, reaction time testing.  Waited about 15 minutes and was called into the next room along with a dozen other people.  Each person's queue # was called, and then each was quickly tested for red-yellow-green color recognition, and that was it.  Braking reaction and depth perception were omitted for some reason.

 

Then waited about 10 minutes for them to process everyone's results, and given the signed off paperwork to verify that my name was spelled correctly, D.OB. and age was correct, passport number, etc were correct, I signed off on that, and was directed to the pay line where I paid 200 baht, and waited for my queue # to be called for photographing.  That took about 20 minutes of waiting, and then another 30 minutes for them to process the license.

 

All together, start to finish, my time at DLT was about 2 hours, and I left with my shiny new Thai Drivers license.

 

On the whole, ChonBuri DLT is a VERY busy place but seems to be very well organized and the officers there run things very smoothly and politely.  Their English may not be 100% but it's good enough to be helpful, and they do it with a smile on their face so it's a pretty good experience overall.  I was impressed!

 

Application_For_Driving_License_Blank.pdf EnglishTranslation.pdf

[BestB]

So you did not have to sit through the video ?

[WaveHunter]

11 minutes ago, BestB said:

So you did not have to sit through the video ?

No, not required. I was getting my home-country license and Intn'l Driving Permit converting to a Thai license.

[Brer]

Doors opened at 8.00am when I went there, got there at 7.00am there were a few people in front of me. 

Virtually everything as you said.

My reason for not doing the braking reaction test I was told was because their machine was broken, someone might have really slammed the anchors on, however the depth perception had to be done. Video was skipped don’t really know why, maybe because I was a farang.

I walked out with a two year licence, I believe if you know the right palm to grease a five year is possible. 

Anyway happy with two years for a couple of hundred baht.

[WaveHunter]

13 minutes ago, Brer said:

Doors opened at 8.00am when I went there, got there at 7.00am there were a few people in front of me. 

Virtually everything as you said.

My reason for not doing the braking reaction test I was told was because their machine was broken, someone might have really slammed the anchors on, however the depth perception had to be done. Video was skipped don’t really know why, maybe because I was a farang.

I walked out with a two year licence, I believe if you know the right palm to grease a five year is possible. 

Anyway happy with two years for a couple of hundred baht.

When you first walk in the place, it seems sort of like a madhouse, but the place is actually run very efficiently, and all staff seemed so friendly and helpful.  I was seriously impressed!  Not at all what I was prepared for.  Hope the same is true for the DLT in Chiang Mai when I apply for the motorcycle licence upon my move there in a few weeks.

 

Edited October 8, 2019 by WaveHunter

[BestB]

1 hour ago, WaveHunter said:

No, not required. I was getting my home-country license and Intn'l Driving Permit converting to a Thai license.

They make you watch the video irrespective of converting or renewing. Some people reporting now have video is English also. 
 

some also report going later is better as everyone goes early morning but later in afternoon less people and faster

[WaveHunter]

12 hours ago, BestB said:

They make you watch the video irrespective of converting or renewing. Some people reporting now have video is English also. 
 

some also report going later is better as everyone goes early morning but later in afternoon less people and faster

It kind of makes sense that they should require you to watch the video in order to become acquainted with specific Thai rules of the road.  However, all I can tell is is they did not make me watch a video.  Nor was anyone else required to do so in the group of about a dozen people I was grouped with.  We only had to the the color recognition, depth perception, and perspective test...and even that was abbreviated to only testing color recognition.

 

You might be right about going later afternoon.  That has been my experience at Immigration.  I went to Immigration on two separate occasions in the afternoon (around 2pm) on both a Monday and a Friday, which are considered to be the busiest days, and on both occasions, Imm was relatively uncrowded.

 

Edited October 9, 2019 by WaveHunter

[WaveHunter]

Just curious if anyone knows why they gave me this slip of paper when I got my car drivers license?  They said something in Thai with the word motorcycle in it that I did not understand.  I don't know what the code is for that they wrote at the bottom? Are they saying that these are the only documents required to return to DLT for the Motorcycle license, and that that code number is something important?

  

[BestB]

2 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

It kind of makes sense that they should require you to watch the video in order to become acquainted with specific Thai rules of the road.  However, all I can tell is is they did not make me watch a video.  Nor was anyone else required to do so in the group of about a dozen people I was grouped with.  We only had to the the color recognition, depth perception, and perspective test...and even that was abbreviated to only testing color recognition.

 

You might be right about going later afternoon.  That has been my experience at Immigration.  I went to Immigration on two separate occasions in the afternoon (around 2pm) on both a Monday and a Friday, which are considered to be the busiest days, and on both occasions, Imm was relatively uncrowded.

 

Doing my renewal today from 2 year to 5 year.

 

1. no video 

2. need medical , previously did not

3. went in afternoon, all formalities done in 10 mins but long wait for the photo 

[Don Mega]

1 hour ago, WaveHunter said:

Just curious if anyone knows why they gave me this slip of paper when I got my car drivers license?  They said something in Thai with the word motorcycle in it that I did not understand.  I don't know what the code is for that they wrote at the bottom? Are they saying that these are the only documents required to return to DLT for the Motorcycle license, and that that code number is something important?

 

The code at the bottom is the telephone number for the Chonburi provincial transport office.

Edited October 9, 2019 by Don Mega

[jacko45k]

18 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

It kind of makes sense that they should require you to watch the video in order to become acquainted with specific Thai rules of the road.

Actually I thought there was special training for the locals, as surely being so bad cannot possibly come naturally. Two specific ones are'driving like a <deleted>' and 'parking like a <deleted>'.

[johng]

I'm actually quite impressed how most can reverse park their monster trucks into those teeny weenie shopping mall multistory car parking spaces.

[jacko45k]

7 minutes ago, bahtboy said:

I believe, rightly or wrongly) that you are not obliged to watch a video.

Most seemed to be watching one on their phones!

[suet]

interesting post on your experience, I am wondering if we were in another place =} JK! Went today 7/30/20 @ 9:45 due to lack of instructions and first arriving at a different office , nonetheless we persevered. Had all paperwork complete before arriving. They had tables set up outside so we got in line and the lady was quite rude ( lacked english or at least acted as such ) and refused to use google translate to communicate. We were then told no motorcycle licence and had to return on Aug 10!! We tried Kinldy to understand and all she was saying with lil english. But all she repeated to us was "no no motorcycle licence, to bring a thai friend. You have to do the same as in your home country like thai people take a test"  I explained I did not understand but had no problem taking a test, then she waved her arms and said "I do not understand bring thai friend" !!!  Needless to say we were quite perplexed and left. most frustrating experience. 

[WaveHunter]

15 minutes ago, suet said:

interesting post on your experience, I am wondering if we were in another place =} JK! Went today 7/30/20 @ 9:45 due to lack of instructions and first arriving at a different office , nonetheless we persevered. Had all paperwork complete before arriving. They had tables set up outside so we got in line and the lady was quite rude ( lacked english or at least acted as such ) and refused to use google translate to communicate. We were then told no motorcycle licence and had to return on Aug 10!! We tried Kinldy to understand and all she was saying with lil english. But all she repeated to us was "no no motorcycle licence, to bring a thai friend. You have to do the same as in your home country like thai people take a test"  I explained I did not understand but had no problem taking a test, then she waved her arms and said "I do not understand bring thai friend" !!!  Needless to say we were quite perplexed and left. most frustrating experience. 

Did you do this in Pattaya; just curious.  To be honest, her advice was good advice; bring someone with you that speaks Thai. 

 

A Thai friend of mine accompanied me.  I did not need her to translate anything (luckily), but perhaps the fact that she was standing by my side throughout the whole process made a difference in how I was treated by the Staff. 

 

I was advised here on ThaiVisa to bring a Thai friend, so it seems to be prudent advice.  I bet things will go a lot smoother for you if you do that.  Good luck; I know these things can sometimes be harrowing experiences LOL! 

Edited July 30, 2020 by WaveHunter

[JohnB1945]

Got my Thai License in Pak Chong, very helpful and Professional. Gave me both car and M/C (two licenses). Made me watch the video on first license (one year) but not on the renewal (five+ years). My Thai wife was also getting the same, which probably helped. 

[Pilotman]

On 10/8/2019 at 9:23 PM, WaveHunter said:

No, not required. I was getting my home-country license and Intn'l Driving Permit converting to a Thai license.

yes, if you have a valid in-date IDP, you don't have to watch the video.