New step added for drivers license renewal Khon Kaen

[KeeTua]

1. First go to DLT and get a form letter from DLT requesting Immigration issue certificate of residence. This form letter will have your name and passport number. It's free. This new step is apparently the idea of Immigration.

2. Go to Immigration with the DLT letter. Don't enter the main office use the walk-up window to the right near the copy machine. Immigration will now issue a free certificate of residence.

3. Return to DLT with certificate of residence.

 

My experience this week. I found out the hard way though and went to Immigration first, same as in the past. They gave me an example of the required form letter and sent me on my way.

 

My translation of the DLT form which is in Thai:

 

>Subject: Requesting the issuance of a certificate of residence in Thailand

Dear Inspector General, Khon Kaen Immigration

DLT received a petition to drive cars/motorcycles in Thailand from John Keetua Smith.

DLT has examined the documents and found them lacking the certificate of residence in Thailand.

Therefore requesting cooperation with Khon Kaen Immigration to issue a residency certificate.<

[Just Weird]

You're lucky, Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok charges B200 but we don't have to get a request letter from the LTD, we just turn up and ask for it using their own form.

[Chassa]

On 11/21/2019 at 12:32 PM, Just Weird said:

You're lucky, Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok charges B200 but we don't have to get a request letter from the LTD, we just turn up and ask for it using their own form.

B500 in Nong Bua Lamphu and NO receipt!

[sandrabbit]

500baht in Rayong, won't allow yellow book or pink ID card anymore. isn't the cert of residence supposed to be free?. 500baht immediately or free in one week .....

[KhunBENQ]

In 2011 I did my first visit to Khon Kaen DLT (city).

I had a res.cert. from immigration with me (paid some 300 or 500 for it).

Whether payment is official? At that time I didn't think about it.

Other DLT visits were at the district town (KK office 2) and they accepted my yellow book. Annoying that some or all offices might refuse it now?

My immigration office is 100 km oneway.

 

Your story has been reported from other places (first get DLT request to immigration and then get a res.cert. for free).

Since cashing in under the table has become more difficult for them they are not keen to issue one for free.

Absurd Thai bureaucrazy.

[GalaxyMan]

In Samui it's just go to Immigration with a photo and passport with valid visa and request address confirmation letter. No mention of DLT.

Edited November 22, 2019 by GalaxyMan

[GreasyFingers]

It might have changed by now but 2 years ago in Phetchabun DLT wanted a residence certificate for a bike transfer. Went to immigration (new office just opened) and they did not know what a Residency Certificate was, but were helpful by giving me a letter. Back to DLT and they did not even look at the letter, just did the transfer.

[Burma Bill]

This was the same procedure for me. Went to DLT in Chum Phae which produced a letter of residency request for me to take to Khon Kaen Immigration. Proof of residency certificate then issued free. Returned to DLT the next day which processed a new 5 year Thai driving licence extension to my 80th birthday. I had to take the tests for color blindness, perception and reaction. 

[Scott Tracy]

Same as Si Saket, as I posted in early October.

[THE LONG ROAD HOME]

The immigration office in Suphanburi charged me 800 baht for the last address confirmation letter. No receipt, take it or leave it. FYI...the young imm. Officer woman running the scam has now been sacked for taking money from foreigners while facilitating the production of false income documents in nearby imm. offices in other provinces. (But not in her own office in Suphanburi). She used to be at the Ayuttaya Office and was transferred to the new Suphanburi office when it opened a few years ago. Heavy set gal with darkish curly hair. Fairly young too. She was always somewhat rude to most foreigners entering the office. I would always watch as the money she demanded would be placed into a brown envelope and taken behind the cubicle walls to the big boss. Thankfully, both her big boss and that greedy gal are gone and the new big boss seems very nice, well educated and goes by the book. I've met and spoken with him personally. Seems like a straight shooter. Lets hope he stays that way for other's sake. I'm leaving and taking the road less traveled soon enough. Goodbye Thailand. It's been mediocre.

[Chazar]

On 11/21/2019 at 10:53 AM, KeeTua said:

This new step is apparently the idea of Immigration.

idiots....yet again more bs paper pushing

[KeeTua]

5 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

In 2011 I did my first visit to Khon Kaen DLT (city).

I had a res.cert. from immigration with me (paid some 300 or 500 for it).

Whether payment is official? At that time I didn't think about it.

Other DLT visits were at the district town (KK office 2) and they accepted my yellow book. Annoying that some or all offices might refuse it now?

My immigration office is 100 km oneway.

 

Your story has been reported from other places (first get DLT request to immigration and then get a res.cert. for free).

Since cashing in under the table has become more difficult for them they are not keen to issue one for free.

Absurd Thai bureaucrazy.

I paid 500 in the past at the old office.

I can't come up with any possible practical reason for the additional step. I often joke with my wife that the Thai way is to take what should be a simple task and find ways to complicate it.

[KeeTua]

3 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

This was the same procedure for me. Went to DLT in Chum Phae which produced a letter of residency request for me to take to Khon Kaen Immigration. Proof of residency certificate then issued free. Returned to DLT the next day which processed a new 5 year Thai driving licence extension to my 80th birthday. I had to take the tests for color blindness, perception and reaction. 

Wow you're lucky you didn't travel all the way to Khon Kaen Immigration first, you must have been informed in advance.  I was extremely annoyed when I found out about it. It's over an hour drive from home to Khon Kaen in the first place and I didn't relish the idea of having to drive halfway across Khon Kaen city 3 times. I kept the annoyance to myself until I got back to our truck then ranted for 5 minutes, poor wife, got it mostly out of my system then proceeded to DLT.

 

One nice thing about the new Khon Kaen Immigration is out the backdoor and to the right are shops and small Thai restaurants selling beer. After our return from DLT I left the wife to wait for the paperwork to get completed and snuck out for a quick beer. After we got the residence certificate we ate at one of the restaurants and it was decent food.

Edited November 22, 2019 by KeeTua

[Estrada]

On ‎11‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 12:32 PM, Just Weird said:

You're lucky, Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok charges B200 but we don't have to get a request letter from the LTD, we just turn up and ask for it using their own form.

When I went to CW for the letter they said it was free but that I would get it by post within 4 weeks.

[Roy Baht]

That's one reason to get a Yellow Tabien Baan (house registration book). Then you don't have to get a certificate of residence every time you renew your drivers license or extend your visa . Also needed to buy a car or condo in your name.

 

https://perfecthomes.co.th/yellow-book-tabien-baan-thailand/

[Andycoops]

Renewed mine a couple of months ago with old licence and yellow book only.

[KeeTua]

3 hours ago, Roy Baht said:

That's one reason to get a Yellow Tabien Baan (house registration book). Then you don't have to get a certificate of residence every time you renew your drivers license or extend your visa . Also needed to buy a car or condo in your name.

 

https://perfecthomes.co.th/yellow-book-tabien-baan-thailand/

Unfortunately our local amphur office isn't too keen on doing the yellow thabian bahn. They're more concerned with getting back to Facebook than rising to the challenge of performing a task they don't do often. I must give credit to one of the bosses at the amphur office for mastering the skill of sleeping while sitting fully upright, dark sunglasses on, baseball cap pulled low with earbuds plugged into his smartphone.

 

I decided it's not really worth the bother since I usually hang on to cars for a long time, motorcycles go in the wife's name. So I think I just need the residence certificate every 5 years. And now that I discovered some nice spots for beer and food at the new Immigration location I'll just hang out there and let the wife deal with getting the certificate.

 

[Burma Bill]

15 hours ago, KeeTua said:

Wow you're lucky you didn't travel all the way to Khon Kaen Immigration first, you must have been informed in advance.  I was extremely annoyed when I found out about it. It's over an hour drive from home to Khon Kaen in the first place and I didn't relish the idea of having to drive halfway across Khon Kaen city 3 times. I kept the annoyance to myself until I got back to our truck then ranted for 5 minutes, poor wife, got it mostly out of my system then proceeded to DLT.

 

One nice thing about the new Khon Kaen Immigration is out the backdoor and to the right are shops and small Thai restaurants selling beer. After our return from DLT I left the wife to wait for the paperwork to get completed and snuck out for a quick beer. After we got the residence certificate we ate at one of the restaurants and it was decent food.

"Wow you're lucky you didn't travel all the way to Khon Kaen Immigration first".

 

I went to the DLT office first who told me I needed the certificate and kindly issued the request letter whilst I waited.

[topt]

10 hours ago, Roy Baht said:

That's one reason to get a Yellow Tabien Baan (house registration book). Then you don't have to get a certificate of residence every time you renew your drivers license or extend your visa . Also needed to buy a car or condo in your name.

 

https://perfecthomes.co.th/yellow-book-tabien-baan-thailand/

Unfortunately Pattaya DLT (one example) have not accepted the Yellow Book for this for a while now. 

[KeeTua]

14 hours ago, topt said:

Unfortunately Pattaya DLT (one example) have not accepted the Yellow Book for this for a while now. 

It wouldn't surprise me if they stop allowing the use of the yellow books for drivers license and vehicle registration. You can be sure people continue to use those books even when they in fact live at a different address and possibly (likely) a different province.

 

No Yellow books allowed forces a visit to local Immigration and some proof of current residence.

[Khon Kaen Jeff]

On 11/21/2019 at 12:32 PM, Just Weird said:

You're lucky, Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok charges B200 but we don't have to get a request letter from the LTD, we just turn up and ask for it using their own form.

A whole Bt200 eh, how on earth did you cope with that?

[Just Weird]

On 11/23/2019 at 7:04 AM, Estrada said:

When I went to CW for the letter they said it was free but that I would get it by post within 4 weeks.

When was that?  I've had two, 2017 and three weeks ago and on both occasions the charge was B200 for everyone and it arrived in, I think, eleven days.

[Just Weird]

4 hours ago, Khon Kaen Jeff said:

On 11/21/2019 at 12:32 PM, Just Weird said:

You're lucky, Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok charges B200 but we don't have to get a request letter from the LTD, we just turn up and ask for it using their own form.

A whole Bt200 eh, how on earth did you cope with that?

Very easily.  I wasn't complaining about it, I was just recounting my experience to the OP.  

[Khon Kaen Jeff]

27 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Very easily.  I wasn't complaining about it, I was just recounting my experience to the OP.  

Yes, he certainly got 'lucky' not paying the 200 baht.

[Khon Kaen Jeff]

On 11/22/2019 at 8:44 PM, KeeTua said:

After our return from DLT I left the wife to wait for the paperwork to get completed and snuck out for a quick beer. 

You little devil, you. Life in the fast lane eh mate..

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, Khon Kaen Jeff said:

4 hours ago, Just Weird said:

Very easily.  I wasn't complaining about it, I was just recounting my experience to the OP.  

Yes, he certainly got 'lucky' not paying the 200 baht.

Jesus...he got lucky (it's a figure of speech, not  literal observation) by not having to pay a fee, it doesn't matter if it was B200 or B200,000, that wasn't the point.

Edited November 24, 2019 by Just Weird

[paulsingle]

Thanks KeeTua for this.

 

My wife and I are living in the UK at the moment but I'm coming to Khon Kaen in January for a short holiday.

 

My 2 year car licence and my 2 year motorcycle licence, both issued in Khon Kaen, will expire on 8th June 2020.

1. Does anyone know whether I will be able to renew 5 months before expiry?

 

I was planning to take mother-in-law to immigration to do TM30 registration as I did originally but will be staying in a hotel in Khon Kaen but not for the full 2 weeks of my holiday.

2. Does anyone know if I could skip taking mother-in-law to immigration and rely on the hotel registering me? I will be at Chada Veranda just next to Tuk Com.

 

 

[KeeTua]

10 hours ago, paulsingle said:

Thanks KeeTua for this.

 

My wife and I are living in the UK at the moment but I'm coming to Khon Kaen in January for a short holiday.

 

My 2 year car licence and my 2 year motorcycle licence, both issued in Khon Kaen, will expire on 8th June 2020.

1. Does anyone know whether I will be able to renew 5 months before expiry?

 

I was planning to take mother-in-law to immigration to do TM30 registration as I did originally but will be staying in a hotel in Khon Kaen but not for the full 2 weeks of my holiday.

2. Does anyone know if I could skip taking mother-in-law to immigration and rely on the hotel registering me? I will be at Chada Veranda just next to Tuk Com.

 

 

I think going into Immigration without a Thai person to confirm your address will be a problem.

 

This forum thread has a lot of good info including going from 2 year to 5 year:
forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1041254-renewing-5-year-drivers-licence-in-bkk/

[paulsingle]

21 hours ago, KeeTua said:

I think going into Immigration without a Thai person to confirm your address will be a problem.

 

This forum thread has a lot of good info including going from 2 year to 5 year:
forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1041254-renewing-5-year-drivers-licence-in-bkk/

Thanks KT. 

I see differing statements on that thread and they pertain to Bangkok. 

I will go to the Por Lor Bor in Khon Kaen and make enquires before I do anything. I'm guessing I will not be able to renew 5 months before expiry. 

I will be out there again 5 months after expiry so that may be another option. 

I will try asking them. 

[KeeTua]

3 hours ago, paulsingle said:

I'm guessing I will not be able to renew 5 months before expiry. 

I will be out there again 5 months after expiry so that may be another option.

I've read in a couple of unofficial places that if your 2 year license expires you need to start from scratch and get another 2 year license. It doesn't have the same flexibility the 5 year license has where apparently you have 1 year after expiration to renew. Good luck.