changing 2 year license to 5 year

[michael888]

Hello,  What is the process and what documents are required to change a soon to expire 2 year Thai DL (Auto and Motorcycle) to a 5 year permanent license.  I have a non imm B and work permit.  Thanks for the responses 

[KC 71]

Passport,DL,health certificate,residence certificate

[soisanuk]

On 2/18/2020 at 9:54 PM, KC 71 said:

Passport,DL,health certificate,residence certificate

You don't mention where you will be doing it.  If obtaining at Banglamung Land Transport Office (Pattaya), you will need old DL (+ photocopy), health certificate (not needed when you renew the 5 year license), and copy of Work Permit - no Residence Certificate is necessary if you have a Work Permit, but they will also want to see your Tax ID. They will require 2 sets of documents - one for auto and the other for motorcycle -- original medical for one and a photocopy of it for the other.    The Pattaya City Expats Club has a checklist of what is Required at Banglamung LTO on their website at:  http://www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com/expats/docs/thai license Checklist.pdf

 

[rwill]

Documents as explained above.  Plus you will have to do the vision/reaction tests again.

 

 

[ianwheldale]

1 minute ago, rwill said:

  Plus you will have to do the vision/reaction tests again.

 

 

That varies. Went from 2yr to 5yr a couple of months ago in Chiang Mai. Only test was identifying colours on traffic lights set up behind the counter. In and out in under an hour!

[StevieAus]

1 hour ago, ianwheldale said:

That varies. Went from 2yr to 5yr a couple of months ago in Chiang Mai. Only test was identifying colours on traffic lights set up behind the counter. In and out in under an hour!

I live in Chiang Mai Province but live further North

Last year I renewed the car and motor bike licence at the local office but unlike the City office wouldn’t accept the pink ID card as proof of residence requiring the Immigration certificate.

I had to do the color tests, braking test and watch my own DVD in English about things I learned over fifty years ago.

The only benefit was that my DVD finished before the Thais and they issued both licences for six years.

Bizarre !!!

[transam]

4 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

I live in Chiang Mai Province but live further North

Last year I renewed the car and motor bike licence at the local office but unlike the City office wouldn’t accept the pink ID card as proof of residence requiring the Immigration certificate.

I had to do the color tests, braking test and watch my own DVD in English about things I learned over fifty years ago.

The only benefit was that my DVD finished before the Thais and they issued both licences for six years.

Bizarre !!!

If it is a little after your birthday you get near 6 years...

Do you have a yellow house book...?

[tinca tinca]

On 2/18/2020 at 9:54 PM, KC 71 said:

Passport,DL,health certificate,residence certificate

dont need doctors cert if applying AT Pattaya D L T

[tinca tinca]

2 hours ago, rwill said:

Documents as explained above.  Plus you will have to do the vision/reaction tests again.

 

 

what about the PERCEPTION TEST ???

[richard_smith237]

 

1) 2x Photo Copies of your Passport and Visa Page

2) 2x Medical Certificates (originals - tell any health clinic its for a driving licence, they’ll have a format)

3) 2x *Proof of Address (from Immigration or Embassy, or yellow house book and pink ID card)

4) Existing Driving Licence and Motorcycle Licence

 

 

 

*Work Permit is no longer considered proof of address as the new Work Permits do not contain your address. 

*If you have done a 90 day report you will be able to get a Letter of Residence from your local immigration office (it has been reported this can sometimes take 2 weeks to issue).

*Alternatively, you can go to your Embassy and get an Affirmation of Residence (x2, an expensive option)

*If you have one, you can also use your Yellow Tambien House Book & Pink ID card (this works for some at some DLT’s but not others, apparently Pattaya DLT don’t accept the Yellow Tambien House Book & Pink ID card as proof of address). 

 

 

Procedure: 

To renew 2yr temp licence to 5yr Driving / motorcycle licence. 

Present documents, if everything in order, do the simple tests (reaction, proximity, peripheral colour), receive your renewed licence (Note: there can be plenty of waiting time between all this, it took me about 4 hours at the DLT in Bangkok). 

 

 

 

[scubascuba3]

When going 2 to 5, how do you get 6?

[tinca tinca]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

1) 2x Photo Copies of your Passport and Visa Page

2) 2x Medical Certificates (originals - tell any health clinic its for a driving licence, they’ll have a format)

3) 2x *Proof of Address (from Immigration or Embassy, or yellow house book and pink ID card)

4) Existing Driving Licence and Motorcycle Licence

 

 

 

*Work Permit is no longer considered proof of address as the new Work Permits do not contain your address. 

*If you have done a 90 day report you will be able to get a Letter of Residence from your local immigration office (it has been reported this can sometimes take 2 weeks to issue).

*Alternatively, you can go to your Embassy and get an Affirmation of Residence (x2, an expensive option)

*If you have one, you can also use your Yellow Tambien House Book & Pink ID card (this works for some at some DLT’s but not others, apparently Pattaya DLT don’t accept the Yellow Tambien House Book & Pink ID card as proof of address). 

 

 

Procedure: 

To renew 2yr temp licence to 5yr Driving / motorcycle licence. 

Present documents, if everything in order, do the simple tests (reaction, proximity, peripheral colour), receive your renewed licence (Note: there can be plenty of waiting time between all this, it took me about 4 hours at the DLT in Bangkok). 

 

 

 

it took me 4 visits to Pattaya D L T....so overall i drove 120 kms in total !!

[tinca tinca]

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

When going 2 to 5, how do you get 6?

depends on birthday date .....

[BobbyL]

Wish I saw this thread before today ????

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, tinca tinca said:

it took me 4 visits to Pattaya D L T....so overall i drove 120 kms in total !!

 

Ouch !!!...  saying that, a lot of people probably live more than 15km away from their local DLT. 

 

Advice to everyone renewing... Read the pinned topics - get all the documents you need, not just the documents you think you will get away with. 

 

 

Personally, I was in doubt as to whether or not I could get a 5yr renewal or was limited to another 2yr temp DL based on Visa (on a S.E. Thai Elite Visa not a Non-Immigrant Visa) - that was out of my hands.

 

Or, whether or not my Yellow Tambien Baan & Pink ID card would be accepted as proof of address, again out of my hands, they could have rejected me and I’d have had to get an Affirmation of Residence from my Embassy.

 

 

Regardless: the Pinned topics are helpful, as are these discussions whenever in doubt and can / will save you from unnecessary return visits. 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

11 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

Wish I saw this thread before today ????

 

There are also pinned topics as well as lots of discussions on this subject. 

 

If in doubt, its best to research before you go to the DLT or for any bureaucratic process.

[transam]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

When going 2 to 5, how do you get 6?

Strangely a license, and future licenses expire on your birthday, if you renew a day after your birthday your new license will expire 5 years and 364 days later. Yes it is daft but cool...????

[scubascuba3]

43 minutes ago, transam said:

Strangely a license, and future licenses expire on your birthday, if you renew a day after your birthday your new license will expire 5 years and 364 days later. Yes it is daft but cool...????

2 year temp ones don't expire on birthdays, so it seems you can't go from 2 to 6

[transam]

3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

2 year temp ones don't expire on birthdays, so it seems you can't go from 2 to 6

How strange, I am on my second 5 year license, they both were for near 6 years........????

[KhunBENQ]

 

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

2 year temp ones don't expire on birthdays, so it seems you can't go from 2 to 6

Depends.

If your birthday is shortly before expiry of the temporary licenses it is possible to get extra validity (standard license always expires on your birthday.

Medical certificate is needed from temporary (2yr) to standard (5yr) license (would be surprised if waived).

Medical certificate is NOT needed from 5yr to 5yr.

[richard_smith237]

14 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

58 minutes ago, transam said:

Strangely a license, and future licenses expire on your birthday, if you renew a day after your birthday your new license will expire 5 years and 364 days later. Yes it is daft but cool...????

2 year temp ones don't expire on birthdays, so it seems you can't go from 2 to 6

Au contraire mon petite ménage à trois...  [sic Only Fools & Horses (before anyone gets excited)]

 

IF your 2 years Temp DL expires on your Birthday, you can go and renew a day or two after your Birthday and you will get 5 years + 364 days (exactly as Trans said). 

 

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, transam said:

How strange, I am on my second 5 year license, they both were for near 6 years........????

it seems to hang on your birthday so perhaps 2 year licences were different in the past or it was applied for around the birthday, how many people do that? 1 in 500 by accident?

[transam]

50 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

it seems to hang on your birthday so perhaps 2 year licences were different in the past or it was applied for around the birthday, how many people do that? 1 in 500 by accident?

In the past it was a 1 year temp license, then on to a 5 year...If I remember correctly, my 1 year lasted over a year until my birthday...????

[RocketDog]

On 2/20/2020 at 10:44 AM, tinca tinca said:

what about the PERCEPTION TEST ???

I renewed both car & cycle license from 2 to 5 years at Huahin (Pranburi, Prachuap Kirikhan province) DLT office last month. 

Residence certificate original from immigration office for each vehicle type. Health letter from doctor, passport. Then color, brake reaction and depth perception test again as for first application two years ago. No video or driving test required. Whole thing took a little over an hour including the new photo license creation. 

 

Truly amazing how much requirements vary from one province to another. 

[KinKinReowReow]

Sorry to hijack the thread (Mods, let me know if you prefer that I start a new one). 

 

Have anyone tried to convert their 2 year license to the 5 year well in advance of it expiring?

I got my 2 years temporary license 4 months ago and would already like to convert it to the 5 year permanent. 

Anyone have any experience with this?
Recent being, is that I would like to obtain the International Driving Permit. 

 

Thank you in advance.  

[transam]

16 hours ago, KinKinReowReow said:

Sorry to hijack the thread (Mods, let me know if you prefer that I start a new one). 

 

Have anyone tried to convert their 2 year license to the 5 year well in advance of it expiring?

I got my 2 years temporary license 4 months ago and would already like to convert it to the 5 year permanent. 

Anyone have any experience with this?
Recent being, is that I would like to obtain the International Driving Permit. 

 

Thank you in advance.  

Your 2 year is a "provisional" license, after 2 years driving in LOS they will give you a 5 year if you have a long stay visa..

[michael888]

On 2/20/2020 at 10:53 AM, richard_smith237 said:

 

1) 2x Photo Copies of your Passport and Visa Page

2) 2x Medical Certificates (originals - tell any health clinic its for a driving licence, they’ll have a format)

3) 2x *Proof of Address (from Immigration or Embassy, or yellow house book and pink ID card)

4) Existing Driving Licence and Motorcycle Licence

 

 

 

*Work Permit is no longer considered proof of address as the new Work Permits do not contain your address. 

*If you have done a 90 day report you will be able to get a Letter of Residence from your local immigration office (it has been reported this can sometimes take 2 weeks to issue).

*Alternatively, you can go to your Embassy and get an Affirmation of Residence (x2, an expensive option)

*If you have one, you can also use your Yellow Tambien House Book & Pink ID card (this works for some at some DLT’s but not others, apparently Pattaya DLT don’t accept the Yellow Tambien House Book & Pink ID card as proof of address). 

 

 

Procedure: 

To renew 2yr temp licence to 5yr Driving / motorcycle licence. 

Present documents, if everything in order, do the simple tests (reaction, proximity, peripheral colour), receive your renewed licence (Note: there can be plenty of waiting time between all this, it took me about 4 hours at the DLT in Bangkok). 

 

 

 

Thank you for your reply.  So my work permit will not suffice as it doesn't have the address on it correct?  Would you(or anyone) know what documents I need to get a letter of residence from immigration?  I live with my girlfriend and she reports me on the tm 30 online application.  There is no paper involved as far as I know.  Thanks

[michael888]

Hi, Can anyone confirm that a work permit is no longer accepted as proof of residence for a change of license from 2 to 5 years and I will have to get a separate document such as "letter of residence"?  I have a work permit, health certificate. passport (of course), and all copies.  Must I get another document ?  From Immigration?  Thanks.. I will go to DLT On nut, Sukhumvit 

Edited March 18, 2020 by michael888

[michael888]

Just now, michael888 said:

Hi, Can anyone confirm that a work permit is no longer accepted as proof of residence for a change of license from 2 to 5 years and I will have to get a separate document such as "letter of residence"?  I have a work permit, health certificate. passport (of course), and all copies.  Must I get another document ?  From Immigration?  Thanks

I will go to DLT near On Nut

[Don Mega]

5 minutes ago, michael888 said:

Hi, Can anyone confirm that a work permit is no longer accepted as proof of residence for a change of license from 2 to 5 years and I will have to get a separate document such as "letter of residence"?  I have a work permit, health certificate. passport (of course), and all copies.  Must I get another document ?  From Immigration?  Thanks.. I will go to DLT On nut, Sukhumvit 

They are accepted if they have an address in them. Mine does not so Ive been having to faff around with residency certificates every time I plan on going near a DLT.