Driver's License Procedures Chiang Mai - 2020

[Sparkles]

On 8/20/2020 at 6:46 AM, Thailand said:

Thanks, any particular time?

Apologies for late reply.The time I was told to be there was 12.30pm at the small office I went to originally, some 200 m away from the main building,that was not operating and I was directed to the main building,2nd floor.It was 1 pm when 20 of us were ushered into the colour blind area where stout woman with a stick pointed at us and said independently "YOU stand here" The test was different than last time 5 + yrs ago which was larger boards, now smaller version, mass of small coloured dots which she points to with her stick.

 

We all passed and then to the video room packed in like sardines which a pleasant lady apologised for. 40 mins ,an updated, more professional video but very repetitive.Then to the counter until number called,paid the 505 baht, then to have photo taken and the apparently compulsory 10 baht plastic cover.Was out by around 2.30pm with a licence which will carry me through ,if I don't fall of the perch, for another 5 years and 11 months. 

[Sparkles]

On 8/21/2020 at 3:40 PM, Thailand said:

Went in today with docs about 9.15a.m. Information desk second floor. About 10 minutes queuing to get to desk. Docs checked,Yellow book acceptable for residency ,still!

 

Appointment for 1st September for "how to drive in Thailand" video etc. Wonder if it has changed from the last 2 I have seen. ????

They are obviously catching up with the backlog of applicants judging by your appointment date,it was  a month a few weeks back. Love that Yellow Book???? 

[Thailand]

Quick and efficient although the video is second rate, apart from other incorrect information they quote 75,000 accidents and 8000 deaths. I believe year date over 600,000 injured and 10,000 dead.

Anyway, just a couple of weeks short of 6 years before next renewal.

[Metropolitian]

Just in the time of the 'amnesty' and expired visa I have to renew my license this month. Five years has already passed.

Now I am not sure about the situation, if the amnesty will be extended or that I would get another 30 days at the immigration office.

 

In case that they wouldn't give me a new DL next week with the reason that I don't have a 'valid' non - x visa and also that I have to leave the country before the 26th.

How long is the period that I can come back at the DLT and renew my DL which will expire this month.

[Mapguy]

No problem on 3 September.  Two-year initial license to five-year renewal.  No video viewing necessary for foreigners. Took about an hour.  No crowd.

 

[grin]

I like the card size plastic covers they charge you 10 Baht for. They nicely fit some paper/cardboard and other cards that I like to keep protected. Nice and thin and unobtrusive for carrying in my wallet. Last time I renewed my license the lady agreed to sell me 10 extra covers for 100 Baht. I still have a few I haven't used. If I run out before my next renewal I may have to accidentally lose my license.

[el jefe]

Not sure why some people have to watch the video and some don't. I was renewing 5 year to 5 year licenses both car and motorcycle.
i tried to make an appt but they wouldn't give me one til I had my Cert of Residency so I paid 500 baht for that. Went back to LTO and was given a driver's license appt for the next day.  Sat thru the silly video with others doing a 5-5 renewal. I had a book to read. then a pretty long wait to pay. The whole process took a few minutes less than 2 hours.
Since I've only been pulled over once in the last 3 years, it probably would have been more time and cost effective to just get ticketed for not having a license a few times.

 

[jonesthepost]

Has anybody recently phone Chaing mai driving license  office the number on Google search does not seem to be working and E-Mails dot not get accepted.   

[LomSak27]

Getting papers ready for a conversion/renewal; Two year to a five year. 

 

Question; I need a certificate of residence from Immigration. What kind of picture do I need - white background - blue background? Any shops people recommend around CM ?

 

Thanks

[el jefe]

17 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

Getting papers ready for a conversion/renewal; Two year to a five year. 

 

Question; I need a certificate of residence from Immigration. What kind of picture do I need - white background - blue background? Any shops people recommend around CM ?

 

Thanks

if you're paying the 500 baht fee for the Cert of Residency, they're not fussy about the photo. Mine had a blue background but was obviously very old. My photos were taken at the photo shop in the basement of KSK. They've been gone for years.

[jonesthepost]

On 9/24/2020 at 8:54 AM, el jefe said:

if you're paying the 500 baht fee for the Cert of Residency, they're not fussy about the photo. Mine had a blue background but was obviously very old. My photos were taken at the photo shop in the basement of KSK. They've been gone for years.

Did you need a medical cert. as I have read you do not need it for a renewal of 5 year licinse  

[el jefe]

7 hours ago, jonesthepost said:

Did you need a medical cert. as I have read you do not need it for a renewal of 5 year licinse  

You do not need a medical certificate when renewing 5 to 5.

[Konini]

10 hours ago, el jefe said:

You do not need a medical certificate when renewing 5 to 5.

I'm renewing a 2 year to a 5 year next week - will I need one?

[Konini]

I should have also asked if the appointment system is still in place, and if yes what the waiting period is.  I think I should have organised all of this a couple of weeks ago.

 

EDIT:  Looks like it's a next day appointment, if anyone has been in the last couple of weeks I would greatly appreciate it if they could confirm it please.

[Thailand]

18 hours ago, el jefe said:

You do not need a medical certificate when renewing 5 to 5.

I did a couple of weeks ago.

[Thailand]

6 hours ago, Konini said:

I should have also asked if the appointment system is still in place, and if yes what the waiting period is.  I think I should have organised all of this a couple of weeks ago.

 

EDIT:  Looks like it's a next day appointment, if anyone has been in the last couple of weeks I would greatly appreciate it if they could confirm it please.

Did mine a few weeks ago, appointment was 2 weeks in advance. 

[el jefe]

 

18 hours ago, el jefe said:

You do not need a medical certificate when renewing 5 to 5.

 Thailand replied:
"I did a couple of weeks ago.""

 

When I was there earlier this month to make the appointment, they gave me a piece of paper with instructions what to bring. Medical certificate was crossed out. I asked specifically if that was correct. The woman at the desk said "Medical Certificate is not needed for 5 year to 5 year renewal."

[el jefe]

6 hours ago, Konini said:

I should have also asked if the appointment system is still in place, and if yes what the waiting period is.  I think I should have organised all of this a couple of weeks ago.

 

EDIT:  Looks like it's a next day appointment, if anyone has been in the last couple of weeks I would greatly appreciate it if they could confirm it please.

i was there on Sept 14. They told me to come back on Sept 15. I already had plans for the next day so they said OK to Sept 16.

 

[Thailand]

16 hours ago, el jefe said:

 

 Thailand replied:
"I did a couple of weeks ago.""

 

When I was there earlier this month to make the appointment, they gave me a piece of paper with instructions what to bring. Medical certificate was crossed out. I asked specifically if that was correct. The woman at the desk said "Medical Certificate is not needed for 5 year to 5 year renewal."

Left hand right hand.

[el jefe]

33 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Left hand right hand.

In this case the information given was correct. I definitely did not supply a medical certificate when I returned the next day and successfully renewed my 5 year license two weeks ago.

[LomSak27]

Renewal and conversion of two-year motorcycle and car license to a five year.
 

I picked up two medical clearance yesterday. One for motorcycle, one for car. Same price just ask for two.  Today stopped at Immigration at 850, to pick up the 24 hours overnight cert. of residence (500 baht). Certificates are on the 2^nd floor, up the stairwell on the right side from where you enter, or the west side, of the Immigration building. It also has its own ground floor entrance on that west side of the building. Open from 830 to 12. Closed in afternoon.
 

Went to Mia Hia direct from Immigration, and done within 45, minutes. Color light test was all. Surprised it went so fast and relatively painless. It turns out the License’s are good for 5 years and 10 months. It expires on my birthday in 2026.  WooHoo!

 

Note about medical clearance, they handed me back copies of a couple items - tm30 paper strip - 90 day notice, departure card, copy of lease, that I included in my sheaf of papers. Yes loaded for bear but I do that with Thai bureaucracies. As in they did not want.  That said,  they kept the medical. 

[worgeordie]

So far you need a medical certificate .....or not...????  suppose i better get one,not expensive

or time consuming, last time Doctor asked do you feel OK,...yes..here's certificate.

regards worgeordie

[Thailand]

15 hours ago, worgeordie said:

So far you need a medical certificate .....or not...????  suppose i better get one,not expensive

or time consuming, last time Doctor asked do you feel OK,...yes..here's certificate.

regards worgeordie

Room 11 at Klaimor seems to be almost a production line for issue of medical certificates for driving license.

[worgeordie]

I went up there today,to make an appointment for December,

the lady at the window talked me into doing it now,so I agreed,

who knows what the future holds,so i had copies of pages of my

passport,yellow book, that's all, never asked for medical certificate,

never had one anyway.

So if doing a 5 year,5 years extension I would say you DON'T need 

a medical certificate, paid 505 Thb for licence ,105 Thb a year for

excitement and dangers of Thai roads.....a bargain.

regards worgeordie

 

 

[BKK8]

On 8/23/2020 at 3:31 PM, Sparkles said:

Apologies for late reply.The time I was told to be there was 12.30pm at the small office I went to originally, some 200 m away from the main building,that was not operating and I was directed to the main building,2nd floor.It was 1 pm when 20 of us were ushered into the colour blind area where stout woman with a stick pointed at us and said independently "YOU stand here" The test was different than last time 5 + yrs ago which was larger boards, now smaller version, mass of small coloured dots which she points to with her stick.

 

We all passed and then to the video room packed in like sardines which a pleasant lady apologised for. 40 mins ,an updated, more professional video but very repetitive.Then to the counter until number called,paid the 505 baht, then to have photo taken and the apparently compulsory 10 baht plastic cover.Was out by around 2.30pm with a licence which will carry me through ,if I don't fall of the perch, for another 5 years and 11 months. 

to which office did you go ?

[el jefe]

On 8/23/2020 at 3:31 PM, Sparkles said:

Apologies for late reply.The time I was told to be there was 12.30pm at the small office I went to originally, some 200 m away from the main building,that was not operating and I was directed to the main building,2nd floor.It was 1 pm when 20 of us were ushered into the colour blind area where stout woman with a stick pointed at us and said independently "YOU stand here" The test was different than last time 5 + yrs ago which was larger boards, now smaller version, mass of small coloured dots which she points to with her stick.

 

We all passed and then to the video room packed in like sardines which a pleasant lady apologised for. 40 mins ,an updated, more professional video but very repetitive.Then to the counter until number called,paid the 505 baht, then to have photo taken and the apparently compulsory 10 baht plastic cover.Was out by around 2.30pm with a licence which will carry me through ,if I don't fall of the perch, for another 5 years and 11 months. 

Except for the 10 baht fee, that was almost exactly my experience. I'm color blind and shocked I passed.

 

[BKK8]

i am colour blind as well and worry a bit about the test , was it easy to pass for you ?

 

[Sparkles]

On 10/18/2020 at 10:42 PM, BKK8 said:

to which office did you go ?

Main building

[Sparkles]

42 minutes ago, BKK8 said:

i am colour blind as well and worry a bit about the test , was it easy to pass for you ?

 

I'm not colour blind but the pace she was moving the stick around to the various coloured dots was a bit unsettling. Good luck, no one failed the day I was there ,all 20 of us.

[el jefe]

1 hour ago, BKK8 said:

i am colour blind as well and worry a bit about the test , was it easy to pass for you ?

 

I'm red-green color blind. Five years ago when I went to RAM for my health certificate they used a real color blindness test -- pick out the number inside 100 colored dots. I couldn't do that. I just told the doctor "red is always on top" and she closed the book and said "OK".
The test at the driver's license office is a little easier. I was able to make out the difference in colors in the individual circles. The yellows were easy. the other two I had to think about. I was definitely the slowest of the 8 people taking the test. You should be OK too.