Obtaining A Driving License For Use In Thailand

[JustAnotherFarang]

Hi guys

How do I go about getting a thai driving licence and how long does it take ?

Is it easier to pop down to Khao San for an international version ?

Cheers

JAF

[Totster]

Hi, there is a pinned topic at the top of this forum index that covers this.

totster

[Crossy]

Is it easier to pop down to Khao San for an international version ?

Everything Totster said ^^^

A simple question, "Would you drive on a hooky licence obtained from the local equivalent of KSR in your home country?". Of course not, then why think it's ok to do so here??

The Boys in Brown are fully aware of the KSR licences and whilst a couple of pictures of The King (red ones) will probably get you off the speeding ticket they are unlikely to persuade your insurance company to cough up for the Benz / BMW you've totalled when you can't show them a proper DL. Don't even think what may happen if you kill someone. Accidents happen to us all, even the best drivers, be legal.

Get a real International Driving Permit (IDP) in your home country, then use it to apply for a Thai licence. If you don't have an IDP you are supposed to do the written and practical tests although holders of UK and US licences seem to be getting away without (at least at the Chatuchak office).

The cost is nominal if you have a work permit, if you don't you need a letter from your embassy which (at least for us Brits) is a total rip-off EDIT If you are on an extension of stay and doing 90 day reporting you can apparently get the necessary letter from immigration at a much more sensible cost.

Takes a couple of hours (all day if you need the tests) most of which is waiting around. Take a Thai if you don't go to the Chatuchak office otherwise you will become terribly confused and frustrated.

Edited April 8, 2007 by Crossy

[brahmburgers]

up here in northernmost Thailand, here's my little saga;

I had been driving everyday here for 6 years, never had a license. pulled over twice, and I acted dumb and the cop waved me on.

I decided to go legal. I went thru a protracted many-moons-long process (enought to fill a novella) .....finally got to far-away neighboring town to submit all my papers,etc ....and it was ten minutes to closing time and they said 'come back tomorrow.' I demanded to speak with 'poo yai' (head man). He listened to my pleas, then said, "you just travel with passport or copy of passport, and you'll be ok, mai pen rai." I had him repeat it, and he assured me that a license is superfluous. I've been driving for several years since (with no license) and haven't yet had a problem.

In hindsight, I should have had poo yai write something down on his official letterhead - as insurance against future glitches.

[DrFisher]

You have to be a resident of Thailand to get a license (which means no tourist visas). If you have a valid drivers license from your country and an international driving permit it will take you a bout 4 hours to get a Thai license.

[JustAnotherFarang]

Thanks guys, especially Totster for pointing me in the right direction

Today, went to the doctors to get my health certificate, a bargain at 40 bht and then onto immigration to get the letter proving my residence here. Gave them my passport, my last work contract with the school I worked in, my marriage license and photocopies of everything. 15 minutes later, the letter is ready and I paid them 100 bht......... real simple and real easy.

Tomorrow morning, off to take my test at 9.00 oclock. Rumour around town is that if I should fail, a purple note will remedy that problem and I will leave with a licence guaranteed

I will inform you how it goes

JAF

[Khonwan]

... if I should fail, a purple note will remedy that problem and I will leave with a licence guaranteed

I will inform you how it goes

JAF

Forget the purple note. The "test" is a joke: ridiculously easy. If you manage to fail it, do the rest of us a favour and don't drive!

You won't fail it.

Rgds

Khonwan

[misterme]

You have to be a resident of Thailand to get a license (which means no tourist visas).

My experience is just the opposite. I'm in on a tourist visa and got my car and motorcycle license a few months back.

Done at the office behind the airport in Chiang Mai. I did everything in the span of one morning (including the run to the doctor's office for the medical I forgot).

I needed:

Embassy notorized letter of current address and copy, signed by me

Passport and copy, signed by me

Driver's license from home (& photocopy explaining the codes on my license, but they had the manual from home for me to borrow and photocopy) both signed by me, of course

Pictures

Medical form

Cash (70 or so baht each IIRC)

I had to do a colorblind and a distance perception test.

[JustAnotherFarang]

Hi guys

Well here was me thinking that everything was going swimmingly well.........but that was until yesterday and today.

Yesterday morning, I turned up bright and early at the local test centre with my wife and all the appropiate documents. The old guy looks at my letter from Immigration and refuses it because it did not have the curent date, it had the date of when I had to go and do my Non Immigrant O visa re-entry visa again. So off we traipsed to Immigration who said there was nothing wrong with the information in the letter and that it was correct. So we ring the DVL office and they say return tomorrow.

So once again his morning, traipse back to the DVL centre........same old guy looks at the letter again and says it not right. We query this and ask him to ring Chumphon test centre who seem to have more experience of farang applying for a licence. Ten minutes later he comes back and says yes, everything ok............ cool

He asked me if I wanted to be tested in English or Thai, I obviously asked for English. I joined the long line, I was number 18.

1st test, colour perception. I answered in English much to the amusement of the locals milling around. Easy pass

2nd test have to stand behind a machine, place my nose in the appropiate place and tell him the colours I see on my periphary vision. I wear glasses and had to adjust my head a little to see each time but once again I passed

3 test accelerate when you see green light, brake when you see the red light. I followed the instructions, seen how everyone did it with one foot. My turn comes and I do the test but he says he is not ready, tells me to wait to one side. Test the second time and he says I failed. My wife asks why and he said I used my left foot...............err, I am left footed and left handed but I said no worries I will do it with my right foot ........... but he refuses and walks off. My wife approaches him and tries to reason with him that no one had told me what to do in English, nobody told me what I had done wrong and even when the guy seen me using my left foot, he did not offer any correction. He refused and said I must return again tomorrow.

I was stunned by this and felt very embarrased. In the line of 36 people, I clearly seen an old woman and a young girl completely fail this brake test and yet they passed !!! The old woman even failed the colour test but he turned a blatant blind eye. All the thai people asked why I had failed, they could see nothing wrong whatsoever........... One guy came over and said just offer him 500 baht.......

So tomorrow morning I have to go again and I was beginning to doubt the integrity and honesty of this particular office. Pass or fail, I really want to make an official complaint about this guy and his shoddy arrogant behaviour. But then my wife returns from talking to a friend of a friend of this old guy and she was told that unless I want to be failed 5 or 6 times, I have to pay 1000 bht. This is how the old woman passed with a qualm.

Biting the bullet is never easy but I need to get my new pick up from BKK this week so monies have been paid through a friend and I will know if I will pass tomorrow, tonight. It all leaves a bitter taste in my mouth to see such blatant corruption and I hate the system but who am I to fight it without serious repercussions

A very disappointed and angry JAF

[bendix]

It's curious that in your first post in this thread you were considering going to Khao San Road to get your license and in your second you thought that a 500 baht bribe would get you your license if you failed.

But then, miraculously, when you were failed by what looks like a corrupt official, you're all morally indignant and railing against the very system you were trying to exploit.

Is it ok only for farangs to use corruption to suit their own ends?

[JustAnotherFarang]

It's curious that in your first post in this thread you were considering going to Khao San Road to get your license and in your second you thought that a 500 baht bribe would get you your license if you failed.

But then, miraculously, when you were failed by what looks like a corrupt official, you're all morally indignant and railing against the very system you were trying to exploit.

Is it ok only for farangs to use corruption to suit their own ends?

You fail to remember

Thought is not deed

And with respect to myself, I am indeed following the legal path......... and though my thoughts may have waivered, I committed no sin

I will not obtain a illegal licence

[bendix]

Didnt you just say 'monies are changing hands'?

To be more constructive, my advice would be to go to a completely different centre. I'm not sure where you live, but I went to the place in Onnut just two weeks ago and while noone spoke English, it went very smoothly and the testers were as friendly as anything.

I also believe the main centre at Chatuchak is more oriented to farangs with everything in English.

If you're having problems with a corrupt guy trying to scam you, don't give him the satisfaction. Go elsewhere.

[JustAnotherFarang]

Didnt you just say 'monies are changing hands'?

To be more constructive, my advice would be to go to a completely different centre. I'm not sure where you live, but I went to the place in Onnut just two weeks ago and while noone spoke English, it went very smoothly and the testers were as friendly as anything.

I also believe the main centre at Chatuchak is more oriented to farangs with everything in English.

If you're having problems with a corrupt guy trying to scam you, don't give him the satisfaction. Go elsewhere.

Sorry, my connection is so slow that my edit did not reach the server in time

Let me explain

My wife was told to offer money by a friends who work in the Government. She offered this money but it turns out that the guy is not the guy who tested me so the approach was refused. I was only told after the fact not before it was acted upon.

I have offered no monies, nor will I as I think that this then becomes the norm when farangs have to approach local government officials. In fact, in the 7 years I have been here, I have never once been corrupt or been part to any corruption but it appears that this is the normal practise in this particular test centre.

As for my original posting......... would it be easier to get a dodgy license from Khao San........ in this particular case, the answer would be a resounding Yes, but I still would not recommend it

I will try again tomorrow, a different person has agreed to test me so I hope it will pass by without glitches

JAF

[bendix]

Good on ya. But, again, I'd go to a different test centre. You don't say where you are, but there are many different locations in BKK.

You might want to check the long thread about this at the top of the page. It's full of useful information. It just sounds like you got unlucky and came across a right dodgy one.

Good luck with the re-test.

[LivinLOS]

When my GF went for her scooter test the examiner came over and asked if she wanted 'help' to fill in her forms.. Help cost 500 baht and she didnt realize that was the price to pass (she can be nieve sometimes).. She refused politely so he failed her on some made up thing on her ride round the car park..

Next time she paid for the help.. Passed..

[Khonwan]

3 test accelerate when you see green light, brake when you see the red light. I followed the instructions, seen how everyone did it with one foot. My turn comes and I do the test but he says he is not ready, tells me to wait to one side. Test the second time and he says I failed. My wife asks why and he said I used my left foot...............err, I am left footed and left handed but I said no worries I will do it with my right foot ........... but he refuses and walks off. My wife approaches him and tries to reason with him that no one had told me what to do in English, nobody told me what I had done wrong and even when the guy seen me using my left foot, he did not offer any correction. He refused and said I must return again tomorrow.

Hi JustAnotherFarang

As far as I know (and certainly at my local test centre), you should have been given three chances to pass the brake test. I'm not surprised, however, that they insist on the use of your right foot.

Good luck today.

Rgds

Khonwan

[Khonwan]

Good on ya. But, again, I'd go to a different test centre.

The Land Transport Office you must use to obtain your license corresponds to where you live.

Based on what the LTO told me 3 years ago, you are partially correct. You must go to the LTO within your province (as evidenced by your letter of proof of address), OR to a LTO in Bangkok. Bangkok LTO's accept everyone regardless of their address.

Edited April 12, 2007 by Khonwan

[JustAnotherFarang]

3 test accelerate when you see green light, brake when you see the red light. I followed the instructions, seen how everyone did it with one foot. My turn comes and I do the test but he says he is not ready, tells me to wait to one side. Test the second time and he says I failed. My wife asks why and he said I used my left foot...............err, I am left footed and left handed but I said no worries I will do it with my right foot ........... but he refuses and walks off. My wife approaches him and tries to reason with him that no one had told me what to do in English, nobody told me what I had done wrong and even when the guy seen me using my left foot, he did not offer any correction. He refused and said I must return again tomorrow.

Hi JustAnotherFarang

As far as I know (and certainly at my local test centre), you should have been given three chances to pass the brake test. I'm not surprised, however, that they insist on the use of your right foot.

Good luck today.

Rgds

Khonwan

If only someone had told me when I had my left foot hovering over the pedal at the test centre then I would have no reason to complain now. After all this is only a reflex test and the difference between my left and right foot really is negligible. It was just reflex to use it at the time and left me perplexed when he just switched off the machine and walked away.

Lets be honest...........this is a ruse to rustle money out of me. I hate to admit but after speaking to the local driving instructor to see if this was normal procedure, She then rang the guy at the test centre and was told that if I wanted my license before Songkran then I had to pay 1,000 bht. I was to give the money to his secretary before the test centre opened. I was not the only one, there where 7 thai people paying at the same time as me and the same price....... we all grumbled about it but it is simple economical sense because during songkran, the police will fine you 2000 bht for having no license

I have said enough......... the dirty deed has been done and yes, I feel a little sullied by it all but I do now have my license and will feel even more relieved and a lot happier when I get to pick up my new pick up.

JAF

[Khonwan]

...I had to pay 1,000 bht. I was to give the money to his secretary before the test centre opened. I was not the only one, there where 7 thai people paying at the same time as me and the same price....... we all grumbled about it but it is simple economical sense because during songkran, the police will fine you 2000 bht for having no license

I have said enough......... the dirty deed has been done and yes, I feel a little sullied by it all but I do now have my license and will feel even more relieved and a lot happier when I get to pick up my new pick up.

JAF

Name & shame the centre: which centre did this?

My experience at Lat Yao, Nakhon Sawan was good - no bribe required; in fact, the centre manager insisted attendees report any instances of bribe requests/acceptances by his staff. Mind you, might have had something to do with the fact that he was already under investigation for corruption - he's gone now!

Rgds

Khonwan

[Thaddeus]

Good on ya. But, again, I'd go to a different test centre.

The Land Transport Office you must use to obtain your license corresponds to where you live.

Unfortunately rules and the implementation thereof seem to differ from office to office.

Very true.

I walked out of the test centre in Prakonchai, as it was obvious that I wasn't going to get one without some tea money changing hands.

I went to Korat instead and got one there with no hassle, despite the fact that I live in the Buriram area.