German bus driver married to Thai now wants a Thai Licence?

[cliveshep]

My German friend who was a bus-driver in Berlin is unable to get an International permit for Thailand due to Covid issues in Berlin. He has his German licences for car and bus - ignoring the bus part can he use his German driving licence to get a Thai 2 year licence doing only the reaction, peripheral vision etc tests as I did with my British licence?

 

Edit - I should have said - he is on 1 yr extension and he and his wife live here in Lat Krabang.

Edited July 14, 2020 by cliveshep

[jackdd]

https://www.dlt.go.th/en/renew-license/

(Don't get confused by the "renew license" in the URL it's actually about obtaining a new Thai license)

Instead of an 1949 IDP (which he couldn't get anyway, Germany only issues the 1968 one), he can also get his driving license translated and certified by his embassy.

But first he should ask his local DLT, maybe this is not required by them and just his German license is sufficient.

Edited July 15, 2020 by jackdd

[Lancashirelad]

Just try. From reading this forum fruqently over many years, it seems results vary by DLT office/officer, some will want to see an IDP, others not.

[Lancashirelad]

Also, reading this topic might be helpful:

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1172844-international-driving-permit-in-thailand/

 

 

[Logosone]

On 7/15/2020 at 12:49 PM, jackdd said:

https://www.dlt.go.th/en/renew-license/

(Don't get confused by the "renew license" in the URL it's actually about obtaining a new Thai license)

Instead of an 1949 IDP (which he couldn't get anyway, Germany only issues the 1968 one), he can also get his driving license translated and certified by his embassy.

But first he should ask his local DLT, maybe this is not required by them and just his German license is sufficient.

Not true. Germany issues two, 1968 and 1926. 

 

I got both out of an abundance of caution prior to coming to Thailand.

[cliveshep]

I agree that Land Transport Offices apply the same laws differently. We were in Nong Chok to renew my licence issued there 2 years previously. They refused to renew it or accept applications. Told me that I was Farang and therefore had to go to Land Transport Office 1. So I got upset because the law and the rules were quite clear and the man in reception clearly didn't know them. So I said "so d it", we'll go to Bangkok and complain.

 

But my wife said to the guy my husband knows the law - you are wrong. So she asked for the Bangkok number - she said I will phone them now to check on what you have said. So the guy got worried then and said please wait, I will phone upstairs to my boss, which he did. Eventually I was sent upstairs to meet his boss, who was the big boss who sent me to the front of the queue for papers, then to take the little tests - that two sticks in a box thing I failed on - depth perception - and went back the next day to retake just that. They wouldn't let me in to test that time unless my Thai wife came in to translate - they asked her "does he speak Thai?" "no". "Please accompany him and explain things". So I slowly moved the two sticks in the box until she prodded me when I stopped - pass! There is a massive difference to 2 sticks in a box to two trucks and a pedestrian plus approaching motorcycles out on the road where I got no problems at all. A badly lit box with dirty glass, a weak light, and neutral coloured yellow sticks in yellow light at 20ft is a problem not encountered in the City Centre!

 

[richard_smith237]

Op: With Western licences in English its quite possible to get a Thai 2 Yr Temp licence *(providing the ‘other’ documentation too... Medical Cert, Proof of Address etc).

 

Someone with a German Licence may get away with it.

 

Its definitely worth a try.