Drivers licenses extensions

[paahlman]

As we know one can renew the licenses for either motorbike or private car either up to one month before or within one year after it expires without doing any written tests or exam.

However as far as Covid problems exists. It is not possible to renew mine within my limit of 4 september 2020. Then it has expired one year ago. Will there be any leniency towards this or do others have any experiences in this matter?

[merijn]

You should be able to renew it till 1 year after the expire date without problems.

There is no leniency due to Corona so far i know.

[stevenl]

From your post, on 4 September it is one year after expiry? If so, you'll have to do part of the procedure again, I think the theory test only if you do it before 1 September 2021.

I would recommend not to wait till the last moment.

[Psimbo]

Why not just go in and ask them? That way you will know where you stand. 

[paahlman]

Thanks guys... However.. I was unclear... I can not ask them. If so I would have had the renewal done long time ago. I am not in Thailand, and cant travel in. Secondly. It expired one year ago on september this year of nr. 4. That is already within the rules of one year. After that there is a written and practical test. meaning start all over again.. Unless they let it pass since a lot of people will be in my situation.

Emails has been sent and no answers of course.

 

Edited July 19, 2020 by paahlman

[stevenl]

59 minutes ago, paahlman said:

Thanks guys... However.. I was unclear... I can not ask them. If so I would have had the renewal done long time ago. I am not in Thailand, and cant travel in. Secondly. It expired one year ago on september this year of nr. 4. That is already within the rules of one year. After that there is a written and practical test. meaning start all over again.. Unless they let it pass since a lot of people will be in my situation.

Emails has been sent and no answers of course.

 

That's how I presumed. Afaik one year plus after expiry theory test only. After 3? Years theory plus practical test. Information should be somewhere in the motor forum, hidden in some threads.

[beechbum]

FYI, 

You can renew 3 months before the date of expiry, as I did last week.

 

[Pilotman]

4 minutes ago, beechbum said:

FYI, 

You can renew 3 months before the date of expiry, as I did last week.

 

how did you do that?  Our local DLT doesn't open for any licence renewals until tomorrow, 20th July. 

[beechbum]

4 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

how did you do that?  Our local DLT doesn't open for any licence renewals until tomorrow, 20th July. 

Do you live in Phuket?

That's were I did it, it opened for renewals for westerners on the 1st July.

 

[Pilotman]

Just now, beechbum said:

Do you live in Phuket?

That's were I did it, it opened for renewals for westerners on the 1st July.

 

okay, lucky you. My DLT office is in Bang Lamung, outside Pattaya. 

[mickyr55]

Does the renewal of up to 1 year after expiry also apply to the 2 year temp licence,just asking because mine is due beginning of September. 

[paahlman]

On 7/19/2020 at 10:21 AM, beechbum said:

FYI, 

You can renew 3 months before the date of expiry, as I did last week.

 

Yes.. I said a month initially.. I did mean three... Thanks... 

Edited July 23, 2020 by paahlman
misspelling

[paahlman]

On 7/19/2020 at 10:21 AM, beechbum said:

FYI, 

You can renew 3 months before the date of expiry, as I did last week.

 

Correct

[paahlman]

Come to think about it.. There is another way of not doing the theory. Bring international licence and convert it. 

[stevenl]

18 hours ago, paahlman said:

Come to think about it.. There is another way of not doing the theory. Bring international licence and convert it. 

That won't work if already in possession of Thai license, expired or not.

[paahlman]

6 hours ago, stevenl said:

That won't work if already in possession of Thai license, expired or not.

Good point.. But seems strange.. IF you dont have a license you dont have one.. You used to have one, but now need to get a new one.. I would think to convert the international one would work.. but I hear you.. Not to say you are wrong cause you are probably not, but have you tried it or i mean do you know this for sure..? Thanks

[stevenl]

45 minutes ago, paahlman said:

Good point.. But seems strange.. IF you dont have a license you dont have one.. You used to have one, but now need to get a new one.. I would think to convert the international one would work.. but I hear you.. Not to say you are wrong cause you are probably not, but have you tried it or i mean do you know this for sure..? Thanks

From discussions in the motor forum some years back.

Reason is you still have one, albeit out of date. Your statement 'you used to have one' is not correct.

[Badrabbit]

On 7/19/2020 at 3:21 PM, beechbum said:

FYI, 

You can renew 3 months before the date of expiry, as I did last week.

 

If you were renewing a 5yr what documents did you need, do you need 2 Cor for motorbike and car etc? 

[paahlman]

2 hours ago, Badrabbit said:

If you were renewing a 5yr what documents did you need, do you need 2 Cor for motorbike and car etc? 

I did that some years ago and if not changed.. Two copies for each license of: health certificate, Certificate of residency from immigration, Both old licenses. Passport photos and most importantly the pages of visa stamp and also of your TM6 immigration card. Photos for the licenses are of course taken at site. Health certificate is maybe not needed on a 5 year one... I do not think you need to watch the video again either.

[beechbum]

14 hours ago, paahlman said:

I did that some years ago and if not changed.. Two copies for each license of: health certificate, Certificate of residency from immigration, Both old licenses. Passport photos and most importantly the pages of visa stamp and also of your TM6 immigration card. Photos for the licenses are of course taken at site. Health certificate is maybe not needed on a 5 year one... I do not think you need to watch the video again either.

Didn't need a health certificate, Did have to do the reaction tests and watch the video again.

[zzzzz]

how about the color test, which i constantly fail even thou i am a photographer?   LOL

[beechbum]

Yes there was the red, amber, green lights test.

[schlog]

Last week no video and no light/brake test. Renewed DL in about 1.5 hour.

[paahlman]

On 7/26/2020 at 12:09 AM, beechbum said:

Didn't need a health certificate, Did have to do the reaction tests and watch the video again.

Yes.. Its like that then.. However.. Went with a friend and he showed international licences and converted them in 20 minutes.. Did take reaction test , but no video or color test...

 

Seems it different everyday...

[paahlman]

On 7/27/2020 at 6:35 AM, beechbum said:

Yes there was the red, amber, green lights test.

I think he meant the vision test with which you have to tell the numbers on a paper which will reaveal if you are color blind or not.. Not the reaction test... 

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, paahlman said:

I think he meant the vision test with which you have to tell the numbers on a paper which will reaveal if you are color blind or not.. Not the reaction test... 

 

I only did the colour test the very first application  (no other vision tests way back then),  but they have the 'traffic light' test every application which has reaction time test. Plus the depth perception test.

[madmitch]

I'm there on Monday. I'll report back.

 

[beechbum]

20 hours ago, paahlman said:

I think he meant the vision test with which you have to tell the numbers on a paper which will reaveal if you are color blind or not.. Not the reaction test... 

Didn't do a vision test.

[paahlman]

On 10/31/2020 at 10:58 AM, LivinginKata said:

 

I only did the colour test the very first application  (no other vision tests way back then),  but they have the 'traffic light' test every application which has reaction time test. Plus the depth perception test.

Me too.. Same....

[madmitch]

Renewed mine today. Not much to report, all quite straightforward but here goes anyway.

 

Appointments should be made in person. Passport, old licence, proof of residence required. They then give you an appointment slip and this is what happens on the day of the appointment:

 

You only need the papers that would have been returned to you when you made the appointment.

Don't get there ridiculously early. Foreigners are given their own queue and Thais go in first!

Traffic light style colour-blindness and reaction tests are the only tests you need to do.

There's then an hour or so watching the cheesy foreigner-only video. We were also treated to 15 minutes or so of the Thai version as they werent ready for us downstairs. The subtitles are so badly translated!

Quite a long wait to pay today. 550 baht for a car licence. The queue speeded up when a second desk was opened. Check the details on the paper they give you. They transcribed the UK year of my date of birth incorrectly as they now put only a Thai year on the licence. I obviously I look ten years younger than I really am. It happened to at least one other person as well.

I thought long trousers were necessary but there were plenty of people in shorts.

Got there just before 8am, out at 11:15. Not too bad.