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My Crazy Thai Drivers License Saga


heyx2rr

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So glad I went to Chachoengsao to do my license.

At Jomtien Immigration, you can get your residence certificate in 20 minutes (or less) for a small fee (I think it's 2 or 300 baht now). From other threads it seems that if you are going for 2 different licenses (car and motorcycle) they will (usually) accept a photocopy of the residence certificate. (Or Immigration will give you two separate ones.)

Went to the DLT. Handed over my paperwork. Woman at the desk checked the application, medical and residence certificates and all the photocopies. I sat in the waiting area for a few minutes, then she comes out and administers the 3 tests. No video session.
After that the paperwork went to the main counter. After a short wait I was called up to pay the fee, then sent downstairs to get my photo taken. A few minutes later I walked out with my new (still warm from the printer) license and was on my way. Took roughly an hour all told.

Went back to renew my license last January and it was almost the same (except I had to zip off to get a new Medical certificate). They had a different colour test and that time she tested about a dozen or so people in a group (including me) so it was a bit longer wait until I was called up to pay the fee then sent for the photo.
Still, probably wasn't much longer than an hour from start to finish.

Got a few years before I have to renew again and I'll probably go to the same place again unless something changes in the meantime. From what I've read about the process in Bangkok and Pattaya, driving to Changchoengsao and back is still quicker and easier than going to either of those other 2 places.

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59 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

So glad I went to Chachoengsao to do my license.

At Jomtien Immigration, you can get your residence certificate in 20 minutes (or less) for a small fee (I think it's 2 or 300 baht now). From other threads it seems that if you are going for 2 different licenses (car and motorcycle) they will (usually) accept a photocopy of the residence certificate. (Or Immigration will give you two separate ones.)

Went to the DLT. Handed over my paperwork. Woman at the desk checked the application, medical and residence certificates and all the photocopies. I sat in the waiting area for a few minutes, then she comes out and administers the 3 tests. No video session.
After that the paperwork went to the main counter. After a short wait I was called up to pay the fee, then sent downstairs to get my photo taken. A few minutes later I walked out with my new (still warm from the printer) license and was on my way. Took roughly an hour all told.

Went back to renew my license last January and it was almost the same (except I had to zip off to get a new Medical certificate). They had a different colour test and that time she tested about a dozen or so people in a group (including me) so it was a bit longer wait until I was called up to pay the fee then sent for the photo.
Still, probably wasn't much longer than an hour from start to finish.

Got a few years before I have to renew again and I'll probably go to the same place again unless something changes in the meantime. From what I've read about the process in Bangkok and Pattaya, driving to Changchoengsao and back is still quicker and easier than going to either of those other 2 places.

 

Wow, that's a much better outcome...  I will definitely consider Jomtien in the future when it's time for renewal.  Thanks for sharing this info on how streamlined the process is there.

 

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16 minutes ago, heyx2rr said:

 

Wow, that's a much better outcome...  I will definitely consider Jomtien in the future when it's time for renewal.  Thanks for sharing this info on how streamlined the process is there.

 


Getting the Residence Certificate is easy. I just need photocopies of some utility bills (cable, electricity, internet for example). The fee they charge is for the "expedited" service. Supposedly, if you don't want to pay, they will do it for free (as they are supposed to) but it can take a week or two before they are ready.

But getting your driver's license in Pattaya seems to be a bit of a nightmare as they seem to be handing out appointment times that are weeks (or months) in the future.

The place I went to (Chachoengsao) is a bit out of the way but probably doesn't get anywhere near the traffic that Pattaya and Bangkok do on a daily basis.

I'd be surprised if the Immigration Office you went to didn't have an "expedited" process for Residence Certificates as well. I thought they were all doing it (quietly at least).

 

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pattaya seems a nice place for doing things like that... here have to travel 40 min taxi to go to my devil immigration

 

I live near Suvi, but having an IO there, that would be LOGICAL, right, in or next to the main aiport of the country (and province), but no, the IO is at the SEA PORT of samut prakan with no atm, no friendly people, long faces and no empathy

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5 hours ago, Kerryd said:


Getting the Residence Certificate is easy. I just need photocopies of some utility bills (cable, electricity, internet for example). The fee they charge is for the "expedited" service. Supposedly, if you don't want to pay, they will do it for free (as they are supposed to) but it can take a week or two before they are ready.

But getting your driver's license in Pattaya seems to be a bit of a nightmare as they seem to be handing out appointment times that are weeks (or months) in the future.

The place I went to (Chachoengsao) is a bit out of the way but probably doesn't get anywhere near the traffic that Pattaya and Bangkok do on a daily basis.

I'd be surprised if the Immigration Office you went to didn't have an "expedited" process for Residence Certificates as well. I thought they were all doing it (quietly at least).

 

Hope you don't mind me asking a question.

 

I live in Bangkok and need to renew my 5-year licences very soon. Going to MTT from where I live is just as difficult as going to Chachongsao.

 

Are you saying that a residence certificate & the licences can be obtained in a different province to that where you live? I'm assuming that you don't live in Chachongsao.

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1 minute ago, khunken said:

Hope you don't mind me asking a question.

 

I live in Bangkok and need to renew my 5-year licences very soon. Going to MTT from where I live is just as difficult as going to Chachongsao.

 

Are you saying that a residence certificate & the licences can be obtained in a different province to that where you live? I'm assuming that you don't live in Chachongsao.

There are 3 DLT’s in Bkk

(Mo Chit, Taling Chan & Sukhumvit 99/1)

 

 

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6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

There are 3 DLT’s in Bkk

(Mo Chit, Taling Chan & Sukhumvit 99/1)

 

 

I'm aware of that Richard & the nearest one has a 2-month waiting list. First though, I need a resident certificate and BKK ones are only at MTT.

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1 hour ago, khunken said:

Hope you don't mind me asking a question.

 

I live in Bangkok and need to renew my 5-year licences very soon. Going to MTT from where I live is just as difficult as going to Chachongsao.

 

Are you saying that a residence certificate & the licences can be obtained in a different province to that where you live? I'm assuming that you don't live in Chachongsao.


I don't know what the official rules are about that.
For the first licence, I had help from a "friend of a friend". Not sure what went on but I saw that the address on the back of the license wasn't mine for some reason.

When I went to the same office to renew it (a little over a year later), I was doing it on my own. I had the regular Residence Certificate from Jomtien and the Chachoengsao office processed it (and put my proper address on the new license) without question (or any extra "fee").

So the Residence Certificate was issued in the province I live in (Chon Buri) but the license renewal was done in a different province, despite the home address being different.

Thinking about it, it probably isn't as uncommon as you'd think. Most Thais are officially "resident" in their home province (as in, recorded in the blue book of their home in their home village, where they are also supposed to go to vote whenever there's and election). They may actually spend most of the year working elsewhere though.
So a lot of them probably do the same thing (get licenses renewed in a different province) as it would be a major problem for them to have to travel to wherever they are technically registered as living in to do something like an hour long license renewal.
 

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On 9/2/2020 at 11:21 AM, heyx2rr said:

Next there are two sticks that you can see in a window in a box like contraption.  You have two buttons to move one of the sticks back and forth and you have to align the two sticks within an inch or so of each other. 

I used an different office out of the city (Trat)  this year, as they told me they accept yellow book, those two sticks didn't work by electric., mechanical, more like a pair of thin reins that you just pull on the right one towards you and stop pulling when in the correct position, it was all i could do to contain my laughter.

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On 9/2/2020 at 5:21 AM, heyx2rr said:

In order for a foreigner to get a license, you need to submit the following paperwork at your local Land Transportation office:

 

(1) Application form (indicating car, motorcycle, or both)

(2) Passport info - photocopy of the photo page, visa page, your last entry stamp, TM6 departure card. 

(3) Photocopy of home country drivers license (front and back)

(4) Health Certificate (available from local clinics or hospitals)

(5) Residence Certificate (confirming your local address)

 

For 1-3, no problem, I just printed them out at home.  For the Residence Certificate, you must submit paperwork at your local Immigration office, and then they send you the Certificate to the home address that you have indicated on your application form - this is supposed to take 1-2 weeks.

With respect, you write as if this is for all offices - its not. Just one example of a difference on No. 5 - at Pak Chong DLT you go to Korat Immigration, take some evidence such as a lease, ask for a confirmation of address telling them what its for and they will give you the letter there and then.

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Reminds me when I got my license, I was too poor to afford apply DL(~$1000+) in China and driving without license since middle school... so actually took entire test and got my first DL here.

 

The DLT website has full questions/answers list for written test, use google translate and memorize and passed with ease.

 

Drove my beater Corolla to driving test at Mochit, to my horror I need to plug in a testing device into 12v socket, which on my car is not working. Quickly spliced a wire from ignition switch socket, luckily it worked through the test. Driving test itself was very easy, drive straight - roadside parking and watch traffic signal - reverse parking. The most difficult is roadside parking needs to be really close to the curb I think less than 10 inches to qualify, which I take twice.

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On 9/3/2020 at 6:40 AM, Kerryd said:

So glad I went to Chachoengsao to do my license.

At Jomtien Immigration, you can get your residence certificate in 20 minutes (or less) for a small fee (I think it's 2 or 300 baht now). From other threads it seems that if you are going for 2 different licenses (car and motorcycle) they will (usually) accept a photocopy of the residence certificate. (Or Immigration will give you two separate ones.)

Went to the DLT. Handed over my paperwork. Woman at the desk checked the application, medical and residence certificates and all the photocopies. I sat in the waiting area for a few minutes, then she comes out and administers the 3 tests. No video session.
After that the paperwork went to the main counter. After a short wait I was called up to pay the fee, then sent downstairs to get my photo taken. A few minutes later I walked out with my new (still warm from the printer) license and was on my way. Took roughly an hour all told.

Went back to renew my license last January and it was almost the same (except I had to zip off to get a new Medical certificate). They had a different colour test and that time she tested about a dozen or so people in a group (including me) so it was a bit longer wait until I was called up to pay the fee then sent for the photo.
Still, probably wasn't much longer than an hour from start to finish.

Got a few years before I have to renew again and I'll probably go to the same place again unless something changes in the meantime. From what I've read about the process in Bangkok and Pattaya, driving to Changchoengsao and back is still quicker and easier than going to either of those other 2 places.

Can you provide more information on where this office in Chachoengsao is located please? Google Map? GPS Coordinates? Thank you.

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