Possible to get a Motorcycle Licence with a VE?

Adam219 · November 5, 2020

I no longer have a valid IDP and it only covered 50cc anyway. I'm now in Chiang Mai and I'm very keen to get a scooter, but with them nearly all being 125cc and my IDP expired, I'm thinking - can I get a Licence even though I only have a Visa Exemption? (specifically in CM I guess)

The idea of getting into an accident and losing a lot of money has put me off chancing it and riding anyway.

any help appreciated.

richard_smith237 · November 5, 2020

It doesn’t (shouldn’t) matter what Visa (or Visa exemption) you are on, you can get a 2 year Temporary licence.

You can use your home licence (if in English language) and don’t need an IDP

You will also require other documentation (proof of address, medical cert, passport copies etc).

Note: Each individual DLT seems to apply the regulations slightly differently, thus experiences will be different.

There are plenty of reports on this forum of people obtaining Thai driving licenses on a Visa Exempt stamp. There are also plenty of reports where people have been told then need a Visa.

The best advice:

Get your Affirmation of Residence, Get a Medical Certificate (from a local clinic), Get photo-copies of your passport and Visa stamp Page and go to the DLT and apply - thats the only 100% realistic answer you can get.

KhunBENQ · November 5, 2020

Just saying: as your IDP expired and only 50cc covered you need to do the license from scratch.

Physical (reaction, eyesight) test, theory (multiple choice) test and "driving" test on the yard (laughing matter).

You might run into the fact that they have a very long queue for new applications (Covid backlog).

Can be one or more months (don't know for Chiang Mai).

The "smart queue" online schedule does not seem to work for foreigners.

So indeed not much better chance than doing a visit to the office.

On first occasion I would only go for information without papers.

Written rules (English on the net) say that an O-visa is needed.

Last resort: "agent" route with "easing" the procedure.

Seen reports and heard first hand report of prices in the 4000 to 5000 Baht range!

richard_smith237 · November 5, 2020

My UK Driving licence covered me for AM and A 79(3) Groups:

The 79 (3) sub group basically means Trikes and Quads of any power.

AM means scooters not capable of more than 28mph !!

The staff at the Department of Land Transport don’t really know the licence groups and simply looked at the picture of a motorcycle on my Driving licence and gave me a Thai Bike Licence when requested (after doing the minor eye and reaction tests etc). Sometimes things just work in your favour if you try.

Adam219 · November 5, 2020

7 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

My UK Driving licence covered me for AM and A 79(3) Groups:

The 79 (3) sub group basically means Trikes and Quads of any power.

AM means scooters not capable of more than 28mph !!

The staff at the Department of Land Transport don’t really know the licence groups and simply looked at the picture of a motorcycle on my Driving licence and gave me a Thai Bike Licence when requested (after doing the minor eye and reaction tests etc). Sometimes things just work in your favour if you try.

Yeah, my licence is the same as yours with AM and A 79(3).

So you reckon I should try just rocking up to the place and try to get one there and then? What does your Thai licence cover in terms of cc/power?

p.s. not sure what you mean by an affirmation of residence, I'm a tourist here

richard_smith237 · November 5, 2020

2 hours ago, Adam219 said:

Yeah, my licence is the same as yours with AM and A 79(3).

So you reckon I should try just rocking up to the place and try to get one there and then? What does your Thai licence cover in terms of cc/power?

p.s. not sure what you mean by an affirmation of residence, I'm a tourist here

Yes... Head down to your local Department of Land Transport (I went to Bangkok DLT Area 3 - nr Sukhumvit 99).

The Thai Motorcycle Licence has no limit on cc / power.

You will need specific documentation to apply for a Driving / Motorcycle licence.

One of the key documents required is proof of residence.

You can get a Letter of Residence from Immigration IF you have carried out a 90day report recently.

Otherwise you will need to go to your Embassy (UK) and obtain an Affirmation of Residence document, which is basically the British Consular officer affirming you have proven your address (You will need to book an appointment with the British Consular office / Embassy, and take a utility bill, rent agreement, phone bill etc which states your address - the document costs about 2500 baht).

You will also need a Medical certificate - there are many ‘local’ clinics which can do this for 200 baht or so.

There is a pinned topic about obtaining a licence. It makes sense to get a Driving licence (car) at the same time.

HarrySeaman · November 6, 2020

Arrive at the Land Transport Office (LTO) at 7:30 and line up at the door - it is first come, first serve. Bring your own motorcycle or have someone bring one for you. You won't have a license so you risk getting a ticket on the way to the LTO if you bring your own motorcycle. The driving tester may allow you to rent his motorcycle but it is probably cheaper to pay the fine than the rental.

You will likely have to watch a video on Thai driving laws. It may be in English or in Thai with subtitles - I have see both types. Be sure to sit as far from the screen as possible so you won't be temped to watch the video in the middle of writing to your Facebook friends or playing a game on your phone, which are what all the Thais do.

You will likely be required to take the "written" test, which is given on a computer, and possibly the driving test.

These links will help you learn the Thai driving laws.

Thai Traffic Signs and Road Signs

Road signs in Thailand - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thai driving license exam with answers, 2020 | ASK ABOUT THAILAND

I'll assume you know how to drive a motorcycle since you had a small motorcycle/scooter license. If you want some laughs check YouTube for the driving test in Pattaya. Amazing Thailand.

There are three physical tests and possibly fourth depending on what office you are at.

Color blindness, which is also a test to make sure you can see beyond the end of your nose. If you can't see the dots or tell what color they are then you fail.

Reaction time test, which is based on you moving your foot from a model of an automobile accelerator peddle to a brake peddle when a certain sequence of lights is shown - make sure you watch a Thai take this test first so you know when to apply the brake.

A test to see how good your 3D vision is, which utalizes a box with a window that shows two illuminated white rods. The rods are initially separated, one to the front and one roughly to the middle of the box. You push buttons to move the one in front until the two rods are side by side. If you think you have it right sneak a glance at the tester - they may give you a clue as to whether or not you have the rods agligned.

There can be an additional vision test, which is to check and see how good your peripheral vision is.

DrJack54 · November 6, 2020

23 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Yes... Head down to your local Department of Land Transport (I went to Bangkok DLT Area 3 - nr Sukhumvit 99).

I did this process couple months back. At that stage you needed to make appointment.

Also the certificate of residence that I obtained from MMT (Bangkok) had nothing to do with 90 day report.

Each DLT pretty much has clinic very close, so you do that on way to appointment.

The CR is only valid for 30 days and it's posted out. Takes 2-3 weeks.

They have photocopy copy service inside so that is option.

KhaoYai · November 6, 2020

On 11/5/2020 at 7:56 AM, richard_smith237 said:

You can use your home licence (if in English language) and don’t need an IDP

A note of caution - the above statement may satisfy the law of the land but some insurance companies require that you have an IDP if you are using your home licence. You may satisfy the law but find you have problems with your insurer should you wish to submit a claim. Check your insurance.

Also, I'm not sure if there's a time limit on how long you can use your home country licence.

brianthainess · November 7, 2020

If you are starting from scratch then i would recommend going to a driving school, Chanthaburi school is M/C 1,000 baht all up for 2 days +med cert (they take you to hospital) Cost of license they take you to DLT. Maybe there is one near you. (5,000 b for car)

richard_smith237 · November 7, 2020

13 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

On 11/5/2020 at 2:56 PM, richard_smith237 said:

You can use your home licence (if in English language) and don’t need an IDP

A note of caution - the above statement may satisfy the law of the land but some insurance companies require that you have an IDP if you are using your home licence. You may satisfy the law but find you have problems with your insurer should you wish to submit a claim. Check your insurance.

Also, I'm not sure if there's a time limit on how long you can use your home country licence.

Completely agree with regards to the insurance.

The information I provided was solely related to applying for a Thai Driving licence and not actually driving here on a UK licence without an IDP.

richard_smith237 · November 7, 2020

21 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

I did this process couple months back. At that stage you needed to make appointment.

Also the certificate of residence that I obtained from MMT (Bangkok) had nothing to do with 90 day report.

Each DLT pretty much has clinic very close, so you do that on way to appointment.

The CR is only valid for 30 days and it's posted out. Takes 2-3 weeks.

They have photocopy copy service inside so that is option.

In the past I have been unable to get a 'letter / certificate of Residence' from Immigration at Chaeng Wattana because I had been in country less than 90 days and had not submitted a 90 day report.

MMT ?? (Muang Thong Thani ?? MTT ?) - which I assume is a new area of Immigration moved from Chaeng Wattana which deals with the 90 day reports etc

Based on your information DrJack54 - does that mean there has been a change in policy and that a ‘Letter / certificate of Residence’ can now be secured from Immigration at Muang Thong Thani even if someone has not been in country for longer than 90 days and have not filed a 90 day report ?

In which case the Op may be successful obtaining a letter / certificate of residence from immigration in Chiang Mai rather than having to pay a fortune getting one from the British Consulate in Chiang Mai.

richard_smith237 · November 7, 2020

4 hours ago, brianthainess said:

If you are starting from scratch then i would recommend going to a driving school, Chanthaburi school is M/C 1,000 baht all up for 2 days +med cert (they take you to hospital) Cost of license they take you to DLT. Maybe there is one near you. (5,000 b for car)

Rather a long way considering the Op is in Chiang Mai.

Obtaining a Thai DL is easy enough to do on your own - some guys use agents but I’ve never ever considered something so simply as requiring the assistance of an agent.

DrJack54 · November 7, 2020

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Based on your information DrJack54 - does that mean there has been a change in policy and that a ‘Letter / certificate of Residence’ can now be secured from Immigration at Muang Thong Thani even if someone has not been in country for longer than 90 days and have not filed a 90 day report ?

My post was incorrect and could not edit it.

In fact the day I attended MTT, I did my first ever 90 day report. I then made photocopy of the report and went to another desk to apply for certificate of residence.

In fact I have been here for last 8 yrs and never done 90 report due to ongoing travel.

You are correct that (for BKK at least) the CR was not possible to obtain without having made a 90 report. Only since Covid have I been able to make 90 report.

Salami Sam · November 7, 2020

On 11/5/2020 at 5:47 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Yes... Head down to your local Department of Land Transport (I went to Bangkok DLT Area 3 - nr Sukhumvit 99).

The Thai Motorcycle Licence has no limit on cc / power.

You will need specific documentation to apply for a Driving / Motorcycle licence.

One of the key documents required is proof of residence.

You can get a Letter of Residence from Immigration IF you have carried out a 90day report recently.

Otherwise you will need to go to your Embassy (UK) and obtain an Affirmation of Residence document, which is basically the British Consular officer affirming you have proven your address (You will need to book an appointment with the British Consular office / Embassy, and take a utility bill, rent agreement, phone bill etc which states your address - the document costs about 2500 baht).

You will also need a Medical certificate - there are many ‘local’ clinics which can do this for 200 baht or so.

There is a pinned topic about obtaining a licence. It makes sense to get a Driving licence (car) at the same time.

Not true about the certificate of residence. No 90 day report required in Chiang Mai. 500 baht on the second floor of immigration and you get it the next day.

richard_smith237 · November 7, 2020

2 minutes ago, Salami Sam said:

Not true about the certificate of residence. No 90 day report required in Chiang Mai. 500 baht on the second floor of immigration and you get it the next day.

Some confusion on this matter.

SalamiSam - are you saying that you have not filed a 90 day report since you last entered Thailand, yet you were able to obtain a Certificate of Residence from Chiang Mai Immigration ?

If so - this is obviously very helpful to the op and many others.

Salami Sam · November 7, 2020

On 11/5/2020 at 2:41 PM, Adam219 said:

I no longer have a valid IDP and it only covered 50cc anyway. I'm now in Chiang Mai and I'm very keen to get a scooter, but with them nearly all being 125cc and my IDP expired, I'm thinking - can I get a Licence even though I only have a Visa Exemption? (specifically in CM I guess)

The idea of getting into an accident and losing a lot of money has put me off chancing it and riding anyway.

any help appreciated.

I got my thai driving licenses in Chiang mai. Since you already have a motorcycle license from your home country all you have to do is pay a fee, 205 baht I think, take a 10 sec color test and get a certificate of residence from the second floor of immigration for 500 baht which you can pick up next day, a medical certificate from a clinic and photocopies of relevant passport pages. I was on a tourist visa.

teacherclaire · November 7, 2020

On 11/5/2020 at 2:56 PM, richard_smith237 said:

It doesn’t (shouldn’t) matter what Visa (or Visa exemption) you are on, you can get a 2 year Temporary licence.

You can use your home licence (if in English language) and don’t need an IDP

You will also require other documentation (proof of address, medical cert, passport copies etc).

Note: Each individual DLT seems to apply the regulations slightly differently, thus experiences will be different.

There are plenty of reports on this forum of people obtaining Thai driving licenses on a Visa Exempt stamp. There are also plenty of reports where people have been told then need a Visa.

The best advice:

Get your Affirmation of Residence, Get a Medical Certificate (from a local clinic), Get photo-copies of your passport and Visa stamp Page and go to the DLT and apply - thats the only 100% realistic answer you can get.

That sounds difficult, as he doesn't seem to have the proper license.

I no longer have a valid IDP and it only covered 50cc anyway ( from the OP...)

Salami Sam · November 7, 2020

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Some confusion on this matter.

SalamiSam - are you saying that you have not filed a 90 day report since you last entered Thailand, yet you were able to obtain a Certificate of Residence from Chiang Mai Immigration ?

If so - this is obviously very helpful to the op and many others.

That's exactly what I'm saying. I'm on a tourist visa and don't do 90 day reports. All you have to do is bring a piece of paper with the address you are staying at (in my case a hostel), required passport photocopies and bring them to the second floor of Chiang mai immigration and fill out the form they give you. 500 baht for next day. Or you can get it for free if you want to wait 2 weeks. Hope this helps.

Salami Sam · November 7, 2020

On 11/5/2020 at 3:11 PM, KhunBENQ said:

Just saying: as your IDP expired and only 50cc covered you need to do the license from scratch.

Physical (reaction, eyesight) test, theory (multiple choice) test and "driving" test on the yard (laughing matter).

You might run into the fact that they have a very long queue for new applications (Covid backlog).

Can be one or more months (don't know for Chiang Mai).

The "smart queue" online schedule does not seem to work for foreigners.

So indeed not much better chance than doing a visit to the office.

On first occasion I would only go for information without papers.

Written rules (English on the net) say that an O-visa is needed.

Last resort: "agent" route with "easing" the procedure.

Seen reports and heard first hand report of prices in the 4000 to 5000 Baht range!

This is not true. He won't have to start from scratch and can simply pay the fee and do a color test and get a thai license for whatever license he has from his home country. With the relevant forms as well obviously. Certificate of residence, etc.

KhunBENQ · November 8, 2020

On 11/7/2020 at 2:57 PM, Salami Sam said:

He won't have to start from scratch and can simply pay the fee and do a color test and get a thai license for whatever license he has from his home country.

The OP does only mention his expired IDP.

And getting anything on a visa exempt entry is a game of luck.

By the rules not possible.

https://www.dlt.go.th/en/two-year-license/

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

The sites are a bit of mess but you can still find what they mean.

I hope @Adam219 will report the outcome.

Salami Sam · November 8, 2020

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

The OP does only mention his expired IDP.

And getting anything on a visa exempt entry is a game of luck.

By the rules not possible.

https://www.dlt.go.th/en/two-year-license/

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

The sites are a bit of mess but you can still find what they mean.

I hope @Adam219 will report the outcome.

OP also mentioned he has a motorcycle license from his home country.The links you included were for renewing your thai license and it does say you need a non immigrant visa. But there's a separate link on that website for getting a thai license for the first time and it just says visa, nothing about non immigrant, so by the rules,it is possible. I'm speaking from first hand experience of getting both my motorcycle and car licenses in Chiang mai earlier this year on a tourist visa.If you have an existing license that you want to transfer to a thai license, all that is required is a fee, 10 second vision test and the appropriate photocopies. No other training or tests are required. That is only if you are trying to get a license for which you don't already have a classification for from your home country. Hope this helps.

richard_smith237 · November 8, 2020

1 minute ago, Salami Sam said:

OP also mentioned he has a motorcycle license from his home country.The links you included were for renewing your thai license and it does say you need a non immigrant visa. But there's a separate link on that website for getting a thai license for the first time and it just says visa, nothing about non immigrant, so by the rules,it is possible. I'm speaking from first hand experience of getting both my motorcycle and car licenses in Chiang mai earlier this year on a tourist visa.If you have an existing license that you want to transfer to a thai license, all that is required is a fee, 10 second vision test and the appropriate photocopies. No other training or tests are required. That is only if you are trying to get a license for which you don't already have a classification for from your home country. Hope this helps.

You can get a 2 year temporary licence on any visa or visa exemption stamp (unless this has recently changed).

You need a Non-Immigrant Visa to extend renew a 2 year temporary licence to a 5 year licence.

As always, results may be different at different DLT offices. I was successful in getting a 5 year licence without a Non-Imm visa (I had the Elite Visa), Yellow house book and Pink ID card - I suspect the officer issuing the licence made an oversight.

Thorgal · November 8, 2020

Your IDP has to be from international convention of 1949.

The IDP’s from international convention of 1968 can not be use for driving license conversion. Thailand did not sign yet to the latest convention...

You can also use your national driving license in English or Thai. If in another language you need to translate it to Thai/English + legalise it at your consulate.

Anyway, with latest driving license law changes of 2019 you can only use your IDP for 60 days in Thailand. After that you need a Thai Driving License...

Residence certificates can be obtained for tourists through endorsement of the landlord or hotel representative.

jackdd · November 8, 2020

18 minutes ago, Thorgal said:

Anyway, with latest driving license law changes of 2019 you can only use your IDP for 60 days in Thailand. After that you need a Thai Driving License...

Can you provide a source for this?

Thorgal · November 8, 2020

47 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Can you provide a source for this?

60 days on Tourist visa.

90 days on Non-imm.

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/821496-insurance-cover-for-driving-with-international-drivers-permit-on-tourist-visa-for-5-months/

jackdd · November 9, 2020

8 hours ago, Thorgal said:

60 days on Tourist visa.

90 days on Non-imm.

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/821496-insurance-cover-for-driving-with-international-drivers-permit-on-tourist-visa-for-5-months/

The law quoted in this thread doesn't mention any limit.

You said there was a law change in 2019, but this thread is from 2015?

Adam219 · November 10, 2020

I've not done any 90 day reports, my understanding is that as a tourist I dont have to do them.

Anyhow, with the documentation requirements and time involved, I think I'm not going to bother, seeing as a visa extension isnt guaranteed beyond the 30th Nov at the moment.

Such a PITA that I cannot renew/get a new IDP online and sent to me.

Thanks for the replies

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