Hello,

my 5 years driving licences is expiring in April so I went today to the DLT office in Bangkok (Chatuchak).

I was there around 10 AM and was told that the foreigner queue limit is full (50 foreigners per day). They said that I have to come very early 7-8 AM to have a chance to be in the queue for the day but even then it would be no guarantee.

Anybody can share experience and managed to get he renewal done in recent times?

 

The driving license experience in Thailand is unique.     I encountered the same  full up  rejection you did.

I showed up at the time they open @ 8:00AM to learn I was  already late.       We also found out the appointment system does not  work  for foreigners.

This is one of those  agencies where you just have to give yourself over for the day to them.   By that I mean you have to show up very early and plan to spend most of the day just sitting there.

It's only once every 5 years so I can manage it fine.

What time you been there to get a queue?

can't you book an appointment?  I renewed mine late last year and had an appointment, booked a month earlier. That was at the Pattaya DLT.    

The system in play at Pattaya DLT seems much better organised.

I attended at about 10.30am a couple of weeks back. Had my paperwork checked, 5 year renewal for car and motorbike, the lady then gave me a choice of 9am or 1.30pm for a date in about 2 weeks time. Put my name to the 9am slot - was the final name on a 10 name list. So they have 20 slots per day for foreigners. Will be turning up next week for the tests / video then, hopefully, walk out with the, near 6 year (based on next birthday start rule) new licences.

Also in Bangkok depending where you do it.
Chatuchak is the biggest and therefore most foreigners go there.
Rama 2 there are almost empty (about 6 months ago there were only 2 foreigner including me for renewing the license). But not sure if you are allowed to go there if you stay Sukhumvit area or north of Bangkok.....

I made an appointment in person (Ban Chak); I had to wait 3 months before a date was available.

4 hours ago, HampiK said:

Also in Bangkok depending where you do it.
Chatuchak is the biggest and therefore most foreigners go there.
Rama 2 there are almost empty (about 6 months ago there were only 2 foreigner including me for renewing the license). But not sure if you are allowed to go there if you stay Sukhumvit area or north of Bangkok.....

yet one more of a myriad of reasons not to live in Bangkok, unless forced to by work. Even then, chose to work in BKK or work elsewhere, elsewhere would be my first choice. Still, good we don't all feel the same.  

In this pandemic, there are still so many foreigners applying for DL? Amazing.

5 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

yet one more of a myriad of reasons not to live in Bangkok, unless forced to by work. Even then, chose to work in BKK or work elsewhere, elsewhere would be my first choice. Still, good we don't all feel the same.  

I think I'm just a city person.  25 years living in central London and 16 years (so far) living in central Bangkok.  The countryside doesn't really appeal.

Just now, EricTh said:

In this pandemic, there are still so many foreigners applying for DL? Amazing.

It is generally recommended to drive legally, pandemic or no pandemic.

11 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I think I'm just a city person.  25 years living in central London and 16 years (so far) living in central Bangkok.  The countryside doesn't really appeal.

It would be interesting to debate that sentence at length.  My eldest daughter is kind of the same, but loves the countryside and outdoors, but also the City. My son is like me and avoids them like the plague.  For me, Cities are anathema. I relish living in the relative silence of the rural scene and waking up in the morning to the sound of bird song and not that of  traffic and people.  I loath condo living for the same reasons.  I don't relish being around people and the noise of a City is painful.  As I said, good job we are not all the same.  Bit off topic I know. 

16 minutes ago, EricTh said:

In this pandemic, there are still so many foreigners applying for DL? Amazing.

its a legal requirement? 

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

its a legal requirement? 

If you live here, yes.

8 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

its a legal requirement? 

Aren't most foreigners restricted from going to Thailand at this time due to quarantine, difficulty in getting jobs etc?

Normally you need to go to DLT and show documents, they'll tell you what is needed and what is not, what you're missing, etc. and then they'll give you a queue, and write it into this big book that has 50 entries per day. You can choose an empty slot but generally that's a few months later. You'll get a pink form with your name and appointment date and time. That's when you go back with requested paperwork and get license renewed.

Thai people can make appointment online. So can foreigners with pink IDs by putting the name (in Thai) and number from top of the card, that looks like ID Card number, into the application form. That said - I've heard that it is faster to do it at the DLT in foreigner queue than Thai queue, as that is even longer.

Hi

Do you need a medical attest for a 5 year renewal in this case Motorcycle license?

Regards

21 minutes ago, EricTh said:

Aren't most foreigners restricted from going to Thailand at this time due to quarantine, difficulty in getting jobs etc?

There are tens of thousands of foreigner that reside in Thailand on a long term basis (some on non-B extensions/WP's others on Non-O extensions with external income sources). They need to renew their DL's. If Mochit and Bangchak DLT's are too crowded they can either make an appointment which requires waiting for a month or so, or if urgent they can got to the less busy DLT branches in Ladkrabang/Minburi or Rama 2.

10 minutes ago, rgrdns said:

Hi

Do you need a medical attest for a 5 year renewal in this case Motorcycle license?

Regards

Yes, since the beginning of this month, a medical cert is now required for renewing a 5 year DL (cars & motorcycles).

3 minutes ago, mark5335 said:

There are tens of thousands of foreigner that reside in Thailand on a long term basis (some on non-B extensions/WP's others on Non-O extensions with external income sources). They need to renew their DL's. If Mochit and Bangchak DLT's are too crowded they can either make an appointment which requires waiting for a month or so, or if urgent they can got to the less busy DLT branches in Ladkrabang/Minburi or Rama 2.

If I remember it correctly, most foreign workers are from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. They usually have a different special queue separate from the farang.

Is nobody getting sick of Thai people/authorities discriminating against non-Thais?

20 minutes ago, Don Dunkelblum said:

Is nobody getting sick of Thai people/authorities discriminating against non-Thais?

No, not really. It's their country and they are entitled to impose whatever rules on none citizens it likes. I would expect nothing less from my home government in the UK in regards to immigrants and other none citizens. 

Funny interpretation you have of rights and rules.

I wonder if your government in the UK agrees with you. 

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

No, not really. It's their country and they are entitled to impose whatever rules on none citizens it likes. I would expect nothing less from my home government in the UK in regards to immigrants and other none citizens. 

Quite right ! Thus the  entertainment  value of  spending a Sunday afternoon on the roundabouts of the exit  of the  Chunnel and  observing the  idiocy of  Eurotypes trying to comprehend driving  on the other side of the  road !

In Thailand it is less amusing simply because it is a cluster fudge on the roads.

 

 

33 minutes ago, mark5335 said:

Yes, since the beginning of this month, a medical cert is now required for renewing a 5 year DL (cars & motorcycles).

It's not what I would call onerous, my medical certificate examination consisted of the doctor tapping my knee to see if I still had reflexes. 200 baht.

35 minutes ago, mark5335 said:

Yes, since the beginning of this month, a medical cert is now required for renewing a 5 year DL (cars & motorcycles).

Oh - missed that as well, even if I not came to this stage yet ????. Will get a medical certificate then as well and try it more early next week.

Also worth mentioning long pants and no flipflops are required (not kidding!)

47 minutes ago, Don Dunkelblum said:

Is nobody getting sick of Thai people/authorities discriminating against non-Thais?

after allowing numerous foreigners to stay here because of the 'they couldn't leave because'  clause, it sure doesn't look too many of them were discriminated against. The countries that most 'non-Thais are from would of thrown their butt's out by now..

So it seems Rama 2 office is the crack?

5 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I think I'm just a city person.  25 years living in central London and 16 years (so far) living in central Bangkok.  The countryside doesn't really appeal.

I'm also from London and love Bangkok. Great place to live although I travel out a lot to Pattaya and Hua Hin. 

As for DLT Morchit, they are a real pain. Even in pre covid times renewal of licences there would take at least half a day. My mc and car licences were obtained at different times so I have to go twice every five years. At least its less than 10 minutes from home for me. Next dl renewal 2022. Last week I renewed Road tax on my motorbike and their drive through service only took 10 minutes waiting and 2 minutes at the kiosk. 

 

5 hours ago, Pilotman said:

It would be interesting to debate that sentence at length.  My eldest daughter is kind of the same, but loves the countryside and outdoors, but also the City. My son is like me and avoids them like the plague.  For me, Cities are anathema. I relish living in the relative silence of the rural scene and waking up in the morning to the sound of bird song and not that of  traffic and people.  I loath condo living for the same reasons.  I don't relish being around people and the noise of a City is painful.  As I said, good job we are not all the same.  Bit off topic I know. 

Interesting comments. I live in Bangkok. So much for the noise. Depends where you live. I'm just up the road from Victory Monument. You mention rural birdsong I made a short film from my horrible condo balcony a while ago. I invite you to view it here.