Driving Licence renewal in Rayong

[Eff1n2ret]

My 5-year licence expires next week. The main DLT website opens with an unpromising announcement that licensing and other services at DLT offices are suspended from March 2020, so I went along to the Rayong office to see what the score is. The main difference since before Covid is that you have to make an appointment, so I made one for late this month. On the window of the appointment booth is a notice in English specifying the 5 items that foreigners need to submit, namely - passport + copy - residence letter from Embassy or immigration - medical certificate - expiring licence + copy - "Results of 1 hour training session"

Re that last item I heard some confusing waffle about attending a session on certain afternoons, but it seems clear that the film and lecture that one had to endure during previous applications now has to be done in advance of applying. I didn't feel like hanging around till the afternoon, but I noticed on their posters a website address - dlt-elearning.com - so when I got home I tried it. Simply hitting a 'foreigner' button and registering with my passport number and dob was enough to start on the session, which comprises an hour-long film and 3 easy questions, then up comes a gaily-coloured "pass" certificate, which can be printed off or taken as a screenshot.

So after I've been to squint at an eyesight chart and got the letter from Immigration I'm good to go. If anyone's completed the process and got a new licence recently I would be interested to hear what happens on the day. I suspect it's a little more civilised than it used to be, I certainly hope so.

Edited October 6, 2021 by Eff1n2ret

[Taccos]

Unfortunately I cannot comment on your question as my renewal is only scheduled for tomorrow but I have a question on the DLT online training. Having registered I am assigned a 4 letter User ID. When going to the pre-test I am immediately issued a certificate without going through any questions. The certificate shows my user ID 4-letter code instead of my passport number. When trying to proceed to the other 3 steps ((training/test) my certificate shows up again and I am unable to proceed  any further. Any suggestions what could have gone wrong?

[giddyup]

I'm colour blind, but have managed to pass the test (with help) three times now, so if doing the same thing online what's to stop you getting help to pass?

[brewsterbudgen]

So, no more reaction braking, parallel vision or aligning those silly arrows tests? That would be great!

[Otto2910]

48 minutes ago, Taccos said:

Unfortunately I cannot comment on your question as my renewal is only scheduled for tomorrow but I have a question on the DLT online training. Having registered I am assigned a 4 letter User ID. When going to the pre-test I am immediately issued a certificate without going through any questions. The certificate shows my user ID 4-letter code instead of my passport number. When trying to proceed to the other 3 steps ((training/test) my certificate shows up again and I am unable to proceed  any further. Any suggestions what could have gone wrong?

ID code is PDEU and your Passportnumber example PDEUC309LWG17

[Eff1n2ret]

1 hour ago, Otto2910 said:

ID code is PDEU and your Passportnumber example PDEUC309LWG17

Same for me - PGBR + my passport number

[Eff1n2ret]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

I'm colour blind, but have managed to pass the test (with help) three times now, so if doing the same thing online what's to stop you getting help to pass?

The online "test" is only 3 simple multiple choice questions to which the correct answer is pretty obvious. Two of  them were the correct distance at which to signal before turning at a junction, and how to drive through a flooded road, I can't remember the other one. They seem to be incidental to the film, which is in two parts, a dippy bimbo driving around Bangkok receiving advice from her guru plus a few crashes (Thai with English subtitles) then two Brits giving much the same advice in English. The certificate you get is valid for 6 months.

I don't know whether the reaction braking and colour tests still form part of the process when you go for your appointment, I suspect they probably do, but I was hoping to hear from somebody who has done it recently.

[ilms]

18 hours ago, Eff1n2ret said:

On the window of the appointment booth is a notice in English specifying the 5 items that foreigners need to submit, namely - passport + copy - residence letter from Embassy or immigration - medical certificate - expiring licence + copy - "Results of 1 hour training session"

If your expiring license is 5-year validity, you (likely) won't need the medical certificate for renewal. You need the medical cert. when going from 2 to 5-year license. Not quite sure why this is.  In any event, it's always a good idea to have a Thai speaker call the DLT office where you'll be doing your renewal in order to confirm what documents are needed/not needed.

[siamike]

I renewed my 5 year license in Rayong earlier this year, so my info is a bit dated, but hopefully still at least partially relevant.  I took the online 3 question test but it didn't help me because at that time, the  online site was for Thais only, so I still had to sit through several hours of watching the same videos presented online.  The classroom was packed the day of my appointment and those in charge elected to omit the vision depth perception test as it takes the most time, and required only the color blindness and reaction time tests;  I would expect all three tests to still be required today.  

 

Good Luck and keep us posted on what tests you're required to pass. 

[Eff1n2ret]

3 minutes ago, ilms said:

If your expiring license is 5-year validity, you (likely) won't need the medical certificate for renewal. You need the medical cert. when going from 2 to 5-year license. Not quite sure why this is.  In any event, it's always a good idea to have a Thai speaker call the DLT office where you'll be doing your renewal in order to confirm what documents are needed/not needed.

When I renewed 5 years ago I took a med cert and it was handed back to me. However, the list on the window is obviously recent and it's no great problem or expense to get one.

[walailak]

I renewed my 5 years license back in December 2020 at the Department of Land Transport Chatuchak, Bangkok , and the medical certificate wasn't required.

I can confirm from the 19th of February 2021 it is now a requirement when going from 5 to 5-year license!.

 

Btw I went to the site the dlt-elearning.com and tried it out. Despite my license expires 2026 the system allows me to watch the video, <deleted>!! go figure......lol

I logged using using my pink id number which I got them to change it from my passport number when renewed in December 2020, 

In any event, as previously mentioned  it's always a good idea to have a Thai speaker (wife ) with you when visit.

Hope this helps ????

[chilly07]

1 hour ago, ilms said:

If your expiring license is 5-year validity, you (likely) won't need the medical certificate for renewal. You need the medical cert. when going from 2 to 5-year license. Not quite sure why this is.  In any event, it's always a good idea to have a Thai speaker call the DLT office where you'll be doing your renewal in order to confirm what documents are needed/not needed.

Did mine in May (Banglamung) 5yr to 5yr and did need medical cert  plus residence cert from Immigration. Didn't have to view video as Driving School handled my application and DLT wanted us out of the office asap

Edited October 7, 2021 by chilly07

[giddyup]

21 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

Did mine in May (Banglamung) 5yr to 5yr and did need medical cert  plus residence cert from Immigration. Didn't have to view video as Driving School handled my application and DLT wanted us out of the office asap

Did you still need to do the reaction and colour tests at the DLT?

[Rampant Rabbit]

38 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

residence cert from Immigration

Do you need that with a yellow  house  book?

That video was utter  tripe i wanted to answer "the  biggest cause of accidents in Thailand is a corrupt  non functioning police force"  but couldnt find the box

[thurien]

1 hour ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

Do you need that with a yellow  house  book?

think it is "either / or", same as in the past when I always used the yellow book only

[Thingamabob]

You don't have to apply at the Rayong office. Maybe not much help now, but last year I renewed at the Nonthaburi office and it was no hassle whatsoever.

[Taccos]

7 hours ago, Otto2910 said:

ID code is PDEU and your Passportnumber example PDEUC309LWG17

For some reason the passport number does not show up. It no longer matter though as Samui DLT does not ask for the test to be taken (is this the reason the system won’t let me take the test?), only medical and residence certificate, and then color and reaction test, as I learned today. Not sure 3D vision test is still required as it was 2 years ago. Will find out tomorrow. 

[siftasam]

It's been great at Lamphun over the years!  I hope nothing's changed (although I suspect it has).

 

A local clinic doctor issued me with my first chit about 12 years ago. He had an A4 size paper in his hand. He said in good English "How are you feeling?" I replied "Good"; so, he ticked about 8 boxes. He then opened the 'dotty' colour blind testing book and said "Can you read this number?" I did. "Good. Correct. And," turning the page, "this one?" I did. "Very good. And", turning the page, "lastly, this one?". Ah, I thought, a wily Oriental trick! I'm not falling for this, Doc. "There isn't one." He gave me a very strange look and held the book closer. "Now?", he said. I shook my head. He moved the book close to the end of my nose (I have a big hooter) and asked, "Can you see it now?" "I'm sorry, I can't," I replied truthfully and helplessly.  "27," he whispered. "27," I said. "Well done," he told me, tickled the paper and said, "50 baht please."

 

Last time I renewed, the reaction and alignment tests were a hoot. There were about 20 of us in the same small space. I was the only farang. A very old man was struggling with both tests, but passed because all the other Thais bawled at him when to brake and what else to do.

 

I don't care if he was a hazard on the road. It was all so wonderfully funny and so Thai!

 

[Eff1n2ret]

To continue the saga of re-discovery I went along to Maptaphut this morning for the Immigration residence letter with the completed form, my passport and copies of what I thought were the relevant pages, but no copies were required. What they did want was a photo, which I hadn't thought to take, so the girlie said "six photos for 100 baht". I agreed, she stood me in front of a blue panel on the wall and snapped me with her mobile phone. After a 10 minute wait I was called back in and another girlie handed me an envelope and demanded 600 baht - 100 for the photos, 500 for the letter, no receipt.

I'm quite happy with that, they're providing a service far quicker and cheaper than the wretched Embassy, and I don't know of any law which requires them to provide the service.

So there it is folks - if you want a driving licence letter from Rayong Immigration take a photo and 500Baht. By the way, when I handed over my passport one of the first things they looked for was the TM30 slip, so make sure you have one of those.

[yimlitnoy]

A TM30 receipt will do for a certificate of residence or an Canada Embassy letter certifying my residence?  I will go with my wife.  A Chatuchak DLT do they do the peripheral depth vision test?  I will renew from 5 years to 5 years again.

 

Edited October 9, 2021 by yimlitnoy
correction

[Eff1n2ret]

10 minutes ago, yimlitnoy said:

A TM30 receipt will do for a certificate of residence...?

No it won't for the licence application, but it seemed to be important at Immigration when I went to them for the letter to submit to the DLT, which is why I mentioned it.

[yimlitnoy]

7 hours ago, Eff1n2ret said:

No it won't for the licence application, but it seemed to be important at Immigration when I went to them for the letter to submit to the DLT, which is why I mentioned it.

I think that my Embassy can do the letter certifying my residence, they did in the past for DLT.

[The Hammer2021]

On 10/7/2021 at 12:43 PM, chilly07 said:

Did mine in May (Banglamung) 5yr to 5yr and did need medical cert  plus residence cert from Immigration. Didn't have to view video as Driving School handled my application and DLT wanted us out of the office asap

Where in Banglamung?

[Eff1n2ret]

The process is much more civilised than 5 years ago because of the appointment system. There's nothing to be gained by turning up early, because you are marshalled in groups of a dozen or so according to your appointment time, and then sent across to the main building. If you have an immigration letter, you should stop off at the information booth on the ground floor to get it stamped (heaven knows why), otherwise they send you back downstairs to get it done. Hand in the papers upstairs, when they've been processed you go across to the test room for the red-yellow-green and reaction tests, hand papers back in where you were before, wait to be called for payment (505Baht), then in the next alcove wait for your turn in the booth for photo, and a minute or two later for your new licence. 9.30 appointment, all done by 10.20.

That's how they're doing it in Rayong now.

I was glad to see my licence now displays my correct month of birth, September, as for the last 10 years it's been October. Expiry date is September 2027, nearly 6 years. I wonder what my expiry date is.