3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Two different couples I know, one married in Panama and the other in Spain were unable to register those foreign marriages with the Banglamung Amphur. They weren't given any extended paperchase options. It was simply a case of 'cannot' based on the fact (as they saw it) that a couple cannot get married twice to the same person while the first marriage is still standing.

 

YMMV

There is a significant difference between getting married in Thailand (the marriage once performed is then registered in the national database) and registering the fact of a foreign marriage with the amphur.

 

clearly there was a misunderstanding between the amphur and foreign couples. The amphur is absolutely correct that if you are already married you can not get married again in Thailand.

 

if the misunderstanding was deliberate on the part of the amphur, who just don’t want to go to the bother of registering a foreign marriage or on the part of the foreigners of the couples and their Thai spouses asking to get married (they absolutely can not) rather than registering a foreign marriage (they absolutely can) is unknown 

 

as I mentioned some offices are more hostile or friendly than others, I am rather less surprised that an amphur near Pattaya is hostile, they get more than their fair share of impolite foreigners who feel that the sun shines out of their nether regions, that showering several time a day is optional even if you sweat a lot, who think that going into a government office in a wife beater and shorts is accepted practice and can’t be bothered to find out the correct questions to ask or to realise that they will just have to find a more friendly office, dress politely, have good personal grooming and treat the officials with the respect that the officials feel pis due to them. Doing all that in a friendly office will help beyond belief. They may not like it but it’s the way to get the results they want. 
 

as I mentioned Lak Si Ket that is very close to the MOFA Chang Wattana is probably a good option 

I got my Thai driving licences - car and bike - on production of my UK photocard licence and an IDP (International Driving Permit) which in the UK is dead easy to get. You can do it on-line if you still have your UK licence or you can get your UK licence renewed on line too BUT you need a UK address to have both posted to and someone to send them tracked and signed for to you.

 

This assumes you are English of course and not a Melican foreigner! (No offense intended).

 

Then present those plus the other docs mentioned, copies of passport pages, address confirmation from Immigration, medical certificate (you are breathing and walked in here so you are fine!) and you can then apply for a 2 year licence for car and separate one for bike if you have that entitlement. You then have to do a peripheral vision test - now suspended because of Covid fears, reaction test, colour blindness test, and depth perception test, now also suspended because it involves handling equipment so a covid risk. (Assuming those two suspensions are still in force) 

 

This is good news for you because it cuts out all the boring bits like tests and so on. You pays your money, has your picture taken and wait for your licence to be printed. As others said I'd act the innocent, say nothing about previous licences and chances are very high they will not do searches as you are a stupid farang anyway so they will pity you!

I got the police report done, 20 thb and they asked me for it without prompting so it was a good job. All done now. 105 thb

I misplaced my car license once and had to get a police report for them to give me a new one. (later found it in a drawer)

They then printed me a duplicate version of my existing license with the same expiry date.

For some reason i still had to produce the same stack of paperwork as if it was a renewal... Visa, medical, residence cert. etc... ????