Out of date Thai driving license? Hurry up to avoid fines and retesting says Thai media

[dave moir]

2 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

What's a foot test? 

 

Check if you have two feet?

Emergency brake test! make sure your reactions are quick enough if you need to stop quickly ????

[ChrisKC]

2 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

What's a foot test? 

 

Check if you have two feet?

It's a test for your reaction time in an 'emergency stop' situation - it isn't a "foot test" - apart from your foot going to the brake pedal.

 

One would have thought that there must be at least one English-competent person interpreting Thai to English, in particular for the test involving the 45/90 correct requirement to pass. I failed twice and on the third occasion, the "Supervisor" came to help me understand the English while I was actually doing the test and even gave me the correct answers to some.

 

Funny old world innit?

[DFPhuket]

I have both a motorbike and car license. I'm Patong I'm stopped at a checkpoint about once a week. I open my wallet, show the top of two licenses in the slots in my wallet (without removing them) and are waved on without ever pulling a license out of my wallet. 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

But if they have expired from 1 to 3 years in duration the user will have to resit a 50 question E-exam with the requirement to get 45/50 or 90% to pass. Failure means coming back to do it again. 

 

For expired licenses over 3 years you need to do training and tests just as if you were getting a new one.

Or just pay the fine if and when stopped...

[cyril sneer]

it's not worth the hassle getting one

 

just show your home country one and hope for the best

[thailand49]

5 hours ago, Seppius said:

I was going to do a post on this. Doing mine at the moment

 

My last five-year license was 3 years out, I don’t know how they expected you to renew it, when unable to get into the country.

 

Anyway, first part is simple, paper work is straight forward. Medical/Residence certificate and photocopy relevant passport pages

 

Color-blind and reaction test is easy.

 

There is a tent outside which says foreigners, go early say 8am at latest, submit paper work. I was then told come back next day 2.30pm

 

Next day upstairs to do above tests. At this point I was told I would need to do the 50 questions as cannot renew my old license as its out of date, so come back tomorrow, which i did. So 3rd journey there.

 

I have now sat the test twice and failed, first time I got 40 right 2nd time 43 you need 45 out of 50, I still have to go back again to try again as of writing this.

 

The questions don't translate very well. There are plenty of places online that give you an idea of the questions, in the end I paid B399 to this place, their test is the closest to the original I have found, but not comprehensive enough

 

https://thaidriverslicenseservice.com/clients/membership-levels/

 

Free site is https://move2thailand.com/driving-license-exam-in-thailand-2020/

 

Also I heard there is a school in Ban Saray where you can do the test

 

Pm me or I will keep an eye on this tread to answer questions

 

Not looking forward to going back a fourth time, it's a long way on a bike from Jomtien

 

 

 

 

 

Imprisonment not over 1 month or fined not more than 1,000 baht or both
 

you can go down to Soi Pothole off Soi Buakhao, Pattaya to the bookstore C------- and ask for the test question 3 sets 50 question each with answers 250 baht

[KannikaP]

54 minutes ago, dave moir said:

Emergency brake test! make sure your reactions are quick enough if you need to stop quickly ????

And some Thais actually pass it. 

[DjSilver]

Everyone in Thailand just gets their driving license with their street food noodles ????????????

[Moonlover]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The answer was that with most insurance companies insurance would still be valid as the old one could be used in the process of claiming.

 

But the police would fine you up to 2,000 baht for having an out of date licence. 

I hope @toston took note of that!

[leosurin]

Well, after over 20 years in Thailand,always had my TDL done in time,since the pain to go back ,I missed last 2 years.Now my drive licence expired, not a chance I'm gonna do all the process again,I guess before go back I will get a international one,also valid for drive your Thai vehicles in Cambo,to bad Thais gonna miss the fees,somnamna!

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, TropicalGuy said:

You are correct. However, my Municipal is so corrupt they are not trusted by Govt. to issue the pink ID.

But you may have closed the loop for me on this. I have been issued a migrant card as regular foreigner ID not available ! Now I must check mine with others. Thanks.

I could be wrong, maybe there's been recent changes.

 

I have PR (25 years). My pink card, issued at the main CM amphur office, issued about 5 years back is the same as issued to migrant workers.

 

At the time mine was issued the chief officer (pleasant Thai lady, perfect English) was walking around politely asking many people if they were being helped etc. 

 

She noted 'Certificate of Residence' - PR on my documents, she sat down and said quietly 'I know PR exists but I don't know any other details, would you please share the main points of the process', and she listened and asked a few questions. 

 

She mentioned that there would be a short wait while her staff processsed the main/normal Thai  ID cards for that morning, then the staff would *unlock the machine and put the pink cards in for all the other people waiting. The conversation proceeded a litttle with 2 other farang joining the discussion. In response to a question from one farang she mentioned that the pink card is used for all people who are not Thai citizens. Second farang asked for clarification, she responded 'yes your card is the same as for migrant workers'.

 

She continued 'there has been discussion about seperate cards for farang but I don't know if that really means PR holders, but the ministry has gone very quiet on this point. 

 

* Lady officer mentioned that there's been incidents in the past where the blank cards weren't kept strictly under lock and key, blank cards had been stolen and after hours they've have been processed through the plastic card issueing machine, but now the blank cards and the machine are strictly controlled with a rotating change of password, snr officer must be involved and must insert their own password.  

 

But as above, maybe nowadays there's seperate cards for foreigners?

 

 

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, PFMills said:

You have done well to make the paper last. LTO will issue you the new style one, it will still be Lifetime.

True, I got my 'lifetime' paper cards  (car and bike) reissued about 5 years ago at main office in Bkk.

 

The new plastic cards both state very clearly 'lifetime'.

[scorecard]

14 minutes ago, DjSilver said:

Everyone in Thailand just gets their driving license with their street food noodles ????????????

Was true but nowadays not that easy to get licenses without going through the process, but I've heard of cases...

[Seppius]

Not a clue how Thais get through those 50 questions and get 45 right, I sat at the back yesterday and watched a few get the red failed screen come up, before I got my fail too

[chilly07]

Banglamung DLT made it virtually impossible to get a farang appointment  due to Covid so I used Pattaya Klang driving school who use a test track next to the DLT. They queued for me, I didn't have to view a video or take a multiple choice test just the colour. reaction and depth perception tests. Well worth the 2000 bht fee (5yr to 5yr renewal) DLT kept saying OK to drive on expired license and insurers had been instructed to honour their cover. I chose not to believe insurers and persevered.

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm…. The medical that shows you haven’t got Elephantitis of Syphilis?

[giddyup]

3 hours ago, thaiflyer1 said:

Was a lot easier this time, instead of pointing to the chart they had something akin to a traffic light with red yellow green lights................each light approx 6 inchs across so relatively easy.........guy pressed a button and a colour would be illuminated

Was this in Pattaya?

[JayBird]

Renew before expiration?  Is this new?

 

 My 2 year needed renewal.  I went in and was told i could only renew after it expired.

 

I asked if it was ok to drive here to renew it after it expired, and she just shrugged and said to explain to police.

[thaiowl]

6 hours ago, daveAustin said:

It used to be that let it expire beyond birthday to get the five years and the rest of the year to your next birthday, so almost six years. If you did it before expiry you’d end up with slightly less than five years. Is this still a thing or have I got it wrong?

In 2021 I renewed my 5-year licence a week after it expired (my birthday) and the new licence expires on my birthday in 2027...so nearly six years. So you are correct.

[NightSky]

2 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

it's not worth the hassle getting one

 

just show your home country one and hope for the best

Fir driving maybe but it does come in handy as a thai government issued id card 

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

True, I got my 'lifetime' paper cards  (car and bike) reissued about 5 years ago at main office in Bkk.

 

The new plastic cards both state very clearly 'lifetime'.

I add more; when my 2 lifetime licenses were re-issued as plastic cards I was 72 years old.

Not one word said about age.

[NightSky]

3 hours ago, thaiflyer1 said:

Yes and medical

Are you sure you need residence certificate? I never had to show one before, only the medical. 
 

also what if I’m no longer a resident during the year I need to renew based on having to travel out of the country but I need to maintain my license

 

- I doubt you need to be a resident. 

[PFMills]

4 minutes ago, scorecard said:

I add more; when my 2 lifetime licenses were re-issued as plastic cards I was 72 years old.

Not one word said about age.

Lifetime means lifetime I guess. I renewed my 5-year licence last year when I was 76.

[blackshadow]

4 hours ago, Tom H said:

Do I need again a residence certificate for renewing my licence?

yes

[kennw]

7 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

What's a foot test? 

 

Check if you have two feet?

It is a reaction test, hit the brake within a time limit.

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, giddyup said:

Was this in Pattaya?

Is this the colour blindness test?

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, NightSky said:

Are you sure you need residence certificate? I never had to show one before, only the medical. 
 

also what if I’m no longer a resident during the year I need to renew based on having to travel out of the country but I need to maintain my license

 

- I doubt you need to be a resident. 

A bit confusing, my understanding was that, for the purpose of renewing a driving license a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From my understanding, for driving license purposes a Certificate of Residence is nothing more than a document stating the address where you live/reside/sleep/live, taken from other documents, not necessarily proven to be correct. 

 

It's not a document making an official statement that you personally qualify to be recorded officially as a resident of Thailand. 

 

Perhaps I'm wrong.

[BusyB]

9 hours ago, thaiflyer1 said:

Renewed mine last week, ran out in December 21............got stopped by police 10 days ago in Pattaya 500 baht fine so made the effort..................interesting thing is paid the fine at the cop shop , went back to bike, cop gave me the keys and off i went even though he knew my license had expired..............just goes to show its nothing to do with road safety

 

Anyway trip to immigration and a local clinic , next day out to the licensing center to book an appt for 9am the next day............colour test and brake reaction.................was out by 12pm

 

Longest wait was a good hour waiting for license to be printed.

What I also find amazing is that the report says insurance will apparently pay out despite a lapsed license.

[BusyB]

4 hours ago, NightSky said:

Fir driving maybe but it does come in handy as a thai government issued id card 

Yeah, that's just caught my attention ... good idea.

[Lorry]

9 hours ago, kingkenny said:

I had an appointment for Lat krabang office on 24th June but managed to get get earlier one on the app at Chachoensa for last Thursday

Where is your address?

Can you renew your DL in Chachoengsao if your address is in Bangkok??