Hi all, I need to renew my Thai drivers license next February. After living in Thailand for 22 years, married to a Thai for 20 years do I still need a residency certificate. I've owned 2 cars, I have 4 different bank accounts and I'm a current one year Thai visa holder. After looking through my files I'm sure I've never been requested this before. So much for the 90 days reporting.

yes

 

you could of lived here 100's of years with 1000's of vehicles but guess wot,,,,,,,,,Thai bueracracy require the same paperwork.

 

much like visa extensions and many more things.

Think you even need a new one to go to the toilet. Well thats what it seems like...

And don't forget that you need an up-to-date TM30 before you can apply for a residence certificate, lol. No, really.

1 minute ago, Guderian said:

And don't forget that you need an up-to-date TM30 before you can apply for a residence certificate, lol. No, really.

 

 

Perfectly true.

 

 

Jomtien will not issue a certificate of residency if your TM30 receipt is not 'current' ie dated after your last entry stamp into Thailand.

2 hours ago, NONG CHOK said:

Hi all, I need to renew my Thai drivers license next February. After living in Thailand for 22 years, married to a Thai for 20 years do I still need a residency certificate. I've owned 2 cars, I have 4 different bank accounts and I'm a current one year Thai visa holder. After looking through my files I'm sure I've never been requested this before. So much for the 90 days reporting.

 

Yes, you will need proof of address....  ether.

- Certificate of Residence, from Immigration, or,

- Affirmation of Address, from your Embassy (if they issue such a document).

 

Alternative options - Obtain a Yellow House Book, which can also be handy for other things.

Most DLT's accept this (caveat - some reportedly do not, such as Chonburi DLT for some unknown reason).

Edited December 12, 20232 yr by richard_smith237

Guess the only way around this is to get thai passport in your name! 

4 hours ago, PJ71 said:

yes

 

you could of lived here 100's of years with 1000's of vehicles but guess wot,,,,,,,,,Thai bueracracy require the same paperwork.

 

much like visa extensions and many more things.

I called into my visa agent of 10 years and he said he can get the job done for 900 baht. So I then asked him how can he get the job done considering he made my current one year visa for me  and also does my 90 days reports with no certificate of residency. His reply was typical Thai, he told me he's very important. Next visa renewal I'll be changing agents. Another smart ass Thai who's shot himself in the foot.

24 minutes ago, NONG CHOK said:

I called into my visa agent of 10 years and he said he can get the job done for 900 baht. So I then asked him how can he get the job done considering he made my current one year visa for me  and also does my 90 days reports with no certificate of residency. His reply was typical Thai, he told me he's very important. Next visa renewal I'll be changing agents. Another smart ass Thai who's shot himself in the foot.

 

'Get the job done' - does he mean renew your Driving Licence, or getting a Certificate of Residence. 

 

IF your Visa Agent can get your licence renewed, that means you dont need to go through the hassle of getting a Cert of Residence (which should be free, but then it make take a few weeks or according to reports its 500 baht)... 

 

It may be worth taking the visa agent up on his 900 baht offer...   (pay after he secures your renewed licence of course).

6 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

or according to reports its 500 baht).

is it 500 now? Always used to be 300 for 1 and 500 for 2 - which they tried to push if you wanted for car and bike although Pattaya DLT (at Regents) has always accepted one original and one copy in the past.

17 hours ago, NONG CHOK said:

I called into my visa agent of 10 years and he said he can get the job done for 900 baht. So I then asked him how can he get the job done considering he made my current one year visa for me  and also does my 90 days reports with no certificate of residency. His reply was typical Thai, he told me he's very important. Next visa renewal I'll be changing agents. Another smart ass Thai who's shot himself in the foot.

Dealing with immigration and the Dept. of Land Transport are totally separate things.  If I had the option to renew my drivers license for 900 baht without going to DLT I would take advantage of that.  Seems like you are overreacting to a joke.

Thanks for that rwill, your comments are worth considering. I will get more info from him. If it's the same as the one year visa procedure, that is give the agent the details required and 900 baht and return to his shop a few days later to pick up my new drivers license. I'll go along with that if it keeps me out of the DLT office.

19 hours ago, NONG CHOK said:

I called into my visa agent of 10 years and he said he can get the job done for 900 baht. So I then asked him how can he get the job done considering he made my current one year visa for me  and also does my 90 days reports with no certificate of residency. His reply was typical Thai, he told me he's very important. Next visa renewal I'll be changing agents. Another smart ass Thai who's shot himself in the foot.

My last residency cert cost me 500B from Maneerat (Soi 13/2, directly across the road from the Post Office), the 1 before that cost me 300B doing it myself at Immigration (I was trying to sort out my Tax Identification Number at the Tax office across Jomtien 2nd Road so decided to do it myself as I was already in the area). 

 

FWIW I also use Maneerat for my Extension & it's 8,000B (Because I keep 800K in the Bank) + another 4,000B for 1 year Multi Re-Entry Permit, it would be 12,500B + 4,000B otherwise. 

 

Edit: If you want them to sort out a TM30 for you it would also be 500B. 

 

... But 900B to save you the hassle of going to DLT to sort out your Driving License sounds like a Bargain :) 

Edited December 13, 20232 yr by Mike Teavee

On 12/12/2023 at 9:03 AM, NONG CHOK said:

After living in Thailand for 22 years, married to a Thai for 20 years

Why don't you have a yellow book and pink card after 22yrs? then no LOR needed. 

33 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

.. But 900B to save you the hassle of going to DLT to sort out your Driving License sounds like a Bargain :) 

Don't you still have to be there to have your picture taken or have they got round that now?

Do you still need one to buy a NEW motorcycle, not a used one? 

 

Thanks

In my humble opinion there is no way to escape a visit to DLT office. for the new DL they will have to use the passphoto camera system to get a photo on your new DL. Guess your agent wants 900 bt for only the residence cert.

 

11 minutes ago, topt said:

Don't you still have to be there to have your picture taken or have they got round that now?

I don't know about DLT but I do know that I had to go to Jomtien Immigration to have my photo taken when I did my last extension in August, as mentioned I use an Agent (for convenience) & last year they took my photo in their office so I don't know if there's been a general tightening up on needing to attend places for photos. 

Has anyone tried using a car registration (blue) book as proof of address?

4 hours ago, matchar said:

Has anyone tried using a car registration (blue) book as proof of address?

 

Thats a really good question... 

 

Provide DLT with a document that they generated that includes your address..... 

 

My guess is a 'cannot' will be the go too response because, just like bureaucracy the world over, nothing can be logical or simple. 

20 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Why don't you have a yellow book and pink card after 22yrs? then no LOR needed. 

I have been here a good while and managed without too. Got a bit of an aversion to dealing with their 'officialdom'. Reminds me of trying to get a tax ID, I needed a COR, Immigration needed a letter off the RD requesting a COR, RD would not issue a letter without a written request from immigration..it is called being pissed about from pillar to post!

On 12/12/2023 at 9:00 PM, topt said:

is it 500 now? Always used to be 300 for 1 and 500 for 2 - which they tried to push if you wanted for car and bike although Pattaya DLT (at Regents) has always accepted one original and one copy in the past.

Certificate of Residency is free but even my usually honest provincial office charges 500 baht and no receipt

45 minutes ago, Jaggg88 said:

Certificate of Residency is free but even my usually honest provincial office charges 500 baht and no receipt

Yes free even in Pattaya (which is what was being referred to ) as long as you are not in a hurry..........

 

Can someone from Pattaya confirm it is still 300 for one or has inflation taken hold?

On 12/13/2023 at 9:34 AM, brianthainess said:

Why don't you have a yellow book and pink card after 22yrs? then no LOR needed. 

 

March this year I took a friend to the Pattaya transport office for licence renewal, he was armed with yellow book, pink card and the here long time badge. The office refused to accept yellow book or pink card and insisted he apply for residence certificate at Jomtien immigration. 

15 minutes ago, topt said:

Yes free even in Pattaya (which is what was being referred to ) as long as you are not in a hurry..........

 

Can someone from Pattaya confirm it is still 300 for one or has inflation taken hold?

When I did mine at Jomtien Immigration Office in July it was 300B.

 

Granted there was no conversation about whether I wanted an "Express Service" or wait a few days as it would cost me more than that to get a Bolt there & back if I couldn't get it that day.

 

Pattaya City Expat Club seems to confirm it's 300B https://pcec.club/ResidencyCertificate

27 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

When I did mine at Jomtien Immigration Office in July it was 300B.

 

Granted there was no conversation about whether I wanted an "Express Service" or wait a few days as it would cost me more than that to get a Bolt there & back if I couldn't get it that day.

 

Pattaya City Expat Club seems to confirm it's 300B https://pcec.club/ResidencyCertificate

Thanks - yes last time I needed one it was 300 for 1 and 500 for 2 - I think if you don't pay it is more than a few days wait............

4 hours ago, Fruit Trader said:

 

March this year I took a friend to the Pattaya transport office for licence renewal, he was armed with yellow book, pink card and the here long time badge. The office refused to accept yellow book or pink card and insisted he apply for residence certificate at Jomtien immigration. 

 

Last year that office accepted my yellow book in lieu of the LOR and did issue my 5-year motorbike license renewal.

5 hours ago, topt said:

Thanks - yes last time I needed one it was 300 for 1 and 500 for 2 - I think if you don't pay it is more than a few days wait............

If you don't pay you don't get. 

 

500 for 2 no more, it's been 600 for 2 for years now at Jomtien. 

 

If I were to go to the Jomtien Office for a residency certificate what documentation would I require? My registered address is my condo in Pattaya but this property is in my Thai wifes name. Given all the comments here it maybe best to use an agent. One other thing when a residency certificate is issued how long is it valid for?

45 minutes ago, NONG CHOK said:

what documentation

 

My registered address is my condo in Pattaya but this property is in my Thai wifes

- You can use your wife's condo blue book, copy address page. 

- Also,.... Passport, copies of front page, visa, extension.

- Photos 

 

Edited December 14, 20232 yr by SAFETY FIRST