Driving License 5 year renewal Prakanong Bangkok.

[FRM-BKK]

I have just returned from renewing my 5-year Thai motorcycle license at the Department of Land Transport (DLT) at Prakanong.

This DLT office is known as Area 3 and is on Sukhumvit road, just after Soi 99 Bangkok.

 

My main reason for going to this DLT office was that they offered appointments for renewing my license; I booked the appointment 2 months ago.

In the meantime I realised that my time at the DLT would be greatly reduced if I completed the theoretical part of the renewal process online.  It took around 90 minutes to complete. This theoretical test online consists of 7 different videos, in each video you have to answer one question in a multiple choice style.  At the end of the test you can review your answers and then submit. If all questions are correctly answered, you are issued with a QR code and some other details which you use when you present yourself at the DLT.

 

Another new element is that we as foreigners can now use our Yellow House book and Pink ID card to complete the renewal process.

Here are the items I had to submit this morning:

 

* Appointment booking QR code (issued when booking the appointment in advance)

* DLT e-Learning referral QR code, issued on passing the online theoretical test.

* Yellow House book plus a photocopy of the two pages

* Pink ID card plus a photocopy

* Passport main photo, page plus photocopy

* Health certificate not older than 30 days

* Old driver license plus photocopy

Using my Yellow House book and my Pink ID card saved me from getting a residency certificate from my embassy or from Immigration.

In previous years I have used my ‘Old Style’ Work Permit, as that too is accepted as proof of address. 
I brought my Work Permit with me, but they did not want it,  and used the Yellow Book plus Pink ID Card.

PS. New style Work Permits no longer contain the holder’s address and are therefore no longer accepted.

 

on arriving at the DLT centre I was directed to the “Foreigners” help desk, where, after showing the appointment reference, they inspected my documents and where I had to show them that I had completed the online E-learning + QR code.

 

I was then issued with more paperwork and sent along to the next administrator who, again, checked my paperwork and issued something else. After that I was sent to another administrator who issued more paperwork to complete and the physical test forms.

After that I was made to watch a video for about 2 minutes, instructing you how to perform the physical test.  You couldn’t hear a thing because of the noise and all the other chaotic goings on …..

 

I was then taken into the room where the physical tests are performed. The tests are pretty simple and I was done in 2 minutes.
Paper stamped and off to the next booth, where they actually issue the new license.

That took about 40 minutes before I was seen by an officer.  Once with the officer,  it took 2 minutes and 255 Baht and a new license one minute later.

 

Here is a fact that some people may know already.  If you renew after the expiry date of your old license, your new license will be issued for another 5 years, but because the computer system cannot count backwards, you get 5 years plus (in my case) 11 months, as I was one month over the expiry date, so, virtually 6 years.  Renewal dates are set on your birthdate. 
 

So, having made an appointment and completing the DLT online E-Learning significantly speeded up the process at the DLT.

I want to repeat that my experience above was at the DLT Area Office 3 Prakanong, Sukhumvit 99 Bangkok. 
Other DLT offices may not accept Yellow House book and Pink ID card as proof of residency.

 

My total time at this DLT office from arriving to leaving with a new license was about 80 minutes.

[WebGuy]

Thank you for the excellent report. Could you please share the answers and save me spending 90 minutes of watching the videos?

[smutcakes]

Thanks for that. Hope someone can report if its the same for vehicle license, which i have to renew mine in the next couple of months.

[FRM-BKK]

2 hours ago, WebGuy said:

Thank you for the excellent report. Could you please share the answers and save me spending 90 minutes of watching the videos?

 

It appears that the questions thrown up during the 7 individual videos are different every time.

My guess is that the DLT has put into operations various sets of these 7 videos, all with their own set of questions.

 

For what it is worth, you can complete one or more videos/questions at the time and go back to it later; you have 90 days to complete. 

Edited April 3 by FRM-BKK

[FRM-BKK]

2 hours ago, smutcakes said:

Thanks for that. Hope someone can report if its the same for vehicle license, which i have to renew mine in the next couple of months.

 

I am fairly confident that everything will be the same, apart from the 7 short videos and questions raised in these.

The 7 videos and questions were all based around motorcycle driving; so I am quite sure that videos for vehicle license renewal are in a similar manner.

 

I am confident that the procedure at the LTD office and the completion of the physical tests are the same.

 

However, I stress again that my experience was at the DLT Area Office 3 Prakanong Sukhumvit Soi 99; actually about 20 meters beyond Soi 99.  We all know that Thai Government offices in different jurisdictions can apply their own rules.

 

I have attached a screenshot of the DLT Smart Queue Application with the requirement in case of Yellow book etc.

 

 

Edited April 3 by FRM-BKK

[Scouse123]

OR

 

You can pay somebody in an office outside the test centre 300 baht to sit in the mundane classroom bit and fill out your necessary paper forms. I did it yesterday.

 

That leaves the difficult bit of handing in your old licence plus yellow book and Pink ID, copy passport and extension, doing the 2-minute competency test for depth and colour blindness, paying your 505 baht for a CAR driving licence, and off you go!

 

I am not sitting through all that nonsense when I have had a full UK licence for the last 40-plus years, which is far harder, when we go through proper testing to pass, than a Thai driving licence.

 

🙂😆

[WebGuy]

Thanks guys. I am in Nonthaburi and have all the docs required. Will ask my wife to call them and check the requirements here.

[ArmandoWalter]

It is important that you took advantage of online training and pre-registration, which significantly reduced the time spent processing documents in the office. It is also good to know that using the Yellow House book and pink ID card helped you in the renewal process. Your experience will help other people who are also planning to renew their license.

[FRM-BKK]

7 hours ago, ArmandoWalter said:

It is important that you took advantage of online training and pre-registration, which significantly reduced the time spent processing documents in the office. It is also good to know that using the Yellow House book and pink ID card helped you in the renewal process. Your experience will help other people who are also planning to renew their license.

Thank you for your kind response  🙏😊

[Pdib]

Thank you for the report. What does the 'physical test' consist of? Color blindness test, field of vision test, ......?

[soi3eddie]

On 4/2/2024 at 9:15 AM, FRM-BKK said:

I want to repeat that my experience above was at the DLT Area Office 3 Prakanong, Sukhumvit 99 Bangkok. 
Other DLT offices may not accept Yellow House book and Pink ID card as proof of residency.

 

DLT Morchit would not accept my Yellow Book/Pink ID card for renewal. I went to DLT Prakonong today and they accepted Yellow Book/Pink ID card. Very nice and helpful staff I dealt with. 

 

[Lazy Sod]

Are we sure that a health certificate is required for 5 year renewal at Prakanong Area 3? I've renewed there multiple times over the last 25 years, about 10 years ago they told me that health certificate is not required for renewal, so I haven't bothered with it since. My renewal is next month.