3 hours ago, Wake Up1 said:

Checked into a hotel in Bowin yesterday with TDL.

Never had a problem using my TDL to check in hotels for 10 years all over Thailand. Also Air Asia and others domestic airlines.

Travel a lot and use two star to five star hotels. Never used my passport after I got my TDL.

I find this hard to believe, to be quite honest. Where on earth is the expiry date of your current permission of stay (a crucial piece of information which hotels need in order to report your stay with them to IMM under the TM30 procedure) mentioned in the all-singing, all-dancing Thai driving licence? I can only surmise that it is written in invisible ink which, by chance, only those 2-5* hotels you happen to stay in are capable of deciphering. Lucky you in that case, then!

Edited May 15May 15 by OJAS

7 minutes ago, OJAS said:

I find this hard to believe, to be quite honest. Where on earth is the expiry date of your current permission of stay (a crucial piece of information which hotels need in order to report your stay with them to IMM under the TM30 procedure) mentioned in the all-singing, all-dancing Thai driving licence? I can only surmise that it is written in invisible ink which, by chance, only those 2-5* hotels you happen to stay in are capable of deciphering.

My apartment office never completes that or any other visa information on my TM30's. Until now has never been mentioned at immigration. I presume a lot of hotels may well do similar.

3 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

Using your pp means that Immigration can track your movements. Using TDL or pink ID card means that Immigration don't receive any notification from hotels that you've been travelling around.

Which is exactly why many hotels have stopped accepting anything but passport. Things are starting to tighten up regarding foreigners and the laws that relate to their stay in Thailand.

8 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Where on earth is the expiry date of your current permission of stay (a crucial piece of information which hotels need in order to report your stay with them to IMM under the TM30 procedure) mentioned in the all-singing, all-dancing Thai driving licence?

Most recent trip to Pattaya the hotel staff took photocopy of my pp ID page and then was looking at pages in my pp. I asked.... what you looking for.

Her reply... "Immigration stamp"

All this is off topic but folks just use your pp.

Suggest Hotels accepting TDL are not doing TM30

17 minutes ago, OJAS said:

I find this hard to believe, to be quite honest. Where on earth is the expiry date of your current permission of stay (a crucial piece of information which hotels need in order to report your stay with them to IMM under the TM30 procedure) mentioned in the all-singing, all-dancing Thai driving licence? I can only surmise that it is written in invisible ink which, by chance, only those 2-5* hotels you happen to stay in are capable of deciphering.

Have you ever actually used the online system? That information is not required to file a TM30.

11 minutes ago, OJAS said:

I find this hard to believe, to be quite honest. Where on earth is the expiry date of your current permission of stay (a crucial piece of information which hotels need in order to report your stay with them to IMM under the TM30 procedure) mentioned in the all-singing, all-dancing Thai driving licence?

The current version of the TM30 online notification form doesn't require ANY information about the permission to stay. The only piece of information required that is missing on a Thai DL is the nationality.

Still, this discussion about using a Thai DL to check into a hotel is silly. There's no guarantee that any particular hotel will allow it. Also, it's generally a bad idea to travel without your passport - at some point you may actually need it.

3 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

Using your pp means that Immigration can track your movements. Using TDL or pink ID card means that Immigration don't receive any notification from hotels that you've been travelling around.

BS:
hotels file a tm 30 online when a guest checks in , thats required by law,
thats ur name AND passport number

if some hotels choose to not do it, thats on them

having travelled from the top to bottom , east to west of Thailand over the past 40 years>
at most 20% accepted the tdl
others asked for my passport < many times EVEN IF my ex thai wife checked in < they still asked me for my passport most of the time

Edited May 15May 15 by zzzzz

46 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Also, it's generally a bad idea to travel without your passport

Never go anywhere in Thailand with my passport, it is kept safe at home. I do carry a copy of the main page and latest stamp if needed.

Just renewed my thai driving licence, i walked in and i only showed my new passport. Got the new driving licence 5 years again with the new passport number on it. Very easy

23 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

To follow up on my post I quoted.

You will need to update licence to new passport number.

If you wait until renewal they will not let you.

Info fresh from Chonburi today, A friend went to renew his, (he renewed passport 6 months ago), was there for hours.

He had to update licence, pay for the "old" licence with updated passport number (he did not tell me how much) then renew the licence.

Good info. Could be a Pattaya office "milking machine" though.

My Thai DL has already expired so I shouldn't need to mess around with the "old" renewal + the new one with the new passport info. This will be up in the northeast.

14 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

My Thai DL has already expired so I shouldn't need to mess around with the "old" renewal + the new one with the new passport info. This will be up in the northeast.

Ignore the post you quoted.

Did you read the thread.

Plenty of first hand experiences.

Even transport office telling you to wait till next renewal.

You state that your TDL is expired.

You can still do renewal on expired TDL up to 12 months after expiry.

Suggest you renew and after next birthday if possible.

You will receive almost 6 years.

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Ignore the post you quoted.

Did you read the thread.

Plenty of first hand experiences.

Even transport office telling you to wait till next renewal.

You state that your TDL is expired.

You can still do renewal on expired TDL up to 12 months after expiry.

Suggest you renew and after next birthday if possible.

You will receive almost 6 years.

Yes i read the thread

I already know the "window" for renewal

I am also aware of the birth date "trick".

5 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Yes i read the thread

I already know the "window" for renewal

I am also aware of the birth date "trick".

One... It's not a " Trick" it's how transport office do things.

If you read the thread then be guided by all the reports that do not line up with random second hand report you opted to quote.

Frankly that report not credible

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

Good info. Could be a Pattaya office "milking machine" though.

My Thai DL has already expired so I shouldn't need to mess around with the "old" renewal + the new one with the new passport info. This will be up in the northeast.

its the booking online to renew.

Cannot book to renew with old passport number.

A couple of years ago, I went to the DLT branch in charge of the district where I live in Bangkok and asked to change my old driving licence on pink paper, without an expiration date, to the new plastic licence in credit-card size, which I knew was still valid but I would have liked to get the new one as a souvenir item. I had my passport and the T.R.16 yellow house registration book and pink ID card along, but the DLT wanted a certificate of residence from immigration, which I did not want to bother with. Therefore, I don't have a choice and always check in at hotels with my passport and probably would do so even if I had the new type of DL.

6 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

its the booking online to renew.

Cannot book to renew with old passport number.

Again... Have you read the thead.

Nonsense with first hand reports.

I renewed my last TDL with new pp at Changwattana no issue

Put your old pp # if online booking is an issue

9 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Again... Have you read the thead.

Nonsense with first hand reports.

I renewed my last TDL with new pp at Changwattana no issue

Put your old pp # if online booking is an issue

work collegue is going through it right now with Chonburi.

I note you the admin are saying my post are nonsense... great you renewed at at an office I have not mentioned.

Kudos, thanks for you irrelevant information.

Edited May 15May 15 by Ralf001

6 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

with Chonburi.

I note you the admin are saying my post are nonsense.

First up I'm not admin.

Just posting an opinion.

Nothing in Chonburi surprises me.

So to be clear you are posting second hand report.

Read the thread. How many reports match up with your vague friend experience

Despite the badgering, it's important to remember that the chance of one having a totally different experience from others when dealing with any government department in Thailand is very real.

Posting about anecdotal experiences doesn't mean they are irrelevant or wrong.

For example, in the realm of extensions and supporting paperwork at various immigration offices, there has been more than one instance when a reported new procedure, blithely disregarded as a one-off or being misrepresented, ended up being the front end of a new, local policy.

8 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

First up I'm not admin.

Just posting an opinion.

Nothing in Chonburi surprises me.

So to be clear you are posting second hand report.

Read the thread. How many reports match up with your vague friend experience

My bad... moderator.

Slightly off topic but is the pink ID card linked to your passport. I cannot see anything on the card but if it is linked it will be necessary to update it too.

On 5/14/2026 at 2:28 PM, OJAS said:

The 4 digits indicated must match the last 4 of your new passport (in the case of AIS SIM's this can be checked by dialling *161#).

This doesn't work on my AIS SIM. Any suggestions please.

20 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Most recent trip to Pattaya the hotel staff took photocopy of my pp ID page and then was looking at pages in my pp. I asked.... what you looking for.

Her reply... "Immigration stamp"

All this is off topic but folks just use your pp.

Suggest Hotels accepting TDL are not doing TM30

they're not doing TM30's when you use your pink ID card either.

2 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

they're not doing TM30's when you use your pink ID card either.

Nothing to do with thread which is..

"Can TDL be updated with new pp #"

Answer : yes.

Required/Necessary? Answer: No

20 hours ago, zzzzz said:

BS:
hotels file a tm 30 online when a guest checks in , thats required by law,
thats ur name AND passport number

if some hotels choose to not do it, thats on them

having travelled from the top to bottom , east to west of Thailand over the past 40 years>
at most 20% accepted the tdl
others asked for my passport < many times EVEN IF my ex thai wife checked in < they still asked me for my passport most of the time

what part of my comment is BS? using your passport to check in means the hotel will do a TM30, which also means that Immigratgion are able to track your movements throughout the country. That's a fact.

Checking in with TDL or pink ID card, hotels take a copy but they do NOT submit a TM30. I've also travelled all over Thailand over the past 12 years and I've never had an issue using TDL or pink ID card. I also play golf regularly with an Immigration Officer and he has confirmed that if the TDL or pink ID card are used to check into a hotel there is NO requirement for the hotel to submit a TM30.

to the above post:

TM30 Filing Requirements for Hotels in Thailand

Overview of TM30

Hotels in Thailand are mandated to file a TM30 form for foreign guests. This requirement is crucial for maintaining accurate immigration records regarding the whereabouts of foreigners in the country.

Filing Timeline

• Submission Deadline: Hotels must submit the TM30 form within 24 hours of a foreign guest's arrival.

• Purpose: This notification ensures that immigration authorities are informed about where foreign nationals are staying during their visit.

Responsibilities of Hotels

• Who Files: The responsibility to file the TM30 lies with the hotel management or staff.
  
  thats chat gpt
  heres a link saying the same thing
  Hotel are REQUIRED to file a tm 30, if they choose not to, its on them
  

• The Thailand TM30 Form is a mandatory residence registration form for foreign nationals — landlord/hotel/property owner must notify Thai Immigration within 24 hours of foreign national arrival or move + applies to all foreign nationals (tourist + long-stay)
  https://timpaemi.com/practical/tm30-form
  
  

Edited May 16May 16 by zzzzz

2 hours ago, zzzzz said:

heres a link saying the same thing
Hotel are REQUIRED to file a tm 30, if they choose not to, its on them

Well yes of course. Just like with wearing a helmet when riding a motorcycle.

Thank you all for your comments and thoughts very interesting 🙏

My last thoughts are, so you can use your TDL to fly internally here, I've done it. Would that not be a reason to get the PP number updated on the TDL. Or do we think things have changed recently with using a TDL for general ID here.

2 minutes ago, Gee Bangkok said:

Or do we think things have changed recently with using a TDL for general ID here.

You have a thing called a passport.

Use it

20 minutes ago, Gee Bangkok said:

Would that not be a reason to get the PP number updated on the TDL

Not unless the airline is going to ask to see your passport to verify the number on your driving license is correct which would make the entire exercise rather pointless.