Letter From Immigration (driving Licence And Car Ownership)

[markwhite]

I went to the local immigration office today (Nakhon Si Thammarat) to get the letter required to prove residency in order to apply for Thai driving licence and to register a car in my name, and was categorically told I couldn't have one. As their English was not great, my wife called them later and checked my understanding and the answer was still no and I had understood correctly.

Basically they require that I am on their register of known people. The only way I get on their register is to be on a non-imm visa extended for 12 months, in my case the reason would be 'marriage'. I don't qualify for this visa as I can't prove income and so have a non-imm O multi entry for the next 12 months. Therefore I don't get on their register, and they won't confirm my residency.

The sticky topic implies that a rental agreement (which I have) might suffice for applying for the driving licence, but I get the impression that other people get the letter from immigration quite easily...well maybe it's an assumption on my part but more than one person has told me they own a vehicle but don't have the 12 month extended visa.

So have I just got a tight immigration office? There aren't a lot of farang here, so I can understand if they have a different approach or interpretation of the rules compared to, say, Phuket or Bangkok.

Do people get DLs and ownership of cars on visas other than the 12 month extended one?

Any ideas on how to get around this? Would Koh Samui immigration be likely to issue a letter saying I live in a different province for example? I've been told that the British Embassy can provide the required letter, but what proof would they need (lazy question - I'll check their website myself in a minute)?

For now the car will go in my wife's name and I'll apply for an international driving licence, so it's not the end of the world. It's just a little frustrating...

Cheers for any thoughts,

Mark...

[Murf]

I went to immigration in Bkk 3 times for a letter, trying a different approach each time and failed on all 3 counts.

I had to goto my embassy and pay nearly 2k for a letter...

[markwhite]

I've been told that the British Embassy can provide the required letter, but what proof would they need (lazy question - I'll check their website myself in a minute)?

For future reference.

http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/F...d=1168625161097

Residency Letters

British nationals may be required to obtain a letter from us confirming their address for a number of different reasons. For example, when obtaining a Thai driving licence, buying and selling a car, or opening a Thai bank account. To obtain the letter you must be registered with us. We will also need to see a copy of your passport. We charge a fee of THB 2448 for the letter, which is ready to collect from the Consular Section at 0900 on the working day after the application is submitted to us.

(Registration is free and involves completing an online form - who you are, where you live, contact details, people living with you, their details)

[markwhite]

I went to immigration in Bkk 3 times for a letter, trying a different approach each time and failed on all 3 counts.

I had to goto my embassy and pay nearly 2k for a letter...

Hmm :-(

I just found that myself (see last post). What with transport up there and a night in Bangkok, it'll be about 5k for me :-(

I'm thinking about 1k (ukp5.50 application, ukp2.50 for post, ukp5 for overseas post) for an IDP will do for now, and maybe I'll get the residency letter from the Embassy if I need to go to Bangkok for another reason. Though even an IDP might not satisfy local requirements so it might be no more benefit than using a full UK licence...

http://www.theaa.com/getaway/idp/motidp002.html

Edited September 10, 2007 by markwhite

[samran]

yeah, wife went to apply for one at immigration at Suan Phlu. Applied for it, told to come back next week, did so with baby in tow, and was told they don't do them - and that they had 'lost' her application. Definetly was one of the most laziest good for nothing sections of immigration.

NZ embassy issued her a letter on the spot - for a fee of course.

[crewcut]

I got a letter from immigration in Mukdahan while using a 'non O multi' it was the first time they had met me and I had only been in Thailand for a few weeks that time. They didn't charge me and told me that I could buy a new or second hand motor in my name.

I think you got a tight officer as many immigration offices seem to have.

Make sure that your insurance company will insure you with a Int DL as some have a disclaimer in small print.

You could possibly try another Img office before you head to Bangkok, maybe surathani?

Good Luck.

[markwhite]

I think you got a tight officer as many immigration offices seem to have.

Make sure that your insurance company will insure you with a Int DL as some have a disclaimer in small print.

You could possibly try another Img office before you head to Bangkok, maybe surathani?

Well, if that's how Nakhon immigration is, so be it.

Good point about the IDP - I will check.

And that's what I'm wondering - if it's possible to get this letter from a less tight immigration. That's why I mentioned Samui, with them being more used to dealing with farang. I hope to hear from someone who's had some personal experience of this.

[Bpraim1]

I used my rental agreement as my proof of residency. When I purchased my Nissan. No realy problems!

I did have a letter from the immigration office in BKK, which set me back 500bt and a letter from embassy1500bt

BUT THEY TOOK THE RENTAL AGREEMENT ONLY.

I have a Int drivers permit only,

Will be off next week for Thai drivers lic.

[LivinLOS]

Sorry to rub it in but I have had them issued on visa exempt entry's, tourist visas, and non imms on Phuket.

One of the reasons against living in the boonies it seems.

The most comical one was where I needed to change from my 1 year license to a 5 year.. I went to transport who said I needed a proof of address (I tried the license itself).. So in turn I went to immigration, where I show them my license to prove my address, they give me the form, that I then take back to the transport office. So my license proves the address to get my license !! Total circular logic !!

[Murf]

We charge a fee of THB 2448 for the letter, which is ready to collect from the Consular Section at 0900 on the working day after the application is submitted to us.

Jesus!!!

I thought it was expensive before, and now they have put it up even more... what a rip off!!

[martynsnowman]

I used my rental agreement as my proof of residency. When I purchased my Nissan. No realy problems!

I did have a letter from the immigration office in BKK, which set me back 500bt and a letter from embassy1500bt

BUT THEY TOOK THE RENTAL AGREEMENT ONLY.

I have a Int drivers permit only,

Will be off next week for Thai drivers lic.

hi i,m here on type O multy entry i went to immigration the day after arriving with my thai wife at udon thani payed 1000bt for my proof of residency and bought pick up same day in my name .....no problems ...nothing from u.k embassy .....martyn...

[marquess]

yeah, wife went to apply for one at immigration at Suan Phlu. Applied for it, told to come back next week, did so with baby in tow, and was told they don't do them - and that they had 'lost' her application. Definetly was one of the most laziest good for nothing sections of immigration.

NZ embassy issued her a letter on the spot - for a fee of course.

Second that one! Went there a couple of weeks ago and was told that they could do it once I paid my 90 fee for not reporting, went back and then was told I would have to wait a month. A total waste of space section, went to the embassy instead.

[sumrit]

I got my residency certificate from the imm office at Jomtien without any problems, in fact the lady I saw couldn't have been more helpful. I have a one year 'O' visa. The first time I went there it was only two weeks before I needed to do a visa run and she pointed out that if she did the letter then it would only be valid for those two weeks, do the visa run first and she could give me a letter valid for three months. I did the visa run then went back and asked for two letters, one to buy a car and one for the bank. She told me to come back in an hour, which I did and everything was ready. Cost 400 baht. As I was leaving she asked if I needed a letter for a Thai driving licence and when I said I would she got a photo copy of one of the letters, signed it, and said that would be sufficient if I applied for the licence in Pattaya. And it was. As I said she couldn't have been more helpful.

[torrenova]

Never a problem in Pattaya.

You could theoretically make up a rental agreement and use that. They cannot check.

[markwhite]

Ok - thanks everyone for the answers. It seems like I'm just unlucky with an over-zealous immigration officess, or maybe they stick to the rules more because they don't have a high flow of farang.

Today I tried immigration at Samui, but was told to go to Nakhon office as that was where I lived. So that looks like a no hoper too.

It looks like I'll need to stump up the embassy fee after all :-(

[keg]

I am here on a Non Immigrant "O" multi entry with Thia wife. I live in Udon Thani and went to Land Transport office to get a drivers license and they said I needed a letter from Immigration. Went to Nong Khai Immigration to get letter and they said I needed letter from Land Transport Office requesting the prooof of residnece letter from Immigration for the purpose of obtaining a drivers license. On top of that they told me copies of my year rental agreement, copies of land lords blue book and Id were not enough that the land lord had to come in person.

Went back to Land Transport Office and got letter from them to Immigration and took that letter back to Nong Khai along with the land lord and got the proof a residency letter then. But wait, first 1000 baht fine for land lord not reporting falang residing at residence within 24 hours. Proof of Residence Letter was free however.

Took the Proof of Residence letter from Immigration back to Land Transport Office and got my car and motorcycle licenses.

[JohnC]

Interestingly my insurance is up for renewal next week and all three quotes ask for mine & my partners Thai driving licence, when I bought the truck last year it came with a years insurance and they did not ask for any licences!

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Remember also that some Land Transport Offices may not accept a letter from Immigration anyway - only a letter from Embassy or valid Work Permit will suffice.

I'd expect (hopefully) that the YELLOW TAMBIEN BAN I got a few months back from the local amphur would suffice.  However, TiT, who knows.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=106312

Mac

[LivinLOS]

I am here on a Non Immigrant "O" multi entry with Thia wife. I live in Udon Thani and went to Land Transport office to get a drivers license and they said I needed a letter from Immigration. Went to Nong Khai Immigration to get letter and they said I needed letter from Land Transport Office requesting the prooof of residnece letter from Immigration for the purpose of obtaining a drivers license. On top of that they told me copies of my year rental agreement, copies of land lords blue book and Id were not enough that the land lord had to come in person.

Went back to Land Transport Office and got letter from them to Immigration and took that letter back to Nong Khai along with the land lord and got the proof a residency letter then. But wait, first 1000 baht fine for land lord not reporting falang residing at residence within 24 hours. Proof of Residence Letter was free however.

Took the Proof of Residence letter from Immigration back to Land Transport Office and got my car and motorcycle licenses.

Nong Khai has been listed as being very unfriendly on other issues as well.. Sounds like its making every interaction as nasty as possible in thier little fiefdom..

[LivinLOS]

Interestingly my insurance is up for renewal next week and all three quotes ask for mine & my partners Thai driving licence, when I bought the truck last year it came with a years insurance and they did not ask for any licences!

Not asking is not the same as not needing..

I remember getting insurance a few years back.. The company I used assured me I could use my home country license. I pushed and pushed and kept being told it was fine. I insisted on having a letter to that effect in writing, they then gave me one in Thai which said I must have a license (nothing about home country int or Thai) again that wasnt good enough and I insisted on having it in writing that my home country license was enough at which point they turned around and said no, without an international or a Thai I wasnt covered. I have no doubt that if I had listened to them or believed the smiles I would have got shafted should I have ever needed to claim.

[hgvneil]

I know it can vary from office to office,but can anyone tell me what generally you need to produce at immigration in order to obtain a certificate/letter proving residence ?

[Beachbunny]

Remember also that some Land Transport Offices may not accept a letter from Immigration anyway - only a letter from Embassy or valid Work Permit will suffice.

I'd expect (hopefully) that the YELLOW TAMBIEN BAN I got a few months back from the local amphur would suffice.  However, TiT, who knows.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=106312

Mac

that's all I've ever used (for everything) along with my passport........of course DMV wants copies of everything.

The hour I spent getting my yellow book when we lived in Bangkok was time well spent.

beachbunny

[Dissolution]

Quick answer: Get the letter of residence from your embassy, not immigration.

I got mine from there, and it cost me all of, I think, 60 baht. Also, at that time, I was on a 3 month non-immigration E visa, and had no problems whatsoever getting the driving license. This is, however, getting an entirely new license, not transferring from another country or using international license.

It took all of 1 day to get the license: Reached test centre at 6.45am, queued, slept through instructional video, took colour/reaction tests, etc., then finally drove around a circuit that remarkably resembled actual driving on the roads. It was basically a long-ass traffic jam where everyone was just sitting in their car waiting for their turn at the 'obstacles'. There was even the part where the jam didn't move for 45 mins because one of the drivers got out of his vehicle and went for lunch... while blocking the rest of the queue, but that's another story for another time.

I did, however, go with one of the local driving schools, which helped a lot in processing my license.

Basically: 6.45am at test centre, 4.30pm out of there after laminating new license in canteen.

Hope this helped!

p.s. This is in Bangkok.

[jaiyenyen]

Cost of letter of residence from British Embassy is 2448 baht.

I know because I got one a couple of months ago.

[apetley]

I know for a fact that the Dept of Land and Transport in Kanchanaburi will not accept letter of residence from the British Embassy or the letter from immigration. All they will accept for a driving licence is a letter from my local Amphur or WP.

[Pushit]

I use a taxi, if you injure or kill someone in Thailand, being a foreigner you will go to jail !!! and then you will have a serious, long time, and expensive pan-ha!!

I bought a new car for my wife, she drives me where I want to go or if she needs for her business.. I use a taxi, no jail for me!! Buy a nice car for your wife and don't go to the monkey house!!

[keg]

hgvneil,

I had to bring the following to Immigration in Nong Khai in order to get a letter of residence letter from them:

1) a letter from the Land Transport Office requesting a letter of residence from Immigration for the purpose of obtaining a drivers license

2) passport with copies of the info page and the valid visa page

3) land lord in person

4) land lords blue book and copy

5) land lords ID

6) copy of lease agreement

7) fill out form provided by Immigration requesting drivers license

8) land lord fill out 2 forms provided by Immigration identifying me as living at residence in which they own

9) 1000baht fine for land lord not notifying Immigration within 24 hours that I was staying at residence they owned

After all of this got letter and took in back to Land Transport Office and got both car and motorcycle licenses. BTW, Land Transport Office (Udon Thani), people were nice, friendly and went out of their way to help, big difference from Immigration.

At the Land Transport Office you will need all the same documents but no land lord in person. You will also need the following (2 copies each for all items):

1) letter from doctor saying you are in good health

2) any current drivers license you have, home country and International

3) residency letter from Immigration

This again was Udon Thani and Nong khai, may be differnent other places.

Keg

[hgvneil]

Cheers,keg,

Ive heard Nong khai can be stricter than other places,getting the landlord to go aswell is a bit much.I guess if its my wifes house then her and blue book would be fine.

But this 24 hour fine for landlord,i can honestly say ive never heard of before.