Thai Driving Licence

[cannondale]

Hi everyone,

I am sure this topic has been posted before and if some one has the link could they be so kind as to post it here?

Or if not I am finally going to get around to being legal behind the wheel and want to know what documents I need to take to get a car licence. Also is there a driving test at the place where you get the licence?

Thank you very much

[LivinLOS]

Yes there is a test there but if you have an international driving permit you dont need to take the full test just 20 questions and eyesight and reaction tests.

Lists of Docs are posted in the motoring forum and I think theres been a very recent thread in here.

You do currently need a non imm Visa tho..

[sweetchariot]

Yes there is a test there but if you have an international driving permit you dont need to take the full test just 20 questions and eyesight and reaction tests.

Lists of Docs are posted in the motoring forum and I think theres been a very recent thread in here.

You do currently need a non imm Visa tho..

No questions if you have IDP, just colour blindness, depth perception and reaction tests.

I would have aggreed with the non imm visa requirement a few months ago, but have read on this forum about people with tourist visas getting driving licenses??

Apart from the above, you need a letter from immigration stating that you are allowed to stay here, your address etc (this may be where the tourist visa falls down). Costs about 250 baht from local immi. Medical certificate, go to any clinic with a green cross, don't go to a hospital as they will check you properly, the clinics just make sure you are not dead and give a certificate for around 100 baht.

2 passport photos, and copies of your main passport page and visa page, plus original.

Cost - 110 baht for one year. After that you can get a 5 year for 550 baht.

Then use your lovely laminated license to get Thai prices at many attractions. They will often say no, but when you insist they generally renege.

[LivinLOS]

I had to take the 20 question (you only need some right, maybe 16 from 20, they are really simple, and multiple choice.. if you get them wrong you can have a second go with the same questions !!) 18 months ago.. That was with an IDP.

You wont need the proof of address if you have a work permit.. And I am told if you have a house tabien.. Tho not sure on that.. Youy could also get a letter from your embassy but phuket town immi is pretty easy about this letter.

[DrDave]

Got my first one (actually two, 1 motorbike and 1 car) last October.

I would highly recommend that you bring someone who speaks Thai with you, since all the forms are in Thai, and very little English is spoken there.

The "proof of residency" document from Immigration was required, which is the same document you need in order to purchase a car or motorbike. You can get this document by showing either a home/apartment/condo lease or purchase contract, or in my case, my wife showed her tabien baan book (blue book) and just told them that I was her husband. Since a foreigner can't technically be listed in a blue tabien baan book, I would think that you'd need to have either a green tabien baan, or have the legal property owner vouch for you. Instead of going inside the main Immigration building, there's a special window just for these documents in a smaller building in front of the main building.

I had an IDP valid for both car and motorcycle, hence I was able to get both licenses without a written or road test. The tests were fairly easy - colorblindness (identify colors on a colorchart), depth perception (pull a string to line up a moveable vertical stick with a stationary one), peripheral vision (stick your head in a "frame" and identify flashing lights around the periphery of your head) and reaction time (put your foot on a brake pedal when a light changes). The colorblindness test was kind of funny for me. The chart they use has little color circles of various sizes and colors, and must be at least 10 years old. They've been using pencils, ink and felt tip pens to point at the various circles to the point where the centers of the circles are very dark. Having lost my glasses, the dark centers ran together with the outer colored rings somewhat, blending the colors so that to me - I was seeing colors other than the 3 on the chart (yellow, red and green). After calling out a few colors like "blue", the lady giving the test just gave up, told me there were only 3 colors, and passed me anyway. Plus, my wife was standing next to me whispering the corect color whenever I made a mistake. Mind you, I'm not colorblind, but the chart was so old, marked up and faded, it was difficult to see the true colors at a distance without glasses.

All in all, about 1.5 hours and fairly straightforward.

[cannondale]

Thanks everyone sounds pretty straight forward, I have a work permit but I have been surviving on a expired NZ licence which when show with confidence has got me through But its only a matter of time I guess. So I will resign myself to a day at the transport office with lots of photo copies with my and my wife in tow!

[LivinLOS]

Heres comedy..

When I went to get my 5 year after my one year expired I figured I would try with the docs I had first time and see how I went.. They insisted on the immigration proof of address. So I went round to immigration, and showed them my expired 1 year license, which is Thai ID with my address on it, to get the letter, to take back to the test center, to prove my address, to... etc..

Kafka is alive and well and living in Thailand.

[Ping]

Great story LL. You'll be getting chuckles from people for years with that one.

[sweetchariot]

Here's another classic. I went to do mine last April, and whilst I was there thought I may as well do the bike license as well, and as my UK license does not cover me for bikes I had to do the full test, but not for the car.

They gave me 5 mins to skim through an English version of the highway code, then sat in front of the computer, and passed with ease. Their highway code is similar to the UK, but it would be worth getting hold of a copy.

Then it's outside to the dirt-track for the practical. I had gone in my car, so had to rent a crappy old bike for 50 baht, which conked out on the start line. The other 12 went off in single file, I manage to borrow a bike from a Thai girl who was there with her friend, and set off alone. It was quite a windy course with lots of junctions, and as I was on my own I went the wrong way, and failed (this was actually further, but that didn't matter).

The guy said I could do it again, along with an old German guy who had also failed for some unknown reason. As we set off, I thought I would follow him this time so I didn't go the wrong way. At this point the 'tester' was mobbed by all the car drivers waiting to take their test, and couldn't see us merrily riding around the track for the life of him.

Anyway the German in front of me drove straight past the tyres that you were supposed to zig-zag, drove straight past the plank that you were supposed to drive accross, didn't indicate at the junction you were supposed to indicate at, and nearly fell off at the finish line.

We both passed. TiT

[LivinLOS]

Also standing there watching while (sorry ladies) Thai guys are watching thier wives trying to do the simulated parallel parking in great big no visibility pickups.. One guy was giving total hand signals for steering and she still knocked the poles over..

When this is the 'test' no wonder Thailand has the drivers it does.. Wifey passed second time I and I can assure you she was not even close to being able to drive alone on the road.

[happylarry]

Got both licences in Samui 4 years ago. I had the international driving permit/ an advanced drivers licence/ and my drivers licence covered me to drive anything right the way up to an articulated lorry.

BUT I still had to take both complete tests.

So is this a new thing where they just give you a licence if you have an IDP or didnt they like my face?

[madmitch]

The slip of paper you get from immigration when you provide residency documents is not sufficient. I made this mistake. You need another document which, in Phuket, is issued in an outbuilding. It's free but take two passport photos.

[Kimera]

Got both licences in Samui 4 years ago. I had the international driving permit/ an advanced drivers licence/ and my drivers licence covered me to drive anything right the way up to an articulated lorry.

BUT I still had to take both complete tests.

So is this a new thing where they just give you a licence if you have an IDP or didnt they like my face?

No not new! and yes maybe

[LivinLOS]

Got both licences in Samui 4 years ago. I had the international driving permit/ an advanced drivers licence/ and my drivers licence covered me to drive anything right the way up to an articulated lorry.

BUT I still had to take both complete tests.

So is this a new thing where they just give you a licence if you have an IDP or didnt they like my face?

Seems like Samui being a law unto itself.. An IDP should get you a Thai license without a full road test.

Whats an advanced drivers licence ?? I dont have one of those ??

[LivinLOS]

The slip of paper you get from immigration when you provide residency documents is not sufficient. I made this mistake. You need another document which, in Phuket, is issued in an outbuilding. It's free but take two passport photos.

Seems strange.. 'The slip' of paper that confirms residency was all I needed.. They no longer issue it at Patong immi (where I got it the first time) and it had to come from the outbuilding in Phuket town. So I partially agree..

Thats the same 'slip' (torn off bottom of page 1 - 2 inches) that you need when buying a car or bike etc..

[madmitch]

The slip of paper you get from immigration when you provide residency documents is not sufficient. I made this mistake. You need another document which, in Phuket, is issued in an outbuilding. It's free but take two passport photos.

Seems strange.. 'The slip' of paper that confirms residency was all I needed.. They no longer issue it at Patong immi (where I got it the first time) and it had to come from the outbuilding in Phuket town. So I partially agree..

Thats the same 'slip' (torn off bottom of page 1 - 2 inches) that you need when buying a car or bike etc..

I got my licence in September and this was a very new requirement at that time, hence being taken by surprise when I was told to get this. They would not accept the 'slip' of paper alone at that time but of course anything can change from one week to the next here so who knows what they need right now. Be safe and get the paper that I took.

[LivinLOS]

OK I am not disbelieving you but what is the 'other paper' ?? What was strange wasI had to get it (the slip) from where you got the 'other paper' ?!?!?!

[LivinginKata]

As I understand it, the 'slip' is the NOTIFICATION paper, i.e. notification of address each 90 days.

The 'other' paper is a recent requirement for obtaining a driving licence or buying a vehicle, and it a more formal RESIDENCY paper.

The slip used to be enough, but now the residency is required by the vehicle & licencing dept.

[madmitch]

As I understand it, the 'slip' is the NOTIFICATION paper, i.e. notification of address each 90 days.

The 'other' paper is a recent requirement for obtaining a driving licence or buying a vehicle, and it a more formal RESIDENCY paper.

The slip used to be enough, but now the residency is required by the vehicle & licencing dept.

That is exactly right, or at least it was in September.

[Major Major]

Got both licences in Samui 4 years ago. I had the international driving permit/ an advanced drivers licence/ and my drivers licence covered me to drive anything right the way up to an articulated lorry.

BUT I still had to take both complete tests.

So is this a new thing where they just give you a licence if you have an IDP or didnt they like my face?

Got my car license in Samui last october. Only needed to do the vision and reaction tests. NO IDP just current UK license, passport copies, medical cert and letter of residence from Immigration. All done in 45 mins.

[LivinLOS]

As I understand it, the 'slip' is the NOTIFICATION paper, i.e. notification of address each 90 days.

The 'other' paper is a recent requirement for obtaining a driving licence or buying a vehicle, and it a more formal RESIDENCY paper.

The slip used to be enough, but now the residency is required by the vehicle & licencing dept.

Ahh ok..

I have never had a 90 day reporting paper.. So 'the slip' I refer to is the notification of address that you get from the outside room (by entrance) at Phuket town immi..

All makes sense.. I had no idea that a 90 day report was EVER accepted.