Going To Bkk For 1 Yr Driver's License

[Lopburi99]

My wife and I will be going to Bangkok next week (4+ hours by bus from Lopburi ) to get a 1 year Thai driver's license before my new car comes in. Unfortunately, there appears to be no avoiding a BKK trip to the U.S. Embassy to get a Proof of Residency document.

If possible, I would like to get everything done in that trip - Get the PR document, obtain the required medical document, then go to a licensing office to have my new license in hand before taxiing back to the bus station. I'd rather not deal with the local Lopburi licensing office because every time we ask them a related question we get a different answer.

I am hoping this all can be done in one afternoon. Has anybody done this before? I am trying to determine it there is a clinic near the U.S. embassy and also where the nearest licensing office would be.

Thanks very much.

Edited September 18, 2008 by Lopburi99

[Crossy]

How quickly will the embassy issue your document? I suspect that will be the sticking point.

Get your medical cert. near home, it can be up to a month old.

If you don't have to do the driving test (valid US license) then Mor-Chit LTA office will do the job in a couple of hours, apparently they have English speaking staff too

EDIT if you have a work permit you don't need the embassy document, also, if you're on extensions of stay and doing 90 day reports you may be able to get a suitable document from your local immigration office for a nominal fee

Edited September 19, 2008 by Crossy

[Deke]

I might be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time), but don't you need to get your driver's license in the same province that you live?

[Lopburi99]

How quickly will the embassy issue your document? I suspect that will be the sticking point.

Get your medical cert. near home, it can be up to a month old.

If you don't have to do the driving test (valid US license) then Mor-Chit LTA office will do the job in a couple of hours, apparently they have English speaking staff too

EDIT if you have a work permit you don't need the embassy document, also, if you're on extensions of stay and doing 90 day reports you may be able to get a suitable document from your local immigration office for a nominal fee

Thanks Crossy for providing everything I need to know. Got a call from the dealership today saying my new came in already and is waiting for me to come get it

We will go to get my medical certificate tomorrow (Sunday) locally then go to BKK on Monday. Great point you make about the possible delay - maybe the embassy takes the document request in the morning, for pickup in the afternoon. I had better get there as early in the day as I can.

Wish I had a work permit (would like to do some casual private English teaching) but I don't. I'm here on my new Non-Immigrant O-A retirement visa and will not be filing my first 90 day report until Nov. 1, so unfortunately this probably is not an option at this time. Unless I must get my license in Lopburi (per the other reply), we'll taxi to the Mor-Chit office which I assume is somewhere nearby. Sounds great. Thanks again!

[BigSnake]

I might be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time), but don't you need to get your driver's license in the same province that you live?

Good point, Deke. I think you are right on. From my experience it is indeed true for Thai people to obtain license. Wife brother was working in BKK(Taxi driver) license expire had to return to province for license, plus new ID card. OVER to Y'ALL

Edited September 20, 2008 by BigSnake

[Lopburi99]

I might be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time), but don't you need to get your driver's license in the same province that you live?

Thanks Deke - Does anybody know?

[bangkokrick]

I might be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time), but don't you need to get your driver's license in the same province that you live?

I am also under the impression that this is the case. Regarding the letter i can only speak for the British embassy, but you usually collect the day after your request. Maybe the US embassy is different?

Cheers, Rick

[Lopburi99]

I might be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time), but don't you need to get your driver's license in the same province that you live?

Good point, Deke. I think you are right on. From my experience it is indeed true for Thai people to obtain license. Wife brother was working in BKK(Taxi driver) license expire had to return to province for license, plus mew ID card. OVER to Y'ALL

Deke, BigSnake and Bangkokrick, you all saved me a lot of time running around BKK for no avail. I will get my license in Lopburi after we return. Also, we will now be prepared to overnight if unavoidable. THANKS!

[bangkokrick]

I might be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time), but don't you need to get your driver's license in the same province that you live?

Good point, Deke. I think you are right on. From my experience it is indeed true for Thai people to obtain license. Wife brother was working in BKK(Taxi driver) license expire had to return to province for license, plus mew ID card. OVER to Y'ALL

Deke, BigSnake and Bangkokrick, you all saved me a lot of time running around BKK for no avail. I will get my license in Lopburi after we return. Also, we will now be prepared to overnight if unavoidable. THANKS!

Good luck with your application Lop. Loads of info about 1 year license in the link below.

1 and 5 year license

Cheers, Rick

[longball53098]

I might be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time), but don't you need to get your driver's license in the same province that you live?

I am also under the impression that this is the case. Regarding the letter i can only speak for the British embassy, but you usually collect the day after your request. Maybe the US embassy is different?

Cheers, Rick

From what I understand the US Embassy ACS section that deals with these things has implemented an appointment system to help expedite things. They do accept walk-in customers but the que for this may not be as good as setting up an appointment. They do this from an on-line website. I had a friend do this for his income letter and he said worked great.

US Embassy ACS appointment system ACS Appointments

[Lopburi99]

I might be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time), but don't you need to get your driver's license in the same province that you live?

I am also under the impression that this is the case. Regarding the letter i can only speak for the British embassy, but you usually collect the day after your request. Maybe the US embassy is different?

Cheers, Rick

From what I understand the US Embassy ACS section that deals with these things has implemented an appointment system to help expedite things. They do accept walk-in customers but the que for this may not be as good as setting up an appointment. They do this from an on-line website. I had a friend do this for his income letter and he said worked great.

US Embassy ACS appointment system ACS Appointments

Excellent! I just made my appointment for tomorrow. Thanks!

[torrenova]

It could be that Bangkok acts differently to the rules. For instance, if we needed a guarantor for a car purchase in Pattaya we were told the guarantor could come from Chonburi, or perhaps a neighbouring province or Bangkok but could not come from the other end of the country. Perhaps that Bangkok anomaly applies to driving licences.

You certainly do not have to get a passport where you live.

[Lopburi99]

I might be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time), but don't you need to get your driver's license in the same province that you live?

I am also under the impression that this is the case. Regarding the letter i can only speak for the British embassy, but you usually collect the day after your request. Maybe the US embassy is different?

Cheers, Rick

From what I understand the US Embassy ACS section that deals with these things has implemented an appointment system to help expedite things. They do accept walk-in customers but the que for this may not be as good as setting up an appointment. They do this from an on-line website. I had a friend do this for his income letter and he said worked great.

US Embassy ACS appointment system ACS Appointments

Excellent! I just made my appointment for tomorrow. Thanks!

Ok, went to the American embassy in BKK yesterday. This is how it worked. Upon getting to the embassy at 9:45 a.m. At the check-in window, I showed my printed ACS appointment confirmation (for 10:15) and was immediately handed an "Affidavit of Residence" to fill out. I did so, paid the $30 USD (alternatively 1,020 baht) at the cashier's window, and returned the filled out application and the cashier's paid receipt to the window. The person at the window also took my passport and told me to please take a seat. After only about 10 minutes, my name was called. At the window, I signed my application (already endorsed by the "Consular Associate") and off I went. Everything took only about an hour. (Having made the appointment in advance saved me at least another hour of waiting my turn as a walk in).

The taxi (driver drunk and grumpy) took us back to bus station and we were back home in Lopburi by 2 p.m. Supersmooth.

One noteworthy comment: At the embassy the worker gave me a sheet and told me to go to one of four BKK offices to get my actual license. I remarked, "but I live in Lopburi" after which he said, "OK, go there then." My point is the embassy worker did not correctly advise me in advance I must go back to my province of residence. Be careful about this if you don't live in BKK.

Today we went to the Lopburi Land and Transportation Department. All went well and we walked out with my new license. The examiner who gave me the eye test was kind enough to repeat several tests (the color blindness check and the depth perception test) until I finally passed them. Now I know after my cataract surgery last year my eyes aren't the best. A wake up call for me to be dam_ned careful driving, in fact I want my wife to drive most of the time and definitely in the city where cars and motorcycles are scurrying about helter-skelter!

Thanks to all! Your detailed input saved me a lot of time, grief and aggravation!