5 Year To 5 Year License

[Tywais]

I posted this in the motor forum as a follow up to another topic but thought it being my experience with the CM office will paste it here.

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Just got it done today. Arrived at 1:15PM and finished at 5:10PM. Bit of an explanation for that though. Appears all the offices in Thailand are running full out and the main database is being burdened. Apparently due to wanting to be legal over the long 5 day holiday and all the police check points.

Handed copy of my passport, work permit (used for address verification) medical certificate, old license and original pp and wp. Sent over to another window to queue for the color test, peripheral vision, depth of field and reaction tests. Afterwards, sent to a room to sit in front of a computer to watch the training video (VCD - in English) for one hour.

Went to the counter and stood in line to get my call number. Looked at the sign, said serving #272 - looked at my number - 397. Because of the special circumstances of the 5 day shutdown they announced they will stay open and complete everyone that was there. Everyone was polite, courteous and helpful. Fortunately met one of my students from the university who happened to be there at the same time and had some one to kill the time with.

Elected to get the smart card for an additional 100 Baht, and it indeed does look smart. 505 Baht + 100 Baht total.

One thing I noticed. I was reading the signs (Thai) explaining the requirement of first year, 1 to 5 year, 1 to 1 year, and 5 to 5 year. Nowhere on the 5 to 5 year requirements is the need for a medical certificate but the English language document showed it was needed and was verified by the officer. Perhaps just not up to date though the 1 year was a stapled notice on the board saying it was needed for that license.

And last and just for you Jetset, the expiration date is Dec. 28, 2557. Unless my math is messed up, that appears to be 5 years and 364 days.

//edit - BTW I didn't have to fill out any forms at all. It was all entered directly into the computer. Some things were filled in by the staff but nothing requested from me. Also, for the smart card they take the photo themselves and it is directly put into the card automatically. If you don't elect for the smart card I believe you need to supply your own photos. Saw several applicants with their own photos.

[Tywais]

Some additional information. The 5 year to 5 year renewal has to be done within 90 days of expiration of the old license. I got lucky in that mine expired on Sunday so they let the one day late slip. Perhaps explains the 5 years 364 days.

Also, found out the reason going from 1 year to 5 year license has to be after the license expires. It's due to Thai law stating the license has to be at least one year old before renewal is allowed. Funny thing that.

Here are the requirements.

[Priceless]

I posted this in the motor forum as a follow up to another topic but thought it being my experience with the CM office will paste it here.

*********************************

Just got it done today. Arrived at 1:15PM and finished at 5:10PM. Bit of an explanation for that though. Appears all the offices in Thailand are running full out and the main database is being burdened. Apparently due to wanting to be legal over the long 5 day holiday and all the police check points.

Handed copy of my passport, work permit (used for address verification) medical certificate, old license and original pp and wp. Sent over to another window to queue for the color test, peripheral vision, depth of field and reaction tests. Afterwards, sent to a room to sit in front of a computer to watch the training video (VCD - in English) for one hour.

Went to the counter and stood in line to get my call number. Looked at the sign, said serving #272 - looked at my number - 397. Because of the special circumstances of the 5 day shutdown they announced they will stay open and complete everyone that was there. Everyone was polite, courteous and helpful. Fortunately met one of my students from the university who happened to be there at the same time and had some one to kill the time with.

Elected to get the smart card for an additional 100 Baht, and it indeed does look smart. 505 Baht + 100 Baht total.

One thing I noticed. I was reading the signs (Thai) explaining the requirement of first year, 1 to 5 year, 1 to 1 year, and 5 to 5 year. Nowhere on the 5 to 5 year requirements is the need for a medical certificate but the English language document showed it was needed and was verified by the officer. Perhaps just not up to date though the 1 year was a stapled notice on the board saying it was needed for that license.

And last and just for you Jetset, the expiration date is Dec. 28, 2557. Unless my math is messed up, that appears to be 5 years and 364 days.

//edit - BTW I didn't have to fill out any forms at all. It was all entered directly into the computer. Some things were filled in by the staff but nothing requested from me. Also, for the smart card they take the photo themselves and it is directly put into the card automatically. If you don't elect for the smart card I believe you need to supply your own photos. Saw several applicants with their own photos.

I bet your birthday is on December 28, right? Apparently driver's licences always expire on your birthday, i.e. a five year licence will always expire on your next birthday after five years have passed. Since your licence expired the day before your renewal, you got 364 extra days. If you had renewed last Friday instead, it would have expired December 28, 2556.

Lucky you

/ Priceless

[tigerbeer]

my renewal took 4 hours ! amazing....

[dave2]

tywais ..

Elected to get the smart card for an additional 100 Baht, and it indeed does look smart. 505 Baht + 100 Baht total.

as far as i know there is NO option ..... your first years licence is a piece of paper in a plastic pouch !

your 5 year licence ( for car or bike ) is a printed plastic card ( about the same size as a credit card ) with NO choice !

so where was your option to elect for one or the other ???

just interested ! ...... dave2

[Tywais]

so where was your option to elect for one or the other ???

A friend I was with indicated I can choose after I asked about all the applicants who had photos with them. Item number 5 in the scan above separates the smart card from the license fee but I may be making wrong assumptions here and you may well be right. Certainly the student I was with though was getting his first one year license and he did ask for the smart card and got it. Others were getting the paper ones.

[swain]

Besides looking smart, does the smart card have any benefit? What makes it smart, is the information encoded on a magnetic strip on the back of the card or does it have a chip? What information is encoded on the card if this is the case and how are they planning to use this smart card. A smart card in a not so smart system benefits who exactly?

[Tywais]

Besides looking smart, does the smart card have any benefit? What makes it smart, is the information encoded on a magnetic strip on the back of the card or does it have a chip? What information is encoded on the card if this is the case and how are they planning to use this smart card. A smart card in a not so smart system benefits who exactly?

It does have a magnetic strip on the back but have no idea what's on it. I have a feeling at the moment it has nothing in it because it never went through a card swipe writer, just direct from the printer, though I suppose the printer could have it in it. It is a nice attractive piece of plastic though.

[Tawai]

Besides looking smart, does the smart card have any benefit? What makes it smart, is the information encoded on a magnetic strip on the back of the card or does it have a chip? What information is encoded on the card if this is the case and how are they planning to use this smart card. A smart card in a not so smart system benefits who exactly?

It does have a magnetic strip on the back but have no idea what's on it. I have a feeling at the moment it has nothing in it because it never went through a card swipe writer, just direct from the printer, though I suppose the printer could have it in it. It is a nice attractive piece of plastic though.

And isn't it not valid for the other ASIAN countries as well? I am not 100 % sure, but I was informed by issuing lady, that this new Driving License is valid for Laos as well.

My question, if it is valid for Laos so it might be valid to other ASEAN countries as well, was answered by "maybe".

Anyhow Indonesian Embassy did never answer my two inquiries for validity of DL.

Any of you fellow TV members has accurate info on this matter?

[tigerbeer]

It does have a magnetic strip on the back but it is not a "smartcard". A smartcard AFAIK needs to have a chip in it. Similar to newer credit cards here in thailand and on all credit cards out of thailand. A smart card such as those on ID cards and possibly driving licenses can link to things like your ATM or SmartPurse or even for Paying Toll on the highways.

I was however given the option of having a smartcard or the regular paper license that you go out and laminate yourself. only thing smart about the smartcard is that it has your name, birthdate, passport number and expiry date of the license in English.

[PoorSucker]

And happy birthday.

[12DrinkMore]

FWIW

Just had my 5 year renewal.

- You can renew up to 60 days before expiration of old license.

Needed

- copy of passport and retirement visa

- slip from immigration showing registration of address

- copy of green house book from landlord with the same address as on the immigration slip

- medical certificate from doctor

- old licence

Had a colour, depth of field and reaction test.

All over and done with inside of two hours. Great service!

and for registering a new vehicle you need to give the garage

- copy of passport and retirement visa

- slip from immigration showing registration of address

- copy of green house book from landlord with the same address as on the immigration slip

[basjke]

I assume you can also renew the 5 year license after the expiry date as I just renewed mine 10 days after it expired and no question asked.Followed the same formality's as the OP.However I found it a bit ridiculous that I had to pay for a certificate of residence for which I showed my expired license to proof my address.

[Wash]

Just got 5 year renewsal so wanted to share the process that worked great for me at the Phong Khon office.

Yesterday I stopped at the office and asked what I needed to get renewal of my license and showed a copy of license to the gal. My Old license expires on Jan 11, 2009. She told me that I could apply for renewal at any time I wanted up to 90 days ahead of expiration. She told me that I did not need certificate from Doctor and that the only thing I needed to bring with me was passport and visa, and a copy of each for their records and a copy of my wifes house papers and her ID. I also needed either a letter from Immigration or from local Amphur verifying that I lived at the address specified. No photos or other forms were asked for.

So we went to the Amphur and got the address verification letter (they required that I bring the Mayor of our village to sign and verify that we lived where we said)and that I be prepared to pay 10 baht fee for the letter.

We also could have gotten verification from Immigration but that is a 65 km drive compared to 9 km to the Amphur, and I am bright enough to take the 9 km option.

So armed with my not yet expired 5 year license, a copy of my passport and visa, copy of house papers and wife's ID and the certification letter from the Amphur we went back today to the License facility in Phong Khon.

The papers were all checked by the clerk and compared to the original passport, visa and wifes ID, and we were asked to sign each copy as is the custom for everything you do. We were then shuttled down to another area for eye check and reaction time test. Even though it was a bit tough to understand the description of the tests I managed to get through all of them and we were then sent back to the clerk that we originally met with. She then entered all the information into the system and after about 15 minutes asked me to go around the corner for a photo. The photo was taken quickly and the new drivers license was printed combining what she entered and my photo onto a sturdy plastic encased card with a magnetic stirpe on the back side, which I assume contains all the details that they have on file for me.

I paid the fee of 605 baht and was given the license and a reciept for the transaction along with some prideful comments from the gal informing me that the license was valid as drivers license in all Asean countries.

I present this information outlining my experience today because there are so many iterations of what you need on the forum that I was totally confused before asking the gal at the license bureau what to do.

I cannot confirm that the same rules apply wherever you might want to apply but can suggest that you do take the time next time you are near the License bureau to ask them what you need to do.

Hope this is of some help to someone.