Too Long At The Phuket Dept Of Transport

[MisterMan]

I live in Phuket but am taking a trip to Trang. I have been told that in Phang Nga it is quicker then in Phuket.. less people etc..

I already have a expired international license.

My other half was worried that Phang Nga or Trang Dept of Transportation mighrt not know how to deal with farang paperwork required for the license.

Any experience? Success stories?

I have posted in the other forum for s. thailand. hope I dont get banned for life!

[Kimera]

I live in Phuket but am taking a trip to Trang. I have been told that in Phang Nga it is quicker then in Phuket.. less people etc..

I already have a expired international license.

My other half was worried that Phang Nga or Trang Dept of Transportation mighrt not know how to deal with farang paperwork required for the license.

Any experience? Success stories?

I have posted in the other forum for s. thailand. hope I dont get banned for life!

Phuket is fine get there early and take the wife, they will tell you what you need, photos, resident cert, medical cert, photocopies etc, all available local, and then its on to the tests,

[thaigerd]

MM,

It just takes less than 1 day to get your Thai driving license, less than 200Baht for both, car & motor bike.....

and it;s always great when getting checked from the BIB to show this licence.

You even can use it for domestic flights when asked for passport/ID.

Gerd

[LivinLOS]

Also would agree that my experiences are the further you go from the farang centric zones the more 'cannot' you get simply as they dont know how and wont ask or find out, easier to say no.

[LivinginKata]

I consider that Phuket's Dept of Transport is very quick & efficient. Surprised the OP thinks otherwise. Sure there is often a lot of people waiting, but they are processed quite fast.

[DrDave]

Being a foreigner, it would probably be easier to get your license in Phuket. As LivingInKata says, they're relatively efficient. Have never heard anyone working there attempt to speak English, so you should definitely bring a Thai with you.

The biggest timesaver for you would be to make sure you have all of the required documents with you when you first enter (and try to get there early in the morning). If you're missing something (like the medical certificate, for example), it could turn into a half-day exercise.

You'll need a residency certificate (special document for buying a vehicle or obtaining a driving license), available from Immigration, as well as a medical certificate and your passport. If you have an unexpired international driving license, then you will not be required to take the written and road tests. All applicants will, however, need to take the vision tests.

Provided you've done your homework and gotten all of your documents in order, and arrived early in the morning, you should be in and out within 1-2 hours (or less with an international license).

[MisterMan]

1 or 2 hours? That is great! I heard that it was a 6-8 hour ordeal!

[LivinginKata]

1 or 2 hours? That is great! I heard that it was a 6-8 hour ordeal!

You heard wrong .... 1 or 2 hours is more like it, subject to you having all the supporting papers & photo copies.

[LivinLOS]

If you have the required international driving permit then its a couple of hours.. Without it then it takes until about 3pm as you do classroom test in morning and car park driving test in afternoon..

Then return later for the issue of the actual cards.

I consider that Phuket's Dept of Transport is very quick & efficient. Surprised the OP thinks otherwise. Sure there is often a lot of people waiting, but they are processed quite fast.

They used to be.. Ownership name changes taking 1 -2 days until you got the new book.. Now they are much slower, swamped with workload I think, more like 1 - 2 weeks.

[thaiwanderer]

do they now issue the aisa /seasia wide licences?

[Sir Burr]

They used to be.. Ownership name changes taking 1 -2 days until you got the new book.. Now they are much slower, swamped with workload I think, more like 1 - 2 weeks.

I bought a second-hand bike last week. The change of ownership formalities took a couple of hours and I got the book the next day. The book had been upgraded to a new green one as the old, orange colour ownership books are no longer valid (bike is 1980 vintage).

Pretty good service, I reckon.

Edited February 6, 2009 by Sir Burr

[LivinLOS]

They used to be.. Ownership name changes taking 1 -2 days until you got the new book.. Now they are much slower, swamped with workload I think, more like 1 - 2 weeks.

I bought a second-hand bike last week. The change of ownership formalities took a couple of hours and I got the book the next day. The book had been upgraded to a new green one as the old, orange colour ownership books are no longer valid (bike is 1980 vintage).

Pretty good service, I reckon.

Then its the big bike side only perhaps.. I have been waiting now a week and a half ?? Was told on Wed it would be friday then on friday it would be monday.

[rockchick]

If you have the required international driving permit then its a couple of hours.. Without it then it takes until about 3pm as you do classroom test in morning and car park driving test in afternoon..

Then return later for the issue of the actual cards.

I consider that Phuket's Dept of Transport is very quick & efficient. Surprised the OP thinks otherwise. Sure there is often a lot of people waiting, but they are processed quite fast.

What do I need to know about the classroom test? I presume it is in English?

[doverinphuket]

I have travelled to Phangnga for my last two licences as Phuket is a farce, takes up to a day to get something that should only take a few minutes.

As long as all the paper work is in order Phangnga is a breeze. If you have had a Thai licence before, submit all paperwork (make sure medical certificate is in Thai otherwise they wont accept, known this from experience) and they will take your photo and a 5 year licence is issued within minutes.

If it is your first Thai licence but you have a valid licence from another country then you need to do 3 simple tests, a color chart, a perception test which used two strings and two small white poles to make them level and a brake test. Very simple.

Best time to arrive is around 1030am as all the licence tests and film watching etc. is on for Thais until about then so it can be quite busy. Once this is done there is hardly anyone there.

[LivinginKata]

What do I need to know about the classroom test? I presume it is in English?

The last post here describes the test quite well...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Renewing-Tha...25&start=25

[rockchick]

What do I need to know about the classroom test? I presume it is in English?

The last post here describes the test quite well...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Renewing-Tha...25&start=25

are you sure that's the right link? It's just about renewing licenses??

[petercallen]

do they now issue the aisa /seasia wide licences?

Yes, you will be issued with a license which is valid to use in several Asian country's adjoining Thailand

[Somtamnication]

I might go to Pang Na.. What paperwork was required for RENEWING a Thai Licence?

[fred2007]

I guess you guys are very lucky try to get a licence for a trailer not only in Phuket

[pagallim]

I guess you guys are very lucky try to get a licence for a trailer not only in Phuket

A Thai driving licence covers you to drive a trailer. The problem (at least that I've found), is actually registering a trailer.

[mikebike]

What do I need to know about the classroom test? I presume it is in English?

Why the heck would you presume that. We are living in a monolingual country and the language is Thai in all Gov't offices...