Thai Drives Licence

[andrew rohan]

Hi Guys,

Can I get a Thai driving Licence with a one year multiple entry visa and international driving permit form the UK?

Any info, very much appreciated.

[soundman]

Yes & many of the things you "need to know" are covered in this topic.

[sotsira]

yes you can.

[skipvice]

Going to get mine today,will let you know how it worked out.

[skipvice]

piece of cake, got both car & motorcycle, the only addition to list of stuff you need is the wanted a signed copy of the international Driver Licence.

[wobblyjohn]

And what happens if you don't have the international License (I have no interest in buying a car here, Pattaya traffic scares the life out of me but I would like the option of hiring one occasionally, it also might be usefull when I get hit by the duel pricing thing

[Soutpeel]

And what happens if you don't have the international License (I have no interest in buying a car here, Pattaya traffic scares the life out of me but I would like the option of hiring one occasionally, it also might be usefull when I get hit by the duel pricing thing

What dual pricing thing ??? ....which Thai/Farang conspiracy is this this week...

If you dont have an international license, you have to do the full test in most places, but sometimes in places like Rayong they will just accept your own countries license without the international one...

[wobblyjohn]

And what happens if you don't have the international License (I have no interest in buying a car here, Pattaya traffic scares the life out of me but I would like the option of hiring one occasionally, it also might be usefull when I get hit by the duel pricing thing

What dual pricing thing ??? ....which Thai/Farang conspiracy is this this week...

If you dont have an international license, you have to do the full test in most places, but sometimes in places like Rayong they will just accept your own countries license without the international one...

Somtam for me alone 30 baht, somtam for the wife and me 50 baht,

I'm confident if I had a Licence I could avoid the 10 baht farang tax

So where's the driving center in Rayong

[QED]

And what happens if you don't have the international License (I have no interest in buying a car here, Pattaya traffic scares the life out of me but I would like the option of hiring one occasionally, it also might be usefull when I get hit by the duel pricing thing

Don't know where you are from, but if you have a UK or USA license you will not need to do the full test at Pattaya, just a colour blindness, reaction and depth perception test.

I think most European countries would be included, but France seem to be specifically excluded for some reason, which I must admit I did find highly amusing.

[andrew rohan]

Thanks Guys,the infor was helpful.

[Soutpeel]

I think most European countries would be included, but France seem to be specifically excluded for some reason, which I must admit I did find highly amusing.

I would say this is a very sensible rule.... as after all we are taking about the froggies here..

[Northpoint]

And what happens if you don't have the international License (I have no interest in buying a car here, Pattaya traffic scares the life out of me but I would like the option of hiring one occasionally, it also might be usefull when I get hit by the duel pricing thing

If you don't have an International driver's licence plus the licence from your home country you will have to do the multiple answer written test. With an Internationa licence you will only have to do the colour blindness test, pheripheral eye test, depth perception test and the speed reaction test. It is not as hard as it sounds. You will need 2 passport photos, 2 copies of your Passport main page, 2 copies of your visa (Non Immi O or retiement extension) and a certicate of resdency from the Immigration Office (Soi 5 Jomtien). Get yourself to the their offiice early in the morning about 8 AM and you should have your licences before lunchtime. You don't have bring your own fotos now. They will take the picture of your gob for you. It is a lot easier if you take a Thai speaking person with you.

[MJo]

And what happens if you don't have the international License (I have no interest in buying a car here, Pattaya traffic scares the life out of me but I would like the option of hiring one occasionally, it also might be usefull when I get hit by the duel pricing thing

Don't know where you are from, but if you have a UK or USA license you will not need to do the full test at Pattaya, just a colour blindness, reaction and depth perception test.

I think most European countries would be included, but France seem to be specifically excluded for some reason, which I must admit I did find highly amusing.

It's all about the language. UK and USA licences are in english so ok. French and others need to get english translation certified by their embassy.

[QED]

If you don't have an International driver's licence plus the licence from your home country you will have to do the multiple answer written test. With an Internationa licence you will only have to do the colour blindness test, pheripheral eye test, depth perception test and the speed reaction test. It is not as hard as it sounds. You will need 2 passport photos, 2 copies of your Passport main page, 2 copies of your visa (Non Immi O or retiement extension) and a certicate of resdency from the Immigration Office (Soi 5 Jomtien). Get yourself to the their offiice early in the morning about 8 AM and you should have your licences before lunchtime. You don't have bring your own fotos now. They will take the picture of your gob for you. It is a lot easier if you take a Thai speaking person with you.

Sorry but that is wrong, I and several of my friends have only UK driver's licenses and didn't need to sit any tests.

Interesting

You will also need a medical certificate, available from any clinic with a green cross for 50-100 baht.

[plasticpig]

If you don't have an International driver's licence plus the licence from your home country you will have to do the multiple answer written test. With an Internationa licence you will only have to do the colour blindness test, pheripheral eye test, depth perception test and the speed reaction test. It is not as hard as it sounds. You will need 2 passport photos, 2 copies of your Passport main page, 2 copies of your visa (Non Immi O or retiement extension) and a certicate of resdency from the Immigration Office (Soi 5 Jomtien). Get yourself to the their offiice early in the morning about 8 AM and you should have your licences before lunchtime. You don't have bring your own fotos now. They will take the picture of your gob for you. It is a lot easier if you take a Thai speaking person with you.

Sorry but that is wrong, I and several of my friends have only UK driver's licenses and didn't need to sit any tests.

Interesting

You will also need a medical certificate, available from any clinic with a green cross for 50-100 baht.

Can you tell us on what date and what year you all did this?

[patklang]

If you are only going to rent the odd time its not worth getting a 1 year(then 5) driving license.

Thailicense is for people who live here or stay long time.

[Soutpeel]

If you don't have an International driver's licence plus the licence from your home country you will have to do the multiple answer written test. With an Internationa licence you will only have to do the colour blindness test, pheripheral eye test, depth perception test and the speed reaction test. It is not as hard as it sounds. You will need 2 passport photos, 2 copies of your Passport main page, 2 copies of your visa (Non Immi O or retiement extension) and a certicate of resdency from the Immigration Office (Soi 5 Jomtien). Get yourself to the their offiice early in the morning about 8 AM and you should have your licences before lunchtime. You don't have bring your own fotos now. They will take the picture of your gob for you. It is a lot easier if you take a Thai speaking person with you.

Sorry but that is wrong, I and several of my friends have only UK driver's licenses and didn't need to sit any tests.

Interesting

You will also need a medical certificate, available from any clinic with a green cross for 50-100 baht.

But you must have done the reaction test, colour vision test and depth perception test, although none of these are written, you actually have done some tests.....you didnt waking in the traffic office with a UK license and walk straight back out with a thai license on a straight swop

[nam-thip]

Obtaining a Thai Driving License in Pattaya.

The office is about 18kms from Big C on the Sukhumvit Road / South Pattaya.

Travel north on route 3 (Sukhumvit Road to Bangkok) until you come to the 'overpass bridge' on your right, you need to pass under the bridge (turning right) signposted 'route 36 to Rayong'.

After about 9 kms you will see the (Regents school) over on your right hand side, the road you need is just after the school heading back towards Pattaya so you need to do a 'U-turn' just beyond the school.

A short way past the school is a place where you can safely make that u-turn.

Drive past the school, and turn sharp left at a narrow road signposted 'Eastern verification office/ licencing centre'.

Take this road until you come to some shops on your left offering photo-copying, food, insurance, etc - on your right is a large building with two entrances (use the second).

You are now at the 'Eastern Verification Centre' office.

Vehicle documentation is Ground Floor, Driving Licences is upstairs.

Open Monday - Friday 0830 to 1600.

Getting a Driving license at the Eastern Verification Centre.

(A 'non-immigrant visa is required’ and all fees mentioned are approximate!)

You need to take with you :--

Note: If you wear 'spectacles' take them with you as the colour chart and reaction test are done at a distance of 5 metres.

1. Residence certificate obtained from Soi 5 Jomtien Immigration - Normally free of charge but Pattaya immigration charges 200 baht (It must be less than 30 days old when presented at the licencing office)

2. Letter of 'Fit-to-drive' from Doctor - 100 baht (Some staff demand you produce one whilst others don’t so better you take one)

3. Passport + 1 photocopy of each - (a) 'face' page, visa page, © current TM6 card & latest entry stamp page.

4. Current (home country) driving licence + 1 copy of each English language pages in your international driving licence.

5. Completed application forms.

With an English licence the ‘paper counterpart licence’ you carry with your driving licence is not required.

Photos are not required as they are taken within the centre once you've passed the test and your details are being entered via the computer, your picture is taken then added.

Cost 105 baht for car + 100 tax =205 baht.

Not sure about the cost of the motorbike licence as I obtained mine some 10 years ago.

I think the cost is around 55 baht + tax?

A 1st issue Thai driving licence is valid for 1 yr.

After the 1st year, renewal is for 5 years.

Your Thai licence must expire before a new one is issued.

Take note: It's better to take to much and have it handed back as 'not required' than be sent away through not having the correct documentation.

(A 'current TM6 card' refers to the Immigration Departure card attached to your passport during your stay in Thailand. It has a reference number (TM6) that tells where & when you entered Thailand) 'Again some demand it and others don't'

A complete 'set' of papers are needed for ‘EACH’ licence application (motorcycle & car). (the second Immigration and doctor letters can be photo-copies if both applications are made at the same time)

A current 'INTERNATIONAL' driving licence (obtained OUTSIDE of Thailand) for the correct vehicle is a great advantage, as it means you do not need to take a 'written' test for that particular vehicle.

Producing a foreign country licence ‘only’ with no international licence will result in sitting the exam and demonstrating your driving skills around the circuit at the centre.

Only English Language 'foreign' licenses can be read by the licencing centre staff.

Non-English licenses will require an Authenticated Thai Translation.

Photo-copying & Laminating services are available across the road from the centre.

Obtaining a Thai driving licence by producing a foriegn licence accompanied with an international licence will take between 2-4 hours depending on the number of people.

-----------------------------------------

Foreigners unable to speak Thai should arrange for a Thai friend to accompany them to provide interpretation.

For those without an International Driving License, a local Thai license can be obtained against the Driving License of their respective country but may require passing the tests.

Allow 'all day' for this type of application.

Fill in the application form (issued in Thai language only) and attach the required documentary evidence as indicated above.

Join a class for instruction on the laws related to driving (video and booklet) how to drive safely in Thailand.

The class is for two hours.

Take a test for colour blindness.

Take a ‘Response & Reaction-time Test’.

Take a written test (in Thai language, but with a poor English

translation) on the rules of driving.

Take the driving test.

Pay the licence fee and wait for the licence.

You must be 18 years old to drive a car in Thailand.

There are separate diving licences for car and motorcycle.

[QED]

Sorry but that is wrong, I and several of my friends have only UK driver's licenses and didn't need to sit any tests.

[/color]

Can you tell us on what date and what year you all did this?

I did my original in April '07, then renwed for a 5 year in April '08. A friend of mine with a UK license went in Nov '08 for the first time, and didn't have to sit any tests (by which I mean written or driving tests, as Soutpeel correctly said everyone has to do the colour blindness etc).

[Phatcharanan]

TO ---------- NAM THIP,

Did you copy and paste all that out of date drivel from another website?

You do NOT need to take a Thai with you.............they are used to dealing with foreigners and the folks you deal with speak pretty good English.

If you hold a current UK driving license then you DO NOT need an International. The UK license is already in English.

You still have to do the colour blindness and perception tests. 5 mins. No probs.

Must have medical certificates.

THis is valid as of 3 weeks ago when I obtained mine.

Jeeeeeeeeeeeeez, THere is some rubbish written on here by folks who are probably about 20 years out of date or who are applying other regions standards to Pattaya. ......................Go back to sleep !

[nam-thip]

Ok ‘PHETCHARANAN’ you prick, here goes.

I obtained my Thai driving licence (car) some four months ago and in case you don’t understand what four months means, it means recently!!

Did I copy and paste the info from a previous post?

“YES I DID” and unless they’ve moved the verification centre and changed the application procedures dramatically it was useful information for those that don’t know.

Having lived in Thailand probably more years than you’ve been borne and having the ability to converse in Thai (fluently) I suggested that those foreigners who find it daunting when going to the likes of the immigration office or any other Thai run facility would find it helpful to have a Thai national with them.

Check out Pattaya immigration which is full of foreigners with their Thai darlings who they take there to give a helping hand, it’s the same with the licencing centre!!

Myself?

I speak the lingo so I went alone and was it helpful for me to speak some Thai?

“YES IT WAS”

What happened to Those foriegners applying with only a 'home based' driving licence and no international licence?

"THEY WHERE ALL SENT TO THE CLASSROOM TO SIT THE EXAM".

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Myself:

I took with me my UK driving licence along with an International driving licence obtained in the UK.

Did the staff at the centre insist that I along with everyone else do the colour blind test? ““YES THEY DID”.

Did the staff make me do the reaction test?

“YES THEY DID”

Was the place full?”

“YES IT WAS”

Did it all take five minutes as suggested by you?

"NO IT DID NOT"

From entering the building to collecting my licence took just short of 3½ hours.

What I posted was useful information for those not in the know.

And finally.

I along with many expatriates often talk about how sites like Thai visa unfortunately attract negative ‘snipers’ like you and how most of those same ‘snipers’ like yourself probably doesn’t even live here.

[skipvice]

NAM THIP,

Thanks for the good info, I am sure it will help others get there DL

[andrew rohan]

Ok ‘PHETCHARANAN’ you prick, here goes.

I obtained my Thai driving licence (car) some four months ago and in case you don’t understand what four months means, it means recently!!

Did I copy and paste the info from a previous post?

“YES I DID” and unless they’ve moved the verification centre and changed the application procedures dramatically it was useful information for those that don’t know.

Having lived in Thailand probably more years than you’ve been borne and having the ability to converse in Thai (fluently) I suggested that those foreigners who find it daunting when going to the likes of the immigration office or any other Thai run facility would find it helpful to have a Thai national with them.

Check out Pattaya immigration which is full of foreigners with their Thai darlings who they take there to give a helping hand, it’s the same with the licencing centre!!

Myself?

I speak the lingo so I went alone and was it helpful for me to speak some Thai?

“YES IT WAS”

What happened to Those foriegners applying with only a 'home based' driving licence and no international licence?

"THEY WHERE ALL SENT TO THE CLASSROOM TO SIT THE EXAM".

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Myself:

I took with me my UK driving licence along with an International driving licence obtained in the UK.

Did the staff at the centre insist that I along with everyone else do the colour blind test? ““YES THEY DID”.

Did the staff make me do the reaction test?

“YES THEY DID”

Was the place full?”

“YES IT WAS”

Did it all take five minutes as suggested by you?

"NO IT DID NOT"

From entering the building to collecting my licence took just short of 3½ hours.

What I posted was useful information for those not in the know.

And finally.

I along with many expatriates often talk about how sites like Thai visa unfortunately attract negative ‘snipers’ like you and how most of those same ‘snipers’ like yourself probably doesn’t even live here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well done mate the info was good and you did answer my question.PHATCHARANAN is taking the mickey don't let him/her wind you up

[Chaimai]

But you must have done the reaction test, colour vision test and depth perception test, although none of these are written, you actually have done some tests.....you didnt waking in the traffic office with a UK license and walk straight back out with a thai license on a straight swop

I did !

Cost 1,500 Baht and only took along my UK licence, photos and medical letter (only 30 baht in the boonies). The only test I did was when the lady pointed to coloured circles on a wallchart - red/yellow/green/yellow/yellow/green/red/green - a 20 second test.

[Soutpeel]

But you must have done the reaction test, colour vision test and depth perception test, although none of these are written, you actually have done some tests.....you didnt waking in the traffic office with a UK license and walk straight back out with a thai license on a straight swop

I did !

Cost 1,500 Baht and only took along my UK licence, photos and medical letter (only 30 baht in the boonies). The only test I did was when the lady pointed to coloured circles on a wallchart - red/yellow/green/yellow/yellow/green/red/green - a 20 second test.

You was ripped off .. ....THB 1500 to get a license !!!, the going rate in BKK to get a "back door" license a few years ago was THB 1800 and you didnt even have to go to the traffic department, just send the money and photos...

Havent renewed my license for a few year now, but pretty sure sum total for a license these days is around THB 650...so my guess is you have paid about double the going rate for what ??...if you have a current international license...you do the colour test - yes 20 seconds.....reaction test... another 20 seconds and the depth perception test...another 20 Seconds....so you have spent a chunk of change to save yourself 40 seconds....Well the the people at the licensing office must be thinking...ting tong farang on this one...

[phutoie2]

Just got my one year license for car and motorcycle at our local offices - Sap Samothot- Petchabun after two visits!

Medical certificate - 30 Baht

Residence certificate form immigration Suan Plu - 100 Baht (27 Baht EMS but they took 100 Baht off me).

Yes they still issue them - Room 206 nice old Immigration Police ladies!, very chatty, letter takes 3 weeks to come!!

Passport copies - ID page/Visa/current extension stamp - no TM6 necessary.

UK Driving license - Plastic part.

This is were it went off the rails slightly, the headman there wanted a Thai translation of my UK License and would not proceed the application further.

Heading back home my wife said he wanted 'money'.

We have a well educated teacher at a local Thai school living in our Moo and with my guidence we knocked up a translation of the UK license.

Second dayat the License office, presented all the paperwork again and filled in the application forms, this is where you need some help as obviously its all in Thai.

After handing in the forms the lady behind the counter gave me a big green book of Thai Road signs and Road markings to read. When I completed this, taken into a room for 2 colour blindness tests and speed reaction test, which had to do 3 times for some reason!.

Back into waiting room for another hour and then called forward for photo. Another hours wait, then called to window to pay for two licenses cost 360 Baht.

In summary, a little messing around - two 50 km round trips, about 4 hours waiting about, but a cheap process after all and no tests!.

[plasticpig]

Just a little up date. For the we know it all brigade.

After years of life in Pattaya I went to obtain my car/motor cycle drivers licenses

Two days a go.

1 original medical cert plus copy.

1 residency letter plus copy.

1 Passport with non o visa. plus, two copy. Photo page, visa page, entry stamp page., tm slip.

1 original uk, old style pink/green full uk car/motor cycle license, plus Two copy both sides.

2 application forms.

Had to do the eye test, depth and perception test, reaction test.

That was it. 1.5 hours latter plus 360 baht, all done.

No International license was required., could be as im a brit?

No driving test required.

No road safety video required.

No multi guess question test required.

Staff all spoke English, thought it was, all very professionally run.

for a government office,

Totally stress free 1.5 hours.

Well done to the staff at the driving license center

Edited February 27, 2009 by plasticpig