Driver's License In Chiang Mai

[carlosacao]

I have a Driver's license from USA (California) and I wonder if it's possible to use it to obtain an international Driver's license in Chiang Mai, how long would that one be valid for and if there is any test for it? Also, where is the department of motor vehicles in Chiang Mai? Thanks!

[elektrified]

Yes it's possible to use your California license to obtain a Thai driving license that is good for one year. After the one year you can apply for a five year license. There are tests you will have to take (search the TV website for driver's license and you will find everything). You will need some supporting documents, i.e. medical certificate, certificate of residency, etc. The office is on the Hang Dong Road.

[naboo]

Department for motor vehicles is on Hang Dong Road, on the left just after Big C.

Being able to get a Thai licence is dependent on your visa, with tourist being very difficult or impossible from my understanding (someone please confirm). I got one with a non-imm B and work permit no problems.

You need:

Copies (and originals) of visa, passport and stamps.

Work Permit OR Certificate of residence from embassy/immigration (not sure which).

Copies (and original) of home country licence.

Medical certificate (from hospital or clinic, 50Baht).

On arrival, English speaking member of staff works at the desk upstairs. Go through and go through the tests for colourblindness, peripheral vision, depth perception and reflexes - I just watched a few people do each first and copied, you may want to take a Thai speaker to help you. If you only want a car licence, back to main desk, pay the fee (less than 300B) and they'll take your photo and give you a card valid for one year - can extend for 5 years a year later.

If you want a motorcycle licence and don't have the full motorcycle licence from home, you'll need to sit a multiple choice test on the Thai highway code (this may be the case even for the car licence). Assume the highway code is reasonable and the Thais have never read it, answer sensibly, if you fail, they give you another go. If you fail twice, you probably shouldn't be driving. I saw a Thai man there when I went, he passed, told me he'd been taking it for years and failing every time. He was in tears, poor bloke.

[carlosacao]

Department for motor vehicles is on Hang Dong Road, on the left just after Big C.

Being able to get a Thai licence is dependent on your visa, with tourist being very difficult or impossible from my understanding (someone please confirm). I got one with a non-imm B and work permit no problems.

You need:

Copies (and originals) of visa, passport and stamps.

Work Permit OR Certificate of residence from embassy/immigration (not sure which).

Copies (and original) of home country licence.

Medical certificate (from hospital or clinic, 50Baht).

Thank you very much for the very detailed info.

On arrival, English speaking member of staff works at the desk upstairs. Go through and go through the tests for colourblindness, peripheral vision, depth perception and reflexes - I just watched a few people do each first and copied, you may want to take a Thai speaker to help you. If you only want a car licence, back to main desk, pay the fee (less than 300B) and they'll take your photo and give you a card valid for one year - can extend for 5 years a year later.

If you want a motorcycle licence and don't have the full motorcycle licence from home, you'll need to sit a multiple choice test on the Thai highway code (this may be the case even for the car licence). Assume the highway code is reasonable and the Thais have never read it, answer sensibly, if you fail, they give you another go. If you fail twice, you probably shouldn't be driving. I saw a Thai man there when I went, he passed, told me he'd been taking it for years and failing every time. He was in tears, poor bloke.

Thank you very much for the very detailed info.

[cm das]

...Assume the highway code is reasonable and the Thais have never read it, answer sensibly, if you fail, they give you another go. If you fail twice, you probably shouldn't be driving.

I'm from the US as well and in my experience the test is not so clear-cut. First of all, there are rules here that contradict rules I was taught when learning to drive in New Jersey (and this has nothing to do with driving on the other side of the road). Second, the English translation of the test is weak, sometimes to the point of being confusing. Third, the poor resolution of the images on some questions make them very difficult to figure out. Fourth, there are some questions where there is more than one correct answer. I have both Thai car & motorcycle licenses so obviously I managed to get through the process, but I can easily imagine someone reasonable, responsible and experienced having trouble with the computer test.

[somboon23]

I have a Driver's license from USA (California) and I wonder if it's possible to use it to obtain an international Driver's license in Chiang Mai, how long would that one be valid for and if there is any test for it? Also, where is the department of motor vehicles in Chiang Mai? Thanks!

As others have advised "yes" you can get a drivers licence in Thailand, but in respect of your specific question I do not believe that you will be able to get a "international Driver's license in Chiang Mai" using your USA licence.

You will be able to get an international licence using your Thai licence after you have obtained it. Good for one year.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

- As your US driver's license is in English you can apply for a Thai driver's license WITHOUT taking any tests. You will need to provide the needed documents in addition to your valid US license.

- Once you have a Thai license you can use it to apply for a Thai International license which you could use in other countries.

[elektrified]

- As your US driver's license is in English you can apply for a Thai driver's license WITHOUT taking any tests. You will need to provide the needed documents in addition to your valid US license.

- Once you have a Thai license you can use it to apply for a Thai International license which you could use in other countries.

I'm quite sure that you still have to take the tests WTK. I went there with a valid California drivers license AND an International drivers license and they made me take the tests.

In my opinion the tests are very easy. The only thing that was strange was the response time of the braking test. You almost have to anticipate it and brake a second early.

[Drew Aitch]

- As your US driver's license is in English you can apply for a Thai driver's license WITHOUT taking any tests. You will need to provide the needed documents in addition to your valid US license.

- Once you have a Thai license you can use it to apply for a Thai International license which you could use in other countries.

I'm quite sure that you still have to take the tests WTK. I went there with a valid California drivers license AND an International drivers license and they made me take the tests.

In my opinion the tests are very easy. The only thing that was strange was the response time of the braking test. You almost have to anticipate it and brake a second early.

I've had both the 1 year followed by the 5 year license. The only test i had to take a 15 second test for colour blindness on both occasions.

Btw, i hold 2 Thai licences. 1 for car and the other for motorcycle, but the application is all rolled into one.

Cheers

Aitch

Edited March 9, 2009 by Drew Aitch

[Thakkar]

I got my license five years ago. Valid one year, which was then renewed for five years.

I showed them my HK drivers licensee and was issued a Thai license without having to take any tests, save for a simple eyesight and color-blindness test.

I needed to bring along a photo and a letter from Thai Immigration confirming my status here and my passport with copies of relevant pages. My experience was that it's fast, efficient and friendly.

[cm das]

In one respect I think the rules for getting a Thai license are different for people coming from the US than they are for folks from other countries. Most everywhere in the world, driver's licenses are issued by some part of the national gov't. In the US, it falls under the purview of each state. When I took my Arizona license to the local driver's license office in Phayao, they told me I could get a Thai license with no written or road test if I could get my embassy to provide an official translation of my current license. But since the US federal gov't has nothing to do with my Arizona license, this isn't possible. So I took the tests - written and road, for both motorcycle and car.

[elektrified]

In one respect I think the rules for getting a Thai license are different for people coming from the US than they are for folks from other countries. Most everywhere in the world, driver's licenses are issued by some part of the national gov't. In the US, it falls under the purview of each state. When I took my Arizona license to the local driver's license office in Phayao, they told me I could get a Thai license with no written or road test if I could get my embassy to provide an official translation of my current license. But since the US federal gov't has nothing to do with my Arizona license, this isn't possible. So I took the tests - written and road, for both motorcycle and car.

The Chiang Mai office did not require me to take a road test, only the written test (on computer), peripheral vision test, and a braking response test. I was issued two separate licenses; one for car and one for motorcycle.

[sendbaht]

Last week I used my automobile/motorcycle valid California license to obtain my Thai automobile/motorcycle license.

I still had to take the reaction, depth perception and call out red, yellow green test. Pretty simple tests which gave be some

peace of mind knowing most Thai drivers took the same test.

[cm das]

OK, I guess I just caught the wrong person or went to the wrong office. Or maybe Californians are special. I know they think so

[HTWoodson]

Has anyone gotten one on a tourist visa? Not really interested what "the rules" say, just wondering if anyone has actually done it. The rules don't seem to be followed very well in Thailand.

[mcgriffith]

OK, I guess I just caught the wrong person or went to the wrong office. Or maybe Californians are special. I know they think so

Or course we are...center of the universe and all that!

However, just before I left my lifelong 55 year home of California, I moved to Nevada and switched my CA licence for a Nevada one.

Got a 1 year in 07, and the 5 year in 08 (ASEAN mag strip model) for both auto and moto (had both certs on the NV license) with no more tests than the reaction time, colour perception, yadda yadda. No written at all. They tried to send me for the written, by mistake, by an employee who was confused about my prior license certification.

When I brought it to a supervisor's attention, I was whisked to the "take a photo, get your license here" line.

Sorry, dude, you took the test for nothing, if you already had a current (un-expired) any-state license with both an auto and moto certification.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

- As your US driver's license is in English you can apply for a Thai driver's license WITHOUT taking any tests. You will need to provide the needed documents in addition to your valid US license.

- Once you have a Thai license you can use it to apply for a Thai International license which you could use in other countries.

I'm quite sure that you still have to take the tests WTK. I went there with a valid California drivers license AND an International drivers license and they made me take the tests.

In my opinion the tests are very easy. The only thing that was strange was the response time of the braking test. You almost have to anticipate it and brake a second early.

Oh right, sorry. If that's what we're meaning with tests then yes of course. There's some health / physical / mental fitness tests that you have to do relating to not being color blind (or completely blind ) , reaction time and so on. Those are kind of fun tests.

You however don't have to take any theory or practical exams about traffic rules or your ability to drive a vehicle.

[carlosacao]

Great, thank you for the info guys, looks like it will be an easy experience.

[moneyshot]

I have a valid Australian licence and was going to apply for my Thai licence soon... Does the transport office on Hang Dong Road have certain times for applying or can you just turn up at any time in the day?

Thanks :-)

[moneyshot]

To answer my question above, you can turn up anytime before 3.30pm...

I went today a little after 2pm and was back in the car with a licence by 2.30pm.

[ywamer]

Has anyone gotten one on a tourist visa? Not really interested what "the rules" say, just wondering if anyone has actually done it. The rules don't seem to be followed very well in Thailand.

Yes. My wife and I got a Thai driving license in Chiang Mai last year on a tourist / entry / medical extension.

Actually, our tourist visa was expired and we had just done a border run to Mae Sai. But we came on a tourist visa. Then my wife got pregnant, so we decided to get a medical extension and stay for the baby's birth.

So at the time of getting our license, we had an expired tourist visa, one expired entry stamp, and a 90 day medical extension from the immigration office.

Follow all the instructions as posted above... and let the nice folks at the counter fill out the forms for you. I believe there is a section on the form to list your visa type and expiry date. When the lady at the counter checked our passports she almost wrote 'tourist visa' before she realized that it was expired already. She seemed to think that without a valid tourist visa she couldn't fill out the form, since it asks for 'type of visa'. We politely explained that we really NEEDED a license since we already bought a car and we wanted to be lagal. She checked our docs, may have said some things (can't really remember), and then gave us the form we needed to take the driving tests.

We got both a car license AND a motorcycle license that same day. No problems... other than the fact that I failed the Q&A part of the test once before I made passing marks. But the guy let me try again and I figured it out.

The point is, you can do almost anything on a Tourist visa: buy a car, register a car, get a license, etc