Extending 5 Year Licence

[2long]

I have a five year (old style) licence and have heard/read that it's better to let it expire/not let it expire before getting a new one.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tywais]

A 5 year renewal you can not let it expire. You have to renew it within 90 days of the expiration. Lot's of topics covering this.

//edit - to clarify, you can renew it from 90 days before expiration up to the expiration date. It's only the 1 year to 5 year that has to be expired.

[2long]

Which documents should I need? When I went from 1 year to 5, I don't think I needed anything other than the licence. I've heard about ORIGINAL work permit, passport, doctor's notes etc

[LivinLOS]

A 5 year renewal you can not let it expire. You have to renew it within 90 days of the expiration. Lot's of topics covering this.

//edit - to clarify, you can renew it from 90 days before expiration up to the expiration date. It's only the 1 year to 5 year that has to be expired.

What a system !!

One of them must expire.. the other cannot expire.. You couldnt make this stuff up..

[Kimera]

A 5 year renewal you can not let it expire. You have to renew it within 90 days of the expiration. Lot's of topics covering this.

//edit - to clarify, you can renew it from 90 days before expiration up to the expiration date. It's only the 1 year to 5 year that has to be expired.

What a system !!

One of them must expire.. the other cannot expire.. You couldnt make this stuff up..

Its not made up... its simple really the law says you have to have HAD a 1 year license before they will issue a five year one, you understand ?

[CMMCB]

Extended my 5 year licences (car and m/:) for another 5 years in Chiangmai last week. Needed the address confirmation letter from my Embassy/Consulate (issued within the month), passport and copies of the usual pages, old licences and the fees (960 baht total for the two licences).

No medical certificate needed, no photos.

BTW, arrive early am or early PM for the eye tests and then the training video takes a while to put you to sleep. Whole process took almost 3 hours due to the long queues. Helpful and pleasant staff though.

CMMCB

Edit: no work permit needed; no need to let the licences expire.

Edited May 27, 2009 by CMMCB

[mark5335]

Extended my 5 year licences (car and m/:) for another 5 years in Chiangmai last week. Needed the address confirmation letter from my Embassy/Consulate (issued within the month), passport and copies of the usual pages, old licences and the fees (960 baht total for the two licences).

No medical certificate needed, no photos.

BTW, arrive early am or early PM for the eye tests and then the training video takes a while to put you to sleep. Whole process took almost 3 hours due to the long queues. Helpful and pleasant staff though.

CMMCB

Edit: no work permit needed; no need to let the licences expire.

Eye tests and training video....does this only apply for drivers over age 65, i.e., seniors?

I got my 5 yr drivers licence last week in Bangkok near Soi 99. No eye tests or training video, however, I still needed the medical cert. The whole process took about 1 hour.

[Lost in LOS]

i guess i had a brain freeze. reading this i looked at my license, a temporary motorcycle and car and realize they both expired February of this year. times flies and I was stupid. since they have to expire am i going to have a problem?

if ok to get the 5 year will i need anything special?

Edited May 27, 2009 by Lost in LOS

[mark5335]

Nothing special required. After expiry of my 1 year temp licence, I got my 5 yr licence with the following docs:-

- expired licence

- signed copies of passport ID page, non-immi B, last entry page, WP (with originals)

- medical certificate which also confirmed adequate eye-sight

- 605 baht

I went to the Land Transport office between Sukhumvit Soi 99 - 101 at about 9am on a Wednesday, and got my new licence in a little over an hour

[Lost in LOS]

Nothing special required. After expiry of my 1 year temp licence, I got my 5 yr licence with the following docs:-

- expired licence

- signed copies of passport ID page, non-immi B, last entry page, WP (with originals)

- medical certificate which also confirmed adequate eye-sight

- 605 baht

I went to the Land Transport office between Sukhumvit Soi 99 - 101 at about 9am on a Wednesday, and got my new licence in a little over an hour

not a problem since it expired last february?

[mark5335]

Shouldn't be a problem. The Land Transport Dept allow up to one year after expiry for farangs to renew their 1 year temporary drivers license to a 5 year, given that they expect many of the farangs may travel overseas often and be unable to renew promptly. However, technically you shouldn't be driving around with an expired licence for too long as the BIB may choose to make a big deal out of it if you get pulled over during one of their regular shake-downs.

[cookyboy]

Shouldn't be a problem. The Land Transport Dept allow up to one year after expiry for farangs to renew their 1 year temporary drivers license to a 5 year, given that they expect many of the farangs may travel overseas often and be unable to renew promptly. However, technically you shouldn't be driving around with an expired licence for too long as the BIB may choose to make a big deal out of it if you get pulled over during one of their regular shake-downs.

what do you do if your 5 year licence has run out because you were back in farang land what is the procedure then as me and my wifes ran out 6 months ago as we have been back in the uk for the last 2 years

[CMMCB]

Eye tests and training video....does this only apply for drivers over age 65, i.e., seniors?

I got my 5 yr drivers licence last week in Bangkok near Soi 99. No eye tests or training video, however, I still needed the medical cert. The whole process took about 1 hour.

I'm only 50, so doubt it. But I had wondered if the medical cert was only for older applicants.

Postcode lottery!

CMMCB

[2long]

This is gonna be fun. I REALLY don't want to have to go and pay the ebassy 1,000B+ for one of those letters again. Eye tests and docs' note isn't a big issue.

Oh dear!

[Guest mascot]

A 5 year renewal you can not let it expire. You have to renew it within 90 days of the expiration. Lot's of topics covering this.

//edit - to clarify, you can renew it from 90 days before expiration up to the expiration date. It's only the 1 year to 5 year that has to be expired.

[Guest mascot]

I cannot get back to bkk till 2 weeks after my 5 year license expires, my brother in law says I have 1 year to renew it but from what is posted here he may be mixed up with the 1 yr reqiorements.

Where does it state that 5 year should not expire?

What happens if it does expire?

[TerryLH]

I re-newed a 5 year licence in December in Khon Kaen.

They told me to come back after the expiration date.

I once heard their reasoning for that. They give you 5 years, or more exact, 5 birthdays * from when you re-new. If you re-new prior to expiration (your birthday), year 1 ends at your next birthday. That means you'll only get 4 full years, plus however much time there was to your first birthday after re-newing.

* In my case, after much discussion between the clerk and the supervisor, they ended up giving me licenses that expire about 2 weeks short of 6 years from the date i re-newed.

They used a work permit for proof of address. They would have also taken a letter from my embassy or a letter from immigration.

Medical certificate.

Copies of passport.

No photos needed.

Color test.

Reflex test.

Watch video.

[Lancelot]

I re-newed a 5 year licence in December in Khon Kaen.

They told me to come back after the expiration date.

I once heard their reasoning for that. They give you 5 years, or more exact, 5 birthdays * from when you re-new. If you re-new prior to expiration (your birthday), year 1 ends at your next birthday. That means you'll only get 4 full years, plus however much time there was to your first birthday after re-newing.

I have noticed a similar reasoning about age when renewing my retirement visa. My visa renewal date is before my birthday, but they always make me one year older, as if I was renewing after my b-day. No big deal, just gives me a chuckle

[Tywais]

I also went 1 day after expiration. Went in on a Friday (expired Sunday) but came too late and were not excepting anyone for the queue. Said to come back Monday, no problem. My license is valid for 6 years - 1 day.

I would not chance waiting too long after expiration though.

[kudroz]

I'm leaving for my home country next week, and I've let my Non-Imm "B" expire. I did a border run to get a 15-days stamp. I'm planning on getting my Non-Imm "B" in my home country before I come back.

I have a Tabian Baan (yellow) and Work Permit. Do you think they will allow me to renew my 1-year license to a 5-years license even though I'm on a 15-days entry stamp?

Edited June 2, 2009 by kudroz

[Spaniel]

This is gonna be fun. I REALLY don't want to have to go and pay the ebassy 1,000B+ for one of those letters again. Eye tests and docs' note isn't a big issue.

Oh dear!

You can go to your local Immigration office and ask them to issue you a Resident Certificate. I just receive one from the Bangkok Immigration office last week. The certificate itself was free but they charged me 100 bhat for the postage to return it to me via EMS. It seems to be a different procedure at each Immigration office. I heard in Pattaya it takes two days and costs B 200 so best check with whatever Imm office you are using. Of course the alternative is to go to your embassy (consulate) and get the document there. The US charges $30.00.

[Spaniel]

On 2 June I renewed my 5 year lisc. here in bangkok. here is what they required:

1. complete short form

2. Passport with 1 year visa and copy of visa and first page

3. Resident Certificate that I got at Immigration. I dont know if this was actually required. I needed it because I was changing my address on the old lisc to our new address.

4. B 655

I also had to take a eye (color) test and watch a traffic video.

[CMMCB]

On 2 June I renewed my 5 year lisc. here in bangkok. here is what they required:

3. Resident Certificate that I got at Immigration.

That's interesting, Spaniel, I understood that Immigration offices were no longer issuing these docs and that we had to use our embassies/consulates. Anyone know if they are available from all IOs again?

CMMCB

[Grant]

Anyone know if they are available from all IOs again?

Available

[Lost in LOS]

got mine in pattaya

[Spaniel]

On 2 June I renewed my 5 year lisc. here in bangkok. here is what they required:

3. Resident Certificate that I got at Immigration.

That's interesting, Spaniel, I understood that Immigration offices were no longer issuing these docs and that we had to use our embassies/consulates. Anyone know if they are available from all IOs again?

CMMCB

It's like most everything at Immigration. All of them seem to have there own way of doing things but I definetly got the resident certificate at the Bangkok Imm office last week.