New Rules For Obtaining Thai Driving License?

[Frenske]

I read several earlier posts about how easy it is to get a Thai driving license, either they have their own rules in Phayao or the woman in the office is so incompetent that she invents rules that come to her mind the moment she speaks.

To obtain a Thai driving license, I have to prove that my Dutch and international driving licenses are real and I have to get them translated in an official translation office. She can not or doesn't want to tell me where I can do this. I decided to take the drivers test just to avoid all the hassle, but then she came with a new regulation that I needed proof that I didn't already have a thai driving license, and I could get this proof in Bangkok, and again she couldn't or didn't want to tell me where I could do this.

I know of at least 2 Farang in Phayao who are driving around without a valid driving licence just because of this cr'-p. Does any one have an Idea how to solve this?

Thank Frenske

[Crossy]

No idea, but I'll move this to the Motoring forum where someone may have

[mortenaa]

I read several earlier posts about how easy it is to get a Thai driving license, either they have their own rules in Phayao or the woman in the office is so incompetent that she invents rules that come to her mind the moment she speaks.

To obtain a Thai driving license, I have to prove that my Dutch and international driving licenses are real and I have to get them translated in an official translation office. She can not or doesn't want to tell me where I can do this. I decided to take the drivers test just to avoid all the hassle, but then she came with a new regulation that I needed proof that I didn't already have a thai driving license, and I could get this proof in Bangkok, and again she couldn't or didn't want to tell me where I could do this.

I know of at least 2 Farang in Phayao who are driving around without a valid driving licence just because of this cr'-p. Does any one have an Idea how to solve this?

Thank Frenske

You need to go to the Dutch embassy. They will translate your driving license into English. I had to do the same.

[Frenske]

Thanks Mortenaa

I expected it would be something like that but I tried to avoid that because it's a long way from Phayao to Bangkok but I guess there is no other option.

[Frenske]

What I would like to know if this tanslating of a driving license by the ambassy is a common practice o just a requirement in Phayao?

[monty]

Totally weird.

I could understand this if you do not hold an international license.

Thailand accepts the international license, which is basically a certified translation of your national license!

So if you can show both the national accompanied with a valid international, they should be OK!

FYI, Thailand joined the 1949 convention on international licences on 15 August 1962.

AFAIK they did not sign the 68 version, which allows for 3 year validity. They do honor those licenses though!

Here in Pattaya they even accept national licenses without showing an international one. Not from all countries though, they look it up in a big book they have.

[Grant]

What I would like to know if this tanslating of a driving license by the ambassy is a common practice o just a requirement in Phayao?

Common practice

But if you have IDL issued in your country you don't have to translate it

[Frenske]

I do have a valid International driving license but she still insist the official translation from the ambassy and this has to be translated agian into thai and I assume it has to be verified and stamped by the ministry of foriegn affairs. It's abvious that she doesn't understand a word of English so my wife did all the talking.

Edited May 28, 2009 by Frenske

[Thaddeus]

I'd be going to a different Driving Center.

[Soutpeel]

Common practice

But if you have IDL issued in your country you don't have to translate it

....A legal IDL can only be issued in your own country, so has nothing to do with translating anything, if you have an IDL (IDP) which was not issued in your own country is not "legal" anyway

[Frenske]

Going to a different driving center would be the best option if I knew where and if it's posible.

[Frenske]

I do have a legal IDL issued last month in the netherlands during my last visit. Because I don't plan to go back there the next few years, I want to get a Thai DL as soon as possible before they have some excuse that it is expiered or something like that. In Changrai I know of people who got fined because their IDL was more than 3 month old.

[Thaddeus]

How far from Chang Rai are you.

I know it's possible, as my local office wanted me to jump through exactly the same hoops as you (just to make life frigging difficult for the farang IMO) The next time I visited Khorat, I called into the Driving Center there, and walked out with a Thai License within 30 minutes. (and that was with the old type British licence, no International permit)

Edited May 28, 2009 by Thaddeus

[Frenske]

I live 70 km from Changrai, less than an hour drive and come there nearly once a week, I have my adress guarantee papers and everything, except for the health certificate. I'll give it a try there.

Thanks.

[johng]

The next time I visited Khorat, I called into the Driving Center there, and walked out with a Thai License within 30 minutes. (and that was with the old type British licence, no International permit)

Thaddeus.... what documents did you need to show to get your Thai licence ?

[Thaddeus]

The next time I visited Khorat, I called into the Driving Center there, and walked out with a Thai License within 30 minutes. (and that was with the old type British licence, no International permit)

Thaddeus.... what documents did you need to show to get your Thai licence ?

1. British DL

2. Medical report.

3. Residency letter from immigration.

Edit..... forgot.

Copy of Passport and Visa.

Edited May 28, 2009 by Thaddeus

[Thaddeus]

The reason I was in Khorat was to sort out some Visa issues. My wife was chatting to the Immigration Officer and happened to mention about the runaround I had been getting in Prakonchai.

She (the Imm Officer) asked to see my British DL, she read it, typed up a residency letter for me, and these were her exact words "There is nothing wrong with your license and there is a Test Center just down the road, go there with this paperwork, and if anyone tries to give you any bullshit, call me"

Nice people in Khorat.

(I got some really dirty looks in Prakonchai when I went to renew it a year later though )

[Frenske]

Very nice people indeed, haven't met someone like that in Phayao jet, only hassle.

[monty]

The center in Pattaya is pretty friendly as well, with the lady taking the applications speaking a fair bit of English, and helping you with what exactly you need.

The only problem thay have is that he computersystem they use for making the new style licenses seems intent on working only half days.

Most afternoons when you go there you get the "computer caput" message

[phutoie2]

I had the same difficulty at our local licensing office (Bung Sam Phan,central Petchabun).

It was the boss of the place sat in the office behind the counters, he was not going to budge without a Thai translation of my UK license.

I visited a Thai teacher in our Soi, explained my license to her and she knocked a letter + copy of her ID card/address details for me.

It did the trick but I left with the impression that they were not all together happy issuing a farang with a license. Hope things are better when I go to apply for a 5 year one.

[PattayaParent]

Common practice

But if you have IDL issued in your country you don't have to translate it

....A legal IDL can only be issued in your own country, so has nothing to do with translating anything, if you have an IDL (IDP) which was not issued in your own country is not "legal" anyway

I have an IDP issued in UAE but UAE is not my own country.

An IDP can be issued in any country for which you have a valid national driving licence.

[PattayaParent]

I do have a legal IDL issued last month in the netherlands during my last visit. Because I don't plan to go back there the next few years, I want to get a Thai DL as soon as possible before they have some excuse that it is expiered or something like that. In Changrai I know of people who got fined because their IDL was more than 3 month old.

Let me guess, they are here on one year extensions of stay?

edit: visas to eot.

Edited May 29, 2009 by PattayaParent

[Soutpeel]

Common practice

But if you have IDL issued in your country you don't have to translate it

....A legal IDL can only be issued in your own country, so has nothing to do with translating anything, if you have an IDL (IDP) which was not issued in your own country is not "legal" anyway

I have an IDP issued in UAE but UAE is not my own country.

An IDP can be issued in any country for which you have a valid national driving licence.

And one assumes the IDP from the UAE is based on a UAE license ?? not say a British one,

Therefore you could can get a Thai license based on this, my apologies, my comments were directed more towards people from say the US/UK with UK/US licenses.

[Artisi]

What's the problem, just sit the Thai licence test .

[Maigo6]

I wonder what would would happen if a Thai guy turned up at a licensing office in Europe demanding a European license with a Thai License, without any proper transaltion. !!

Another example of Farangs thinking that it's their god given right to demand and be given in Asian countries....lol.

Colonionism is long gone, deal with it !

[tmd5855]

I wonder what would would happen if a Thai guy turned up at a licensing office in Europe demanding a European license with a Thai License, without any proper transaltion. !!

Another example of Farangs thinking that it's their god given right to demand and be given in Asian countries....lol.

Colonionism is long gone, deal with it !

Very good Maigo6.

Hit a nail on the head with that one.

I agree, it is their country, so their rules.

[meadish_sweetball]

I took the Thai driving test in Chiang Mai, and to be able to do so, they required the following documents:

- Copy of relevant pages in Work permit (in case one does not have a work permit, they require a certificate of residence from Immigration or your embassy/consulate)

- Copy of passport with visa pages

- Medical certificate

It takes the better part of the day, so set aside a full day to it, and make sure you get there early in the morning as there can be a lot of people.

Once they've done the initial screening/testing with a few funny contraptions supposed to measure your ability to judge distance, react to traffic lights by braking, colour blindness (which everyone passed) etc. they will sit you in front of a computer to watch an instruction video in English. They will also give you some written learning material on traffic signs etc. that you are supposed to read.

These signs and most of the regulations are similar enough to the ones used internationally that it was easy to pass the test.

One funny detail though is that in the English language test, two of the questions can not be answered correctly - the options given do not fit those particular questions. If you ask for help with the questions, they will come and discuss them with you to make sure you understand. Don't get all upset about the two questions that don't work. You'll pass anyway.

For the driving test you need to bring your own vehicle, at least I think you do. Not sure if you are allowed to borrow one if you don't have one as that was never an issue in my case.

You will be alone in the car driving on a track with a few other applicants. For gear-shift cars, there are three tests to pass:

1) Starting uphill without the car sliding backwards. As nobody is with you in the car you can choose to use either the hand brake or the foot brake - up to you which one you feel more comfortable with. The hill is small but fairly steep. Make sure you've practiced a bit before. The people who fail on the first attempt will be given another chance. They rarely seem to fail anybody, rather just let them try again until they get it right.

2) Backing in a straight line. They've put up posts on both sides. You drive in through the posts from one end and once you've reached the end, you're supposed to back up all the way back again. Obviously, if your car doesn't pull to either side, it's a simple exercise of holding the wheel straight and manouevering the clutch and gas.

3) Driving up next to a kerb on your left hand side, and then backing up towards it, adjusting the car's position to make sure the wheels on the left hand side of the car are within a painted zone on the ground next to the kerb when you've finished.

This is the only thing that could be a little tricky for somebody who hasn't practiced long enough. But then again, as with the other tests, if you should fail, you get to try again.

[Artisi]

"For the driving test you need to bring your own vehicle, at least I think you do. Not sure if you are allowed to borrow one if you don't have one as that was never an issue in my case. "

When I went for my test years ago - there were a few people there who had cars for hire so that people could do their tests, from memory quiet cheap for the 1/2 hr or so that you needed it.

[Frenske]

I found an interesting link about the international driving license act, this could explain some of the confusion that persists in Thailand.

http://www.geocities.com/bkkriders/law/idp.html

[Frenske]

For Maigo6 and tmd5855, Thai more or less buy their driving license instead of earning it, this is well known in the western countries and therefor they do not accept the Thai dl. They are however most welcome to do a western based driving test in English according to the national rules, unlike Thailand where every office can have it's own rules, and the officials love to give the farang lots of shit so they can feel important and show their colleges how they deal with farang. Nothing to do with colonionism.