Renewal Thai 5 Year Driving Licence

[nookiebear]

Ok, I've just this minute got back from the Hang Dong License center with a friend who has now got a 5 year license. Total time in and out was just 20 minutes. I couldn't see from the procedure why it would take longer to renew a 5 year license as opposed to getting your first 5 year license? It seems that the required documents are the same and the desks you apply at are the same?

I think what probably happened with the OP is that he rolled his day into one. First by starting with a trip down to the immigration in order to get the Residence Certificate, then arriving at the Hang Dong center later in the morning (around 11:00), which is probably why he was asked to return after lunch. It actually says on the renewal check list to arrive at either 09:30 AM or 13:00 PM The OP turned up at 11:00 AM

Just for reference, the Residence Certificate from an Embassy of Consulate is valid for 1 year from the date of issue.

The Residence Certificate from the Immigration Office is valid for 15 days from the date of issue. Either or, it can be obtained well in advance of a trip to the License Center, meaning it's not necessary to run around doing everything on the day.

Immigration Office in Pattaya told me the residence certificate is valid for a max of 30 days!!!!!!!!

[Thaihog]

It would seem to vary from Office to office,I went to get my first 5 year licences the day after both my 1 year expired,I had to produce 2 residence certs,2 medical certs,2 copies of the passport page showing my photo/details & my passport.The whole process from me entering to leaving took around 8 minutes..........This office is Nang Rong....

This topic is about renewing a 5 year licence NOT about getting your 5 year licence for the first time.

[Drew Aitch]

This topic is about renewing a 5 year licence NOT about getting your 5 year licence for the first time.

I might be wrong (I'll be able to tell you more next month), but it looks as though the procedure is the same! Same office, same times for renewal; arrive 09:30 OR 13:00, and the applicant produces the exact same documents. Pic is then taken by the nice lady in the booth, new license printed out, and Bob's your Uncle! Same, same but different perhaps? Or am i missing something?

Btw, duplicate documents are required only when applying for 2 licenses, which normally means 1 for bike and the other for car. If you're just applying for the one, then i believe only one copy of each is necessary going by their check list.

Aitch

[mcgriffith]

Got my 5 year ASEAN magstrip license on Jan 3, 2008. Good till my b-day in Oct 2013.

Milked nearly 6 years on this renewal.

As to the various experiences of posters- a few possible explanations.

Did you have a current valid driver license from your home country, for both auto and motorcycle?

What was the country?

How much time was left on the validity of the home country license?

With a current home country license from Nevada USA for both moto and car, good for at least a few years, and after the staff at Land Transport checked on their database....I was issued a 5 year with very little bother. I did have to take the reaction test, color test, depth perception test. Maybe because I'm over 50.

It is not really that big a deal, and I strongly recommend anyone who drives here regularly to get a valid license.

This whole thread is about renewing an existing 5 year Thai licence, so what the #### does it matter about your US licence. Are you saying you presented it as well as your expired or soon to expire Thai 5 year licence?

Sorry Ian, my bad....

[elektrified]

Does anyone have a link to, or know the requirements to go from a 1 year driving license to a 5 year license? I know this thread is about 5 year to 5 year but after doing a search I see a lot of conflicting information. My automobile 1 year Thai driving license expires on the 20th of this month and my motorcycle license expires on 1 October so I had better get the paperwork in order soon. I have not had any tickets or been in any accidents if that makes a difference.

Many thanks in advance for any helpful information.

[MagnumForce]

My 1 year Thai licence expires very soon too and I would like to upgrade to a 5 year Thai licence. Apart from copies of passport pages and medical cert and fee, somebody mentioned a residency cert. Does anyone know if this is necessary if you have a work permit?

Thanks,

MF

[Maejo Man]

My five year licence is due today, and I had the forms picked up yesterday, and the requirements for renewing a 5 year licence are listed below as issued by the Lands and Transport Dept.

[elektrified]

My five year licence is due today, and I had the forms picked up yesterday, and the requirements for renewing a 5 year licence are listed below as issued by the Lands and Transport Dept.

That may be just the info I was looking for MM. To be clear, is that for going from 1 to 5 years or from 5 to 5 years? Thanks.

[gotlost]

My five year licence is due today, and I had the forms picked up yesterday, and the requirements for renewing a 5 year licence are listed below as issued by the Lands and Transport Dept.

That may be just the info I was looking for MM. To be clear, is that for going from 1 to 5 years or from 5 to 5 years? Thanks.

Both

[Maejo Man]

My five year licence is due today, and I had the forms picked up yesterday, and the requirements for renewing a 5 year licence are listed below as issued by the Lands and Transport Dept.

That may be just the info I was looking for MM. To be clear, is that for going from 1 to 5 years or from 5 to 5 years? Thanks.

As stated by Gotlost, it's applicable for 1 to 5 and 5 to 5. I have to renew my current 5 year licence

[Tywais]

My five year licence is due today, and I had the forms picked up yesterday, and the requirements for renewing a 5 year licence are listed below as issued by the Lands and Transport Dept.

That may be just the info I was looking for MM. To be clear, is that for going from 1 to 5 years or from 5 to 5 years? Thanks.

Both

The copy MM posted is for 1 year to 5 year due to this statement. "3) Thai drivers license on or after expiration date" which has been the requirement for many years that the license needs to be 1 year old before it can be renewed.

The 5 year to 5 year must be within 90 days before expiration as shown in the copy I posted earlier here > 5 year to 5 year

[Mapguy]

I need to renew my 5 year license. Is it the case that I will need a letter from embassy certifying residence?

Yes you will need a residency letter, the original & a copy of your passport, a copy of your visa, & a medical certificate. Take all those, along with your current license & 700 baht to Hang Dong & you will be fine. They will process your document speedily, take your photo & produce the card in a minute or two. You will only have to wait if there are a lot of applicants at one time, so go early, like at 8:30.

Dream on Brommers, I renewed my 5 year licence last week, it is not a 2 minute job, read the OP.

I was not asked to produce a medical certificate by the way, offered it, but it was given back to me.

OK maybe not 2 minutes, but I got mine in under 10 minutes one week ago. So it can be done. Just get your stuff organised & they are easy to deal with. I fail to see why people are so negative, it only takes a short time to get yourself organised, or is that too much o ask?

Agree!

[mcgriffith]

I got my 1st 5 year (mag stripe) licence just 3 days after they started issuing them, which was 1 Jan 2007.

They told me that to renew the 5 year, which for me is XX Oct 2013, I need to come in before the license expires.

Which confirms what Tywais is saying; to renew a 1 yr., you can wait till expired before renewing. I believe you have up to one year, less a day, to renew an expired 1 yr driver license.

The 5 yr- they wanna see you before expiry. Moved the goalposts again, Maejo!

[Tywais]

to renew a 1 yr., you can wait till expired before renewing.

Just a small correction and that is you "must" wait till expired before renewing.

[MagnumForce]

Very useful info. Thanks guys.

[Tywais]

Does anyone know if this is necessary if you have a work permit?

Forgot to answer this. The WP satisfies the address requirement and is all I used for my 5 year renewal a few months ago.

[mcgriffith]

to renew a 1 yr., you can wait till expired before renewing.

Just a small correction and that is you "must" wait till expired before renewing.

Thanks, Tywais...hope I can remember this Oct 2013

[just_Elaine]

If I compiled everything from here and another thread correctly, it sounds like I will need the following to renew my 5 year drivers license:

Passport

Copy of passport

Copy of visa page

Residency Letter (from Immigration or Embassy)

Current License

700 baht

and I will probably get the color-blindness eye test and have to watch a video.

For those experienced in this, does this sound correct? By the way, someone stated that Medical Certificate was not required and someone else stated that the Thai version of 5-year to 5-year renewal does not have a Medical Certificate so I think I will try without it.

I think I messed up though because I thought that one was supposed to wait until after expiry to go renew a drivers license, but it sounds like that is not the case. I will try to renew my 5 year drivers license about a week late. I will post if I had to do anything else......

[doppa]

ok chaps good info all around...but where is the licence office.

[dave2]

doppa.

re .... but where is the licence office

if you go past airport plaza heading towards hang dong its about half a mile before you get to big c on your left

see pic ... dave2

[just_Elaine]

Yes, past Tesco Lotus (Hang Dong). It is on the same side of the street as Tesco Lotus. I look for something painted purple and pull into that parking lot.

[just_Elaine]

If I compiled everything from here and another thread correctly, it sounds like I will need the following to renew my 5 year drivers license:

Passport

Copy of passport

Copy of visa page

Residency Letter (from Immigration or Embassy)

Current License

700 baht

and I will probably get the color-blindness eye test and have to watch a video.

For those experienced in this, does this sound correct? By the way, someone stated that Medical Certificate was not required and someone else stated that the Thai version of 5-year to 5-year renewal does not have a Medical Certificate so I think I will try without it.

I think I messed up though because I thought that one was supposed to wait until after expiry to go renew a drivers license, but it sounds like that is not the case. I will try to renew my 5 year drivers license about a week late. I will post if I had to do anything else......

I did renew my 5 year driver’s license yesterday. I got my Residence Letter for driver’s license at Immigration the day before (2 photos, copy of passport & visa, copy of a couple of pages from my lease, a form that they gave me to fill out and 500 baht). I dropped by the office about 3:30pm to see if I needed anything else. It is on the 2nd floor. I asked information and they directed me to one of the numbered counters (#22 for me). They took the paperwork from me with my license and an application and stapled it together. Then they told me to come back at 10:00am or 1:00pm the next day.

I went at 10:00 am. They directed me to #28. Many people were at this counter. The guy had me write my full name on the application and showed me where to sign it. A bunch of people were directed to an area. We were given the color blindness eye test. After the eye test, we were given instructions for a test. It was in Thai and I didn't know what they were talking about. Anyway, you sit in a chair that has a gas and brake. In front of you, there is a box with a green and red light and something equivalent to a speedometer with accompanying green and red lights. I think that you hit the gas and brake before the speedometer hits any of the red zone speeds. They let me do this several times. After that, you are directed to the table to pick up your paperwork.

Then someone asked if I speak English and I said yes and they directed me to room 2 (I think). I handed my paperwork to the women there and she sat me down in front a computer and started a video. It covered about 15 subjects and took about 45 minutes. I picked up my paperwork when it was done and was sent back to the information desk. She gave me a number. Then I went to the counter when my number was called and paid 655 baht. They sent me behind their counters. There is a waiting area with seats. Then someone signals you and you sit down, get your picture taken and then you get your license.

It took awhile, but everything went smoothly.

[just_Elaine]

About the fee... I think this is the breakdown: (car) 505 + (smart card) 100 + (change of address) 50 = 655 baht.

[Tonto21]

Amusing Thailand! I have no doubt reading the other posts on this topic that all the responses are genuine and the various paper work and running around explained in detail.

This is my story! I went to my local licensing office, (Mae Tang) with my two week out of date (first issue) one year licenses, I took with me: 2 small portrait photos and my family book (yellow) I gave them my, now out of date car and bike licenses, approximately 35 minutes, I paid and left with two five licenses. When it’s good in Thailand, “Its finger licking good” When it’s bad, “it’s ass wiping bad”

[Thaihog]

Amusing Thailand! I have no doubt reading the other posts on this topic that all the responses are genuine and the various paper work and running around explained in detail.

This is my story! I went to my local licensing office, (Mae Tang) with my two week out of date (first issue) one year licenses, I took with me: 2 small portrait photos and my family book (yellow) I gave them my, now out of date car and bike licenses, approximately 35 minutes, I paid and left with two five licenses. When it’s good in Thailand, “Its finger licking good” When it’s bad, “it’s ass wiping bad”

If you had read the posts correctly then you would see that there is a big difference between RENEWING a 5 year license, as opposed to changing a 1 year license into a 5 year license....