Thai Driving Licence

[Eff1n2ret]

Thanks for your info.

I want to know if a Student Visa will be OK to apply, as it does say that a Non Immigrant Visa is required.

I think you're ok with anything except a visit stamp.

[mizzi39]

For those of you who have actually gone through it, after your first 1 year license, could you then get the 5 year version the second time around?

Yeap....but dont forget to let your 1 year expire before applying for the 5 year ortherwise my give you another 1 Year...strange but true...

I went down on the day that it expired and got my 5 year. I was told that you could actually get it renewed a week before expiration or up to 3 months after expiration. i am sure this may differ from province to province.

[Soutpeel]

For those of you who have actually gone through it, after your first 1 year license, could you then get the 5 year version the second time around?

Yeap....but dont forget to let your 1 year expire before applying for the 5 year ortherwise my give you another 1 Year...strange but true...

I went down on the day that it expired and got my 5 year. I was told that you could actually get it renewed a week before expiration or up to 3 months after expiration. i am sure this may differ from province to province.

Most likely...I was just relating the info given to Mrs Soutpeel a few years ago when she got her first DL and I was transferring mine over to a Thai license...ie we were both issued our 1 year DL the same day.

The traffic dept lady behind the counter in Rayong told her not to apply for her 5 year until the 1 year had expired, as if you tried to do it before they would give you another 1 year..

So as you say most likely varies province to province, of course it could also be another Thai urban legend...one never knows in the Land "O" Smiles...

[Spoonman]

You don't necessarily need the International Driving Permit, as basically it's just an English translation of whatever language your original licence is in. It that original licence language is already English, ....

I simply showed my Canadian driver's licence (English) along with passport, visa, embassy confirmation of address and signed photocopies of everything. Did the colour dots test, reaction test, waited around for a while, had my pic taken and out popped my one year motorbike licence.

Could just be the helpful staff in Rayong, but it just took a bit of time. Didn't even bother that my Canuck licence was for a car and I was getting a motorbike licence here. Didn't notice? didn't care? didn't want to try explaining to me? didn't want to try putting me through some mangled-language testing procedure? No idea, but it was really very simple.

Intersting, My australian licence is also in English, I had to do the theory as i did not have an IDP, same as my work mate who holds a Michigan licence, this was at Sriracha though, maybe they are more lenient at Rayong.

Im going to Rayong for my bike licence whilst iam on Annual leave, hopefully i have an easy ordeal like yourself, hopefully they also overlook the fact i dont have an existing bike licence.

[Soutpeel]

Intersting, My australian licence is also in English, I had to do the theory as i did not have an IDP, same as my work mate who holds a Michigan licence, this was at Sriracha though, maybe they are more lenient at Rayong.

Im going to Rayong for my bike licence whilst iam on Annual leave, hopefully i have an easy ordeal like yourself, hopefully they also overlook the fact i dont have an existing bike licence.

In my dealings with Rayong, dont believe they any more lenient than anywhere else...there are requirements.... you comply with the requirements get your license..

Personally I think the major difference is the lack of farangs in there whinging and "demanding their rights" al la in Pattaya.

The Farangs going into Rayong are generally working guys, so a "higher class" of farang they are dealing with..... not the Chang/Singha shirted, flip flop wearing half drunk (or fully drunk, dependent on the time of day) numb-nuts in Pattaya, therefore they get treated a little better...