Applying For 5-year Drivers License In Pattaya

[wpcoe]

Okay, so I just read through 592 posts in the thread Applying for 1 & 5 Year Thai Driving Licenses in the Thailand Motor Forum, and the only thing clear is that each office can have its own requirements.

I currently have expired 1-year licenses: one regular and one motorcycle. What documentation does the Pattaya office (out by the Regents School) currently require?

- form from Immigrations verifying address

- copies of passport pages, if so, which ones?

- medical certificate

- photos

- anything else (besides the old licenses)

Also, of the items above that are required, do I need them in duplicate, one for each license? If so, will one original and one photocopy suffice, or for example, will I need to provide two original forms from Immigrations?

Any feedback from someone who has done this RECENTLY and IN PATTAYA would be appreciated.

[LennyW]

You will need..

Proof of residence from immigration, one for each liscence - apply one day, receive the next, 200 baht each.

Copies of passport page with photo / name etc, if they ask for more there are copy shops there.

Medical Certificate

You DO NOT NEED photos, they take them there and your liscence is printed out with them on now.

If your liscence has already expired quite possible you will only get a 1 year liscence again this time.

Get there early, 8 am, and be prepared for a completely mind numbing experience!! , i was there a week ago and i was only renewing a 5 year liscence and my head is still wrecked yet!

Good luck.

[wpcoe]

If your liscence has already expired quite possible you will only get a 1 year liscence again this time.

Of all the inconsistencies I read in the long thread on the Motor Forum, the one thing that seemed consistent is that you cannot renew a one-year license before it has expired. Has Pattaya bucked the trend on that? Will I need to wait another 11 months or so (before the new one-year license expires) to be able to get the five-year license?

[expatman]

If your liscence has already expired quite possible you will only get a 1 year liscence again this time.

Do you mean that if you have a 1 year license you shoul;d apply for the 5 year license BRFORE the 1 year licens expires ?

Other reports have said you have to wait until the first license expires.

[LennyW]

If your liscence has already expired quite possible you will only get a 1 year liscence again this time.

Of all the inconsistencies I read in the long thread on the Motor Forum, the one thing that seemed consistent is that you cannot renew a one-year license before it has expired. Has Pattaya bucked the trend on that? Will I need to wait another 11 months or so (before the new one-year license expires) to be able to get the five-year license?

OK i cannot say that for 100% sure, just dont be surprised.

[RabC]

I got my 5 year license 4 weeks ago, my old 1 year one had expired by 6 weeks but there was no hassle. I got there just before 8:00 and was away by 8:45. If your 1 year license is already one of the new kind (digital) then processing is very quick if you are renewing one of the older ones things take longer as you have to do a few eye and reaction tests.

[neilf]

If your liscence has already expired quite possible you will only get a 1 year liscence again this time.

Do you mean that if you have a 1 year license you shoul;d apply for the 5 year license BRFORE the 1 year licens expires ?

Other reports have said you have to wait until the first license expires.

i did mine from 1 year to5 about 1 year ago and had to do it on the day it expired or a couple of days after.

what i mean is i went ther like any sensible englishman a couple of days before it expired and was told to go back on the very day it expired-------------i said that i was going to be away---------ko chang ---------and they said its ok and gave me a scrap of paper with some sort of stamp on it and said dont worry show this to police if they ask to see licence and see it is out of date. as i was going to pass the police checkpoint at trat i postponed the ko chang trip just in case and went back the next day.

[PoorSucker]

Here you go.

Click here

[johnbarpic]

My wife & I went to renew her licence temp was only renewed for another temp 12months but we went in the afternoon with the correct documentation approximately 2pm 14:00 we were in and out within 30 minutes brilliant.

My wifes number was being called before we had even got to the top of the stairs.

[wpcoe]

I got my 5 year license 4 weeks ago, my old 1 year one had expired by 6 weeks but there was no hassle.

RabC: Can you confirm the need for the medical certificate as well, please? Thanks!

[DMC1]

You will need..

Proof of residence from immigration, one for each liscence - apply one day, receive the next, 200 baht each.

Copies of passport page with photo / name etc, if they ask for more there are copy shops there.

Medical Certificate

You DO NOT NEED photos, they take them there and your liscence is printed out with them on now.

If your liscence has already expired quite possible you will only get a 1 year liscence again this time.

Get there early, 8 am, and be prepared for a completely mind numbing experience!! , i was there a week ago and i was only renewing a 5 year liscence and my head is still wrecked yet!

Good luck.

Lenny, my 5 year bike & car are due to expire very soon. What did they require this time if you don't mind me asking?

Cheers

[LennyW]

Lenny, my 5 year bike & car are due to expire very soon. What did they require this time if you don't mind me asking?

Cheers

2 Immigration letters

Copy of picture/ name page of passport

Old liscence

And fill out the form they give you

No photos or medical cert required, a medical cert is required though if you do not renew before expiry.

Edited May 27, 2010 by LennyW

[denboy]

The confirmation of residence you definately need. 1 for each licence.

photo's not needed.

Medical certificate is cheap to obtain take 2 with you (1 copy)

Passport copies of main page and visa page.

your old licence's

Everything duplicated as you are renewing two licences.

Join the number queue and the girl there checks your paperwork, if you have copies you don't need she hands them back.

It's easier emotionally just to take everything and let her sort it out, copies are so cheap it isn't worth the hassle of guessing.

[Phil Conners]

I've always just got one Residence confirmation and a copy of it. Never had any problems with that. Same with medical when that was required.

[RabC]

I got my 5 year license 4 weeks ago, my old 1 year one had expired by 6 weeks but there was no hassle.

RabC: Can you confirm the need for the medical certificate as well, please? Thanks!

I had a medical cert so can not confirm if I would have got my license without one. My Thai partner always takes one as well, its only 100 baht so t6o me its easier to have one than have to go away and come back if they want to see one.

[nam-thip]

http://driving.information.in.th/driving-licence.html

Renewing my temporary 1-year Thai driving licence: Tuesday 22nd December 2009

This is my experience at the Pattaya licencing centre but it is possible (definite) that rules may differ in other provinces.

According to a number of web boards the only way to get a 5 year driving permit is to let the old licence expire first which I found to be correct as my 1-year temporary licence to drive a car expired on the 16th December 2009.

How to obtain a driver's license that’s valid for five years:

• Go early (08.30hrs) to avoid the early morning scramble and expect to be there a minimum of two hours assuming you don’t have to undergo any tests which I didn’t.

• There is a desk at the entrance to the building that deals with licences, pick up a form from there, complete the form which is in Thai/English except for one question which is 100% Thai and my misses got wrong then join the queue.

• Before I was given an application form I was asked what sort of visa did I hold which is an O-visa (Retirement)

• Hand over the completed forms and documents to the person behind the application desk and if everything is in order will hand back the documents with a queue number and tell you to go upstairs and wait for your number to be called.

• When your number is called or shown on the screen hand over your stack of documents at the desk, together with your passport. After this final check you will be asked to pay the 505 baht fee (5 years validity @ 100 baht plus 5 baht for the "paper"), for which you will get a receipt.

• Take a seat and wait for your name to be called.

• You will then be issued with your new licence.

• Check the details on your new licence before you leave the building.

Documents required.

• Your expired 1-year temporary car driving licence.

• Residence certificate which verifies your address in Thailand which was obtained from Pattaya or Chonburi immigration as its now called (cost 200 baht) and ready the following day (Do not sign)

• Medical certificate to verify your still breathing (cost150 baht, do not sign)

• Photo-copy of the main page in your passport (signed)

• Photo-copy of your visa page (signed)

• Photo-copy of your last entry into Thailand stamp (signed)

Note:

• Immigration Bureau and medical certificate must not be older than 30 days

• If applying for both car and motorbike licences then two of everything will be requested.

• No photographs are required as they are taken at the application/payment desk upstairs.

• The licence expiry date is not just 5 years from your application date but longer: it will be dated to expire 5-years from your next birthday which in my case is (July 2010) which gave me an additional 7 months making the licence valid for five years and seven months.

• From entering the building it took all of 2½ hours to obtain my new 5-year licence.

Hope this info help.

[Rimmer]

Thanks for that nam-thip very concise

[DMC1]

If you have WP do you still need residency cert for 5 year renewal?

I had WP the 1st time I got the 5 year but don't remember if I took residency cert or not although I do remember taking a residency cert when I got my initial 1 year.

Apologies if this has been done to death!

[eefoo]

Slightly off-topic, and not what OP was asking, but I have just been told by two friends that they've just (last week) got Thai driving licences in Roi-Et based on having a letter from the Amphur saying they lived there with their wives, and a letter from the police saying they had a foreign licence. They were both in Thailand on a 'visa waiver on arrival' stamp. One rule for some ....... etc

[Tired]

If you have WP do you still need residency cert for 5 year renewal?

I had WP the 1st time I got the 5 year but don't remember if I took residency cert or not although I do remember taking a residency cert when I got my initial 1 year.

Apologies if this has been done to death!

No need for the residency certificate if you have a work permit.