Thai Driving Licence Advice

[Wossnext]

I have just been through the process at Department of Land Transport in Bangkok for my Thai licence. My wife was with me and clearly stated that I was buying a small motorbike (110cc) and wanted a Bike licence. Ok so no drama's with paperwork or driving tests because I work legally here and have full licence from UK for HGV's, Buses, Motorbike and car and have held them for many years.Everything was smooth as and got my new licence in 40 mins from first walking in the door. My concern is this; they knew that I wanted a bike licence but what I have got is a licence valid for 1 year that cost all up 205 baht, and it has a picture on the rear showing a Pickup, Van and a Car. I am confused by this, does this mean the lady did not give me a licence for a motorcycle but for a car only?There is a lot of info on the web about this but some of it is conflicting and not up to date. Can anybody help me to understand exactly what type of licence I have got. Picking up my new bike shortly and want to get this sorted. I am preying that I do not have to go back again.

Edited June 29, 2010 by Wossnext

[BngkkB]

On the line above your name, it says No. then a 8 digit number. After the 8 digit number does it say Type: Private Car ? If so, time to go back to get a motorcycle license. I have a private Car License and a friend has both a private car and Motorcycle license. They are two seperate cards.

[Wossnext]

On the line above your name, it says No. then a 8 digit number. After the 8 digit number does it say Type: Private Car ? If so, time to go back to get a motorcycle license. I have a private Car License and a friend has both a private car and Motorcycle license. They are two seperate cards.

Bollarks! yes it does. Oh that is sooo annoying, We explained to her quite clearly what we wanted. I am bubbling mad now!! Thank you for your help.

[Pib]

As mentioned above, in the block above your name where the number is and it says "Type", a motorcycle license will say Private Motorcycle and on the back in the lower right corner it would say Private Motorcycle with a picture of a motorcycle.

For an auto license, in the block above your name where the number is and it says "Type", an auto license will say Private Car and on the back on the lower right corner it would say Private Car and show pictures of a auto, pickup truck, and van.

Above is based on me looking right at my permanent/5 year licenses while I write this...and I'm assuming my old, temporary/1 year licenses looked pretty much the same (I can't remember what my temp licenses looked exactly like...too much Beer Chang has affected the memory cells).

[Wossnext]

As mentioned above, in the block above your name where the number is and it says "Type", a motorcycle license will say Private Motorcycle and on the back in the lower right corner it would say Private Motorcycle with a picture of a motorcycle.

For an auto license, in the block above your name where the number is and it says "Type", an auto license will say Private Car and on the back on the lower right corner it would say Private Car and show pictures of a auto, pickup truck, and van.

Above is based on me looking right at my permanent/5 year licenses while I write this...and I'm assuming my old, temporary/1 year licenses looked pretty much the same (I can't remember what my temp licenses looked exactly like...too much Beer Chang has affected the memory cells).

Yep exactly as you say except it says "Temporary Car" not private car, but hey same same I'm sure. My Wife and I both took time off work to do this so I cannot really give her any grief about it, tho' it was her job to make everything clear to the administration lady!! oh what a <deleted>' disaster, I'm so mad that I have to get all that bloody paperwork again and more time off work too. Thanks for the reply.

[bristolgeoff]

the motor bike license should say motorcycle license(temporary).good for a year.after a year you go back and get a 5 year one very simple.if you want a car license it should say car license.same procedure get a 1 year license and go back for a 5 year one.i did this in chiang mai this year so i know it was easy.you just have to prove too immgration that you are a resident with a resident certificate that you get after paying a small fee 500 baht i think.you should get the both of them car and bike the same time when you apply.

[carnac]

I have a motorbike, but it's not mine. I have two driver's licenses that are mine but not for Thailand. Last week I bought four new chickens and one goat.

[tonywebster]

while this thread is open I have a question, my one year licence is due to be renewed in August for the 5 year one, when do i go to do it? before expiry or on the day of expiry?

Thanks

[lensta]

while this thread is open I have a question, my one year licence is due to be renewed in August for the 5 year one, when do i go to do it? before expiry or on the day of expiry?

Thanks

I did mine 2 days before the expiry date

[fatfather]

while this thread is open I have a question, my one year licence is due to be renewed in August for the 5 year one, when do i go to do it? before expiry or on the day of expiry?

Thanks

Earliest on the day it expire. If you go earlier they will send you away and tell you that your licence is still valid.....

[Token]

As mentioned above, in the block above your name where the number is and it says "Type", a motorcycle license will say Private Motorcycle and on the back in the lower right corner it would say Private Motorcycle with a picture of a motorcycle.

For an auto license, in the block above your name where the number is and it says "Type", an auto license will say Private Car and on the back on the lower right corner it would say Private Car and show pictures of a auto, pickup truck, and van.

Above is based on me looking right at my permanent/5 year licenses while I write this...and I'm assuming my old, temporary/1 year licenses looked pretty much the same (I can't remember what my temp licenses looked exactly like...too much Beer Chang has affected the memory cells).

Yep exactly as you say except it says "Temporary Car" not private car, but hey same same I'm sure. My Wife and I both took time off work to do this so I cannot really give her any grief about it, tho' it was her job to make everything clear to the administration lady!! oh what a <deleted>' disaster, I'm so mad that I have to get all that bloody paperwork again and more time off work too. Thanks for the reply.

Forget the motorbike - just get a new wife.

[jybkk]

@tonywebster: Last January I renewed my 1year license which had expired 2month earlier (in Nov).

they gave me the 5year one without any remarks.

[Wossnext]

@tonywebster: Last January I renewed my 1year license which had expired 2month earlier (in Nov).

they gave me the 5year one without any remarks.

Well this story ends well. I asked the missus to call them up at Land Transport and explain the mistake, she did and got told that I need to take the bike test to ride in Thailand...obviously I blew a gasket! bloody cheek I thought to myself, had a full bike licence since 79' wifey obviously got fobbed off by some miserable civil servant who couldn't be arsed to be helpful.

Anyways I told her to call back and not take any shit from them and gave her all the info she needed to present a decent argument, as it happens she got a slightly happier civil servant this time and was told that everything was fine and they would be happy to provide me with a bike licence if I came back in, I could not because of work committments so my wife went and had no problems getting the correct licence, good news is they just said to keep the car one as well, awesome! saves me going back to do that later as I had planned to. All up, costs were 205 baht for the car licence and a further 150 baht fee for the m/cycle licence. Oh and to the previous poster I have decided to keep the wife...she's a goodun' even tho' she knows <deleted> about cars and bikes 555!

[floridaguy]

while this thread is open I have a question, my one year licence is due to be renewed in August for the 5 year one, when do i go to do it? before expiry or on the day of expiry?

Thanks

Earliest on the day it expire. If you go earlier they will send you away and tell you that your licence is still valid.....

That is 100% incorrect. You may renew your license anytime within 30 days of the expiration date. They will just pro-rate the fee. They will issue it on the spot, so anytime before it expires. I renewed mine 20 days before, they adjusted the fee, so 100 baht per year, plus 40 baht handling fee, minus 20/365 days. It was just over 500 baht for the permanent 5 year license. I assume it is the same for the motorcycle license, I won't know until next year when I renew my temporary motorcycle license.

BTW, OP you got lucky. I am surprised they gave you the motorcycle license without having to go back. I had to take a road test with an obstacle course. Did the misses take your UK motorcycle license in for them to see? Anyway, don't believe everything you hear on this board. It is the grumblings of the jaded and misinformed. Glad to hear it all worked out, now happy motoring and be safe out there. Some of us drive like banshees on our motorcycles!

[Wossnext]

while this thread is open I have a question, my one year licence is due to be renewed in August for the 5 year one, when do i go to do it? before expiry or on the day of expiry?

Thanks

Earliest on the day it expire. If you go earlier they will send you away and tell you that your licence is still valid.....

That is 100% incorrect. You may renew your license anytime within 30 days of the expiration date. They will just pro-rate the fee. They will issue it on the spot, so anytime before it expires. I renewed mine 20 days before, they adjusted the fee, so 100 baht per year, plus 40 baht handling fee, minus 20/365 days. It was just over 500 baht for the permanent 5 year license. I assume it is the same for the motorcycle license, I won't know until next year when I renew my temporary motorcycle license.

BTW, OP you got lucky. I am surprised they gave you the motorcycle license without having to go back. I had to take a road test with an obstacle course. Did the misses take your UK motorcycle license in for them to see? Anyway, don't believe everything you hear on this board. It is the grumblings of the jaded and misinformed. Glad to hear it all worked out, now happy motoring and be safe out there. Some of us drive like banshees on our motorcycles!

Hi, thanks for that. They did have a copy of my motorcycle licence from the day before and not only that but they still had my photo in the camera memory, so yes I guess all the pieces just fell neatly into place, also my wife got to see the very same lady we had dealt with the day before. As for the Jaded and misinformed believe me I became aware of those posters a long time ago, it is the ones who trawl round all the posts looking for a spelling mistake or some other trivial crap just so they can have a whinge that irritate me the most. I have a bucketload of issues about Thailand, but generally speaking its not a whole lot worse or better than anywhere else, I speak from experience, I have lived and worked in many different countries with my job.

Edited June 30, 2010 by Wossnext

[kuffki]

while this thread is open I have a question, my one year licence is due to be renewed in August for the 5 year one, when do i go to do it? before expiry or on the day of expiry?

Thanks

If you renew before the expiry you can only renew for 1 year. If you renew day after expiry you can get 5 years. Do not ask why-i know it makes no sense but thats how it is

[bristolgeoff]

i did mine on the date of expiry

[tonywebster]

I am still none the wiser with all the conflicting information

Thanks for the info guys, it looks like it might depend on who is working that day at the counter, I might just rock up there early and see what happens, I had heard before you renew it after it expires but that never made any sense to me, but then again when does anything in Thailand make sense.

[expatman]

while this thread is open I have a question, my one year licence is due to be renewed in August for the 5 year one, when do i go to do it? before expiry or on the day of expiry?

Thanks

If you renew before the expiry you can only renew for 1 year. If you renew day after expiry you can get 5 years. Do not ask why-i know it makes no sense but thats how it is

NOT TRUE, at least for Bangkok Sukhumvit office.

2 weeks ago got a 5-year license issued a few days before the 1-year license expired.

Only took about 15 minutes and 605 baht !

[Wossnext]

I am still none the wiser with all the conflicting information

Thanks for the info guys, it looks like it might depend on who is working that day at the counter, I might just rock up there early and see what happens, I had heard before you renew it after it expires but that never made any sense to me, but then again when does anything in Thailand make sense.

Well apart from the reference above there is one glaring fact here that hardly ever gets a mention....that fact is that whatever rule works one day will probably not work the next! and what is correct at location A will not necessarily be correct at location B. Even when you get a Thai native speaker to call said office to ask exactly what is required to get something you want, when you get there it will not be right! so just take every goddamn document you can lay your hands on allow a ton of time and have a big smile on your face, and who knows, it might just work out.

[wayfarer108]

You might think about learning Thai so that you don't have to rely on the wife for every transaction with the Thai civil service.

[MAJIC]

while this thread is open I have a question, my one year licence is due to be renewed in August for the 5 year one, when do i go to do it? before expiry or on the day of expiry?

Thanks

Depends on the officious nature of the Clerk,in my case I went a day early for renewal and was told to come back the next day on exactly the year anniversary day.

[kuffki]

while this thread is open I have a question, my one year licence is due to be renewed in August for the 5 year one, when do i go to do it? before expiry or on the day of expiry?

Thanks

Depends on the officious nature of the Clerk,in my case I went a day early for renewal and was told to come back the next day on exactly the year anniversary day.

While some clerks may do it, the law is that to get 5 years need to go after it expires.

In Chonburi very very often there is a cop just around the corner stopping people to check licences, this guy makes a fortune because all the people going to renew for 5 years always have expired licenses.

I personally know 8 people that were done by the same cop, so when i went to renew mine after it expired i went very early to avoid him

[Wossnext]

You might think about learning Thai so that you don't have to rely on the wife for every transaction with the Thai civil service.

I am learning Thai smartass, just not up to the mark yet.

[MJo]

Last time i checked (few years back) the law was that you need to hold temp license for a year to get the 5 year one. So if you went before the expiry date you didn't qualify for the 5 year license.

Who knows, maybe they changed the law or gave the officers at LTD freedom to issue few days early. In any case it is just pure luck as someone said. Depends on the location and the officer handling your case.

My one year DL was expired 5 or 6 years so they make me to take the written and practical tests but issued 5 years DL once i passed the tests (had the original temp DL's with me). I asked about it and their reply was that you meet the requirement of one year temp DL even if they expired several years ago...

[PattayaParent]

^Same story as MJo