Thai Driving Licence

[kenny999]

I have just re-newed my 1yr temporary Thai driving licence to 5yrs, you can re-new this up to 2 months before it's expirey date, you need Medical certificate must be used within 1 month of issue date, certificate of residence or work permit or house blue book, old licence, 1 copy of main passport page, 1 copy of visa page. fee is approx 500 bht. licence center has moved just round the corner from old building, get there early to avoid big wait.

If you are re-newing car and bike licence you just need 2 lots of the above, but medical certificate and certificate of residence can be a copy.

[LivinLOS]

Strange, I was always told (and had to) wait until my one year expired before I could get a 5 year.. Tho was warned not to let the 5 year expire.

Reason being the 1 year is a sort of provisional license and you have to have held that for one full year to qualify for the 5 year.

[kenny999]

Strange, I was always told (and had to) wait until my one year expired before I could get a 5 year.. Tho was warned not to let the 5 year expire.

Reason being the 1 year is a sort of provisional license and you have to have held that for one full year to qualify for the 5 year.

Well as I have just re-newed my licences I can assure you letting the 1 yr expire is not correct, also if you let your licence expire you no longer have a licence and if stopped by police you will be fined!!!!

[kenny999]

Strange, I was always told (and had to) wait until my one year expired before I could get a 5 year.. Tho was warned not to let the 5 year expire.

Reason being the 1 year is a sort of provisional license and you have to have held that for one full year to qualify for the 5 year.

Well as I have just re-newed my licences I can assure you letting the 1 yr expire is not correct, also if you let your licence expire you no longer have a licence and if stopped by police you will be fined!!!!

Also if you think about it the consequences of letting your licence expire can be bad, i:e if you have an accident etc if your licence has expired you are in a whole lot of trouble!!!!

[g00dgirl]

Thank you for the report. I also got my 1 yr, later my 5 yr car and bike licences here in Phuket but that was a few years ago.

Do they now give you the new credit card type?

Are car and bike now on the same card? (I still have two separate laminated pink paper cards in Thai only)

Did they mention work permit? (They did not ask for mine back then and I had none)

Did they take your photo there or did you need to bring one or more?

What time did you arrive and what time did you get out?

[kenny999]

Thank you for the report. I also got my 1 yr, later my 5 yr car and bike licences here in Phuket but that was a few years ago.

Do they now give you the new credit card type?

Are car and bike now on the same card? (I still have two separate laminated pink paper cards in Thai only)

Did they mention work permit? (They did not ask for mine back then and I had none)

Did they take your photo there or did you need to bring one or more?

What time did you arrive and what time did you get out?

Hi yes the licences are the credit card type, car and bike licence are 2 separate licences, A work permit is acceptable instead of cerftificate of residence, they take your photo's there. the center opens at 8am be there for that time, I re-newed car and bike licence and was out of the center within 30 mins.

Hope that helps.

[LivinginKata]

For the renewal of my 5 year licence (last year) I had to arrive by 09.00, take various eye tests and then watch an hour video (starts 10.00). Had my new licence and out the door by 11.30. They told me they don't have an afternoon session with video in English, so it had to be 09.00.

[kenny999]

For the renewal of my 5 year licence (last year) I had to arrive by 09.00, take various eye tests and then watch an hour video (starts 10.00). Had my new licence and out the door by 11.30. They told me they don't have an afternoon session with video in English, so it had to be 09.00.

I had no tests to take and did not watch any video, it seems to be different everytime you go there.

[BWPattaya]

The licence centre told me that foreigners are allowed to renew a one year licence up to a year late simply because we may be out of the country. They also said there is no leeway for Thais, they must renew on expiry.

[kenny999]

The licence centre told me that foreigners are allowed to renew a one year licence up to a year late simply because we may be out of the country. They also said there is no leeway for Thais, they must renew on expiry.

All I can say is that being a sensible law abiding person I would not let my licence expire because then I would be driving without a licence, so my advice to any one is re-new before it expires which you can do 2 months before the expiry date. if you choose to let it expire that is up to the individual and the consequences that might follow should you be involved in an accident. this is a common sense thing would you drive without a licence in your home country if no then why would you do it here even if it is only for 1 day etc...

[BB1950]

Interesting. When I had my 1 year license, I went a week before it expired. The nice lady told me to come back next month (after it expired) so that i could get a 5 year license. If I renewed it before it expired, I would only get 1 year.

At the time I thought it was very odd. I was a newbie then. That was some time ago and things change. But this is Thailand and nothing is set in concrete, things change depending on which way the wind blows.

If you have a 1 year license, I would officially check first. With the 5 year license you can and you should do it before the license expires.

As far as the tests, it depends on the office. In Pattaya they do the tests and you need to get there early and plan to spend most of the day at the office. In by 9am and out by 2:30 (long lunch break and lots of people).They are quite strict nowadays. The reason: too many foreigners are now involved in accidents in the Pattaya area.

Edited July 24, 2010 by BB1950

[LivinLOS]

[Well as I have just re-newed my licences I can assure you letting the 1 yr expire is not correct, also if you let your licence expire you no longer have a licence and if stopped by police you will be fined!!!!

Also if you think about it the consequences of letting your licence expire can be bad, i:e if you have an accident etc if your licence has expired you are in a whole lot of trouble!!!!

The police and insurance people have responded multiple times in the phuket gazette issues and answers that this is the way to do it..

[LivinLOS]

Interesting. When I had my 1 year license, I went a week before it expired. The nice lady told me to come back next month (after it expired) so that i could get a 5 year license. If I renewed it before it expired, I would only get 1 year.

Exactly as I had been told by the DMV, and had read multiple times in guides and questions to those in authority.

Reason being the 1 year is only a provisional, not a full license (eg you cant get a IDP on it etc) and it must be a full year after the passing of the test to get the 5 year. Hence it must expire or they only issue another 1 year.

As per

http://www.phuketgazette.net/issuesanswers/details.asp?id=965

“According to Ministry of Transportation regulations, if you apply for a driver’s license you must first be issued with a license that is valid for one year. After you have held that “provisional” license for a complete year, you will be issued a license that is valid for five years.

The law is very clear in that the one-year license must expire before you can be issued a five-year license."

Supakorn Wilairat, Chief of the license issuing section at the PPTO.

Are you sure they issued 5 years and not a second 1 year ??

[LivinLOS]

http://www.phuketgazette.net/issuesanswers/details.asp?id=971

And insurance still covers you.

Yet more

http://www.phuketgazette.net/issuesanswers/details.asp?id=773

As regards renewing your Thai license, if you have only a temporary license, which is valid for one year, we cannot issue a new license until the day the old one expires.

However, if you have a five-year license, you can renew it as much as three months before it is due to

Edited July 24, 2010 by LivinLOS

[LivinginKata]

For the renewal of my 5 year licence (last year) I had to arrive by 09.00, take various eye tests and then watch an hour video (starts 10.00). Had my new licence and out the door by 11.30. They told me they don't have an afternoon session with video in English, so it had to be 09.00.

I had no tests to take and did not watch any video, it seems to be different everytime you go there.

I think (?) that the eye tests and video don't apply to your first 5 year licence, only on subsequent 5 year renewals. But as you say the rules seem to be different from year to year. And from official to official.

[grumpyoldman]

For the renewal of my 5 year licence (last year) I had to arrive by 09.00, take various eye tests and then watch an hour video (starts 10.00). Had my new licence and out the door by 11.30. They told me they don't have an afternoon session with video in English, so it had to be 09.00.

I had no tests to take and did not watch any video, it seems to be different everytime you go there.

I think (?) that the eye tests and video don't apply to your first 5 year licence, only on subsequent 5 year renewals. But as you say the rules seem to be different from year to year. And from official to official.

I was informed that one can walk in with an international driving license and get a one year without jumping through too many hoops, is this true?

[LivinginKata]

I was informed that one can walk in with an international driving license and get a one year without jumping through too many hoops, is this true?

You don't need to take the driving test but you still need all the paperwork, medical, and eye tests. Not sure about the hour video.

[LivinLOS]

I was informed that one can walk in with an international driving license and get a one year without jumping through too many hoops, is this true?

You don't need to take the driving test but you still need all the paperwork, medical, and eye tests. Not sure about the hour video.

That was how it was when I got mine..

Eye color tests, peripheral vision tests, depth perception and a reaction time test.. They also made me do the multiple choice questions, which they shouldnt have needed (theory test) but it was simple anyway. No driving practical.

Also I never did anything turning my 1 year into a 5 year, just showed up with my papers and they issued the 5 year in 10 mins (helped that I got there at 5 mins before it closed, they hustled me through to get home.

[kenny999]

Interesting. When I had my 1 year license, I went a week before it expired. The nice lady told me to come back next month (after it expired) so that i could get a 5 year license. If I renewed it before it expired, I would only get 1 year.

Exactly as I had been told by the DMV, and had read multiple times in guides and questions to those in authority.

Reason being the 1 year is only a provisional, not a full license (eg you cant get a IDP on it etc) and it must be a full year after the passing of the test to get the 5 year. Hence it must expire or they only issue another 1 year.

As per

http://www.phuketgaz...ails.asp?id=965

“According to Ministry of Transportation regulations, if you apply for a driver’s license you must first be issued with a license that is valid for one year. After you have held that “provisional” license for a complete year, you will be issued a license that is valid for five years.

The law is very clear in that the one-year license must expire before you can be issued a five-year license."

Supakorn Wilairat, Chief of the license issuing section at the PPTO.

Are you sure they issued 5 years and not a second 1 year ??

Well yes I am looking at my new licences now and both expire in 2016, so my bike licence did not expire untill 30th July I now have a 5 yr bike licence, my car licence did not expire untill end of August I now have a 5 yr car licence......

[kenny999]

Well yes I am looking at my new licences now and both expire in 2016, so my bike licence did not expire untill 30th July I now have a 5 yr bike licence, my car licence did not expire untill end of August I now have a 5 yr car licence......

It would seem that things in Thailand are different from place to place, the nice lady looked at my licences very carefully and told me I could re-new now, so that is what I did and obviously now the proud owner of 2 5 yr licences. any body thinking of re-newing there licences should visit the center first to find out when and what is needed to re-new I think that is the best thing to do because the requirements could change again. I have said it before and will say it again AMAZING THAILAND...

[LivinLOS]

Well yes I am looking at my new licences now and both expire in 2016, so my bike licence did not expire untill 30th July I now have a 5 yr bike licence, my car licence did not expire untill end of August I now have a 5 yr car licence......

They always go 5 years and up to your next birthday IIRC.. Hence with care you can get almost 6 years.