5 Year Driving Licence

[daveb1]

Hi there is a lot of conflicting information in postings on the subject of renewing your 1 year Thai licence for a 5 year one. Has anyone done this recently in Pattaya what documentation do you need and whats the process

Thanks

[VocalNeal]

Dave,

When you renew your first 1-year licence you automatically get a 5-years. At least I did in BKK. Found this out when I went to renew after the second year. Filled in the forms and sat in on the mandatory safe driving TV show only to be called out and told my licence was good for another 4 years.

I took my passport with visa stamp and work permit, the latter I didn't need.

The key is timing. I don't think they will renew if it is still valid, so you'll need to go on the day it expires or very soon after.

[JohnLeech]

In Pattaya you can go up to three months before it expires. If you go much later you may have your licence cancelled and have to do the entire process (test, etc) again.

The process in Pattaya:

Arrive early (8 AM) armed with a pen and join the queue outside, with your old licence, passport, and residence letter from Immigration, having taken an application form from the desk at the door and filled it in on the way.

Wait upstairs up to two hours to be called.

When called, join the "farang" group and do the tests (colour blindness, peripheral vision, reaction and depth perception), depending on which ones are working.

Wait.

Go downstairs and watch the video for an hour.

Wait. Have some lunch.

Go back upstairs and wait for your name to be called, have your photo taken, pay (I think it comes at this stage, but that's the one thing I can't remember 100%), and collect your licence.

In all it takes between two and six hours.

[CRUNCHER]

When I got my 1 year licence I followed posts on TV for a year. I noticed that those who went later in the morning, say 10.30 - 11, did not need to do any of the tests in Pattaya. So it proved for me. I had my old licence, passport copy, certificate of residence and filled in the application form. I was in and out with my new 5 year icence in about 10 minutes.

I am guessing here, but I suspect that once they have called the (early arivals) farang group for the video and tests, they do not bother with late comers; it is too much trouble.

[steve187]

yes i would advise going after 1pm when they reopen after lunch.

[JohnLeech]

When I got my 1 year licence I followed posts on TV for a year. I noticed that those who went later in the morning, say 10.30 - 11, did not need to do any of the tests in Pattaya. So it proved for me. I had my old licence, passport copy, certificate of residence and filled in the application form. I was in and out with my new 5 year icence in about 10 minutes.

I am guessing here, but I suspect that once they have called the (early arivals) farang group for the video and tests, they do not bother with late comers; it is too much trouble.

Helpful to know how recently you went to renew your licence. When I previously renewed my 5 year licence it also took only a few minutes.

This year's renewal was as related, as has been the case for friends this year; a friend's who also went this year and arrived late was allowed to watch the video in the afternoon, and told to come back the next day for the tests.

If those who advise going late did so recently, then you may be lucky; if not, you will end up wasting two days instead of one.

[CRUNCHER]

When I got my 1 year licence I followed posts on TV for a year. I noticed that those who went later in the morning, say 10.30 - 11, did not need to do any of the tests in Pattaya. So it proved for me. I had my old licence, passport copy, certificate of residence and filled in the application form. I was in and out with my new 5 year icence in about 10 minutes.

I am guessing here, but I suspect that once they have called the (early arivals) farang group for the video and tests, they do not bother with late comers; it is too much trouble.

Helpful to know how recently you went to renew your licence. When I previously renewed my 5 year licence it also took only a few minutes.

This year's renewal was as related, as has been the case for friends this year; a friend's who also went this year and arrived late was allowed to watch the video in the afternoon, and told to come back the next day for the tests.

If those who advise going late did so recently, then you may be lucky; if not, you will end up wasting two days instead of one.

Not in Thailand at the moment and have not got my licence with me, but it was the end of last year.

[Upnotover]

I renewed my 1 year (car) driving license at Pattaya on Tuesday July 20th. The 1 year license had expired on June 21st, I now have a 5 year license expiring on my first birthday 5 years after issue date.

Documentation: 1 x Immigration Residence Certificate, 1 x Passport copy (photo page, visa page, entry stamp page and departure card), 1 x medical certificate.

Arrived at 07:40, pick up form from front desk and complete in the line waiting there. 08:00 front desk staff check form and documents, make a few marks on the form and issue queue number. Proceed upstairs. Wait for number to be called, present all documents at desk, sit down. Wait till called back, back to desk and pay, sit down. Wait till called back for photo, sit down. Wait till called back for license, collect and leave. If I remember correctly I was back in my car before 08:30.

No eye tests, no videos, no waiting, no hassles....was it all a dream?

[JohnLeech]

Very interesting to know what experience others (farangs and Thais) have had recently in Pattaya, in that case, and how common that experience is as things must have changed completely.

Earlier this year the same rules were applied to farangs and thais alike: no medical test was needed, there was no way of avoiding the tests, and no possible way that anyone would have been issued with a licence less than 30 minutes after the main office opened.