Renewing Thai Driving License In Bangkok

[VictorMeldrewBKK]

LOCATION: The Sukhumvit DLT (Department of Land Transportation) is about about 50-70 meters past the opposite side of Sukhumvit Soi 62 past the On Nut BTS, you will see a big entrance and a long road about 200 meters long. If you use BTS get off at On Nut and take exit 3. Taxi bikes are situated there to take you down if you don't want to walk. Opening hours are 8.30- 3.30, but last training or test that you have to take stops taking new entrants at 2pm (whole thing took 2.5 hours) and it's probably wise to avoid the lunch hour and the early morning's queues for first time applicants. I didn't bring a translator as I have a little Thai, but found this place didn't even have many signs in English so I suggest you take someone Thai if you can or at least have them on hand to call on your mobile as I had to do a few times to my wife.

DOCUMENTS & PAPERWORK: Documents needed are; Original Thai driving license AND original passport, not just copies, make copies of following pages in your passport: the first page, the visa stamp page, the last entry stamp page and the page with the last visa extension, if any. There is copy service in same building at 1 baht a copy. You DO NOT NEED PHOTOS ANY MORE. They take your digital photo and print it into your new license.

You MUST also have proof of address; 2 ways of proof is as follows:

1) For those with no work permit, which is my case and experience today, but have Non immigrant visa, your proof must be letter from your Embassy, which if you're British will cost you an astounding rip off cost of 2,800 Baht or for cost of only 500 Baht go to immigration with your 'Notification of staying in Thailand for 90 day' receipt but not older than 30 days and they will issue you a letter but NOT on the spot. It will take 3 weeks to be posted to you.

2) Work permit, which was another British guys case and experience today which he shared with me, was to have work permit but must have doctors health certificate also, costs about 100-200 Baht.

COST: Total fee for license was 655 Baht.

PROCESS: Go to info counter and get form which needs only your signature then you will be directed to counter 10 to hand in singed form and your photo copies and show passport and give old license. They will tick paper work OK and sign and send to next stop, you then go up stairs turn right to counter 20. They will check paperwork then send you down stairs to test rooms 14-15 or 15-16. there you sit with others, they talk to all in Thai but worry if you don't understand because it's only a stopping brake test and a leveling of 2 sticks test and an eye test of red green and yellow awareness which I copied from others . From what I saw, if you get it wrong you just keep going till you get it right LOL. They sign your documents that you passed and send you to another counter, 11 I think but just follow the crowd. Give in documents and wait then to go to seminar/movie room.

Then come the big crunch. You have to sit through a 52 minute Thai soap opera that Informs about various road signs laws. The relevant info only takes up 4-5minutes of movie and the rest is Thai soap?? I was expecting test after this but there is NON. You now go to counter and are give ticket number, wait till ticker board tells you which counter to go to, pay your fee, have photo taken and then sit a few mins and then your license pops out of printer.

And now, EVENTUALLY, you are finished. Head for pub and get done for drink driving LOL BTW the new licenses are really cool, not laminated card anymore.

[transam]

The Pub bit sounds good to me.

[VictorMeldrewBKK]

The Pub bit sounds good to me.

After the movie it's necessary, Thai soap style, good neighbors have bad neighbor divorced father, bad driver, crashed, son left brain dead???? One Thai girl in the room was cryiing. 52 #@%% minutes

[transam]

The Pub bit sounds good to me.

After the movie it's necessary, Thai soap style, good neighbors have bad neighbor divorced father, bad driver, crashed, son left brain dead???? One Thai girl in the room was cryiing. 52 #@%% minutes

Hmmmmmmmmm, a little more post explanation wold help here.

[floridaguy]

I walked in, showing current license and doctors note, took one form and license to second counter, signed form and showed license, then sat for 15 minutes before being called to sit in front of a camera for a new photo, agreed that photo was not good and had her retake it, then waited 2 minutes for it to pop out of printer and grab it and go. Total time, 30 minutes or there abouts. No pub needed, but I still couldn't resist.

[jackliveswhere]

My license expires in December but am leaving the country for 2 months... whats the earliest I could renew mine??