5 Year Motorbike License

[roly]

Hi,

I need to renew my 1 year temporary motorbike license in a few months in Pranburi - I'm just wondering what the process is - simply turn up and pay to extend it, or take the vision tests etc again...the reason I ask is that a friend of mine just renewed his 5 year license for a second time, and had to do the stereo vision test, watch the video, etc....

Thanks,

[katabeachbum]

Non Imm visa required for 5 year, medical, certificate of residence. Reaction, vision, color, movie, show up before 9 done by 1030

[roly]

Education visa ok too I assume?

[tomat]

When I changed from 1year to 5year drivers license (for car though) I did not have to do any of the tests again, it was just some paperwork and payment of a fee and I got a new shiny card with the 5year colors.

[hhfarang]

I recently got my 2nd 5 year license and had to do the same old vision and reaction tests and sit through a safety movie. Tip, the renewal (in Pranburi) is dated for 5 years from your next birthday so if you go in one or two days after your license expires, you will get a 6 year license. My birthday and former license expiration was on a Friday. I went on a Monday and got a license valid for six years from the previous Friday.

[katabeachbum]

Education visa ok too I assume?

yep, Non Imm ED

[robertthegreat]

My one year one ran out 12 years ago.Just bought new car so renewing been immigration/medical/ etc

went to the licence place today but late.Showed the girl my old licence said bring that back tomorrow and all the usual copied docs etc. So hoping they give me a five year one bonus if they do.

[robertthegreat]

Update had to do all the tests again Not a problem and they gave me as it works out one for five years 8months so a happy chap

A good link to the Exam test from the Goverment click on the site and in the top right corner can change to English and can run thought the computer test.

http://apps.dlt.go.th/driving_hp/ELearnning/E-Learning2.html

Edited February 14, 2012 by robertthegreat

[roly]

Update - got the 5 year license just one day before the 1 year temporary one I had expired (it seemed like a better idea to renew before expiry to avoid the possibility of having to retake the various tests and spend the best part of a day at the driving centre).

I went to the test centre in Pranburi with all the paperwork (a medical letter which cost 80 baht, and a residence letter from immigration - I showed my rental contract which sufficed. The cost at immigration was a few hundred baht I recall) and arrived at 12pm, but unfortunately they said there was a mistake on the immigration letter (it didn't say bai kap kee - it was something else I couldn't quite decipher and they couldn't explain but they did highlight it and write what was needed. It was just 3 or 4 words which were incorrect).

They said I could return at 1pm with the correct letter and would need to complete the vision/reaction test, but I said I'd return the next day as there wasn't sufficient time (knowing immigration was probably closed for lunch) to return by 1pm, not knowing that you can actually just turn up later in the day anyway.

So I went all the way back to immigration in Hua HIn, waited for them to reopen after lunch (and sampled a meal in the 3 girls restaurant next door, where half the immigration officials were eating) which took until about 1.20, and they corrected the mistake on the document (for free, thankfully).

Even though the test centre said to return at 1pm and it was too late, I took the chance and turned up eventually at 3pm. There was hardly anyone there waiting for service and they didn't actually ask me to do the vision/reaction tests. I just paid 355 baht (255 baht + 100 baht, not sure what the 100 is for), handed in the paperwork and old license and had a new photo taken - I was in and out of there in 10 minutes.

All in all, it was rather painless but the mistake in the original immigration letter was a pain - just goes to show that communication in Thailand is essential, and it's also recommended to organise such things a few days in advance, because mistakes do happen with paperwork and it could've easily screwed things up in another situation! :-)

Now I'm looking forward as always to being stopped so I can show my license, and then watch the farang behind with no helmet and license getting stung twice for a fine :-)

On another note, a farang I know who has no (car) driving license in the UK rented a car just the other day - amazing Thailand! no license and no insurance too probably......

[hhfarang]

If you go one day after your license expires, you get six years instead of five on the next one. They set the expiry date for five years from your next birthday. My birthday (and license expiration) was on a Friday. I went in the following Monday and all I had to do was the vision/reaction tests and watch a safety movie and they gave me a license good for six years from the previous Friday.

Edited April 20, 2012 by hhfarang

[roly]

Hmm....my license was set to expire today on 20th April, though my birthday is not until 29th May, so I would have had to have waited 5 weeks and risk driving with no license. If I'd gone on Monday 23rd instead, then I still would have got the license until 29th May 2017 which is when this one is to expire. Perhaps I'm just being dense and not following, but how would have going on Monday got me the license for 6 years, unless the first one I had should have had the date of my birthday actually on it rather than April 20th.

[BazilFox]

Update - got the 5 year license just one day before the 1 year temporary one I had expired (it seemed like a better idea to renew before expiry to avoid the possibility of having to retake the various tests and spend the best part of a day at the driving centre).

I went to the test centre in Pranburi with all the paperwork (a medical letter which cost 80 baht, and a residence letter from immigration - I showed my rental contract which sufficed. The cost at immigration was a few hundred baht I recall) and arrived at 12pm, but unfortunately they said there was a mistake on the immigration letter (it didn't say bai kap kee - it was something else I couldn't quite decipher and they couldn't explain but they did highlight it and write what was needed. It was just 3 or 4 words which were incorrect).

They said I could return at 1pm with the correct letter and would need to complete the vision/reaction test, but I said I'd return the next day as there wasn't sufficient time (knowing immigration was probably closed for lunch) to return by 1pm, not knowing that you can actually just turn up later in the day anyway.

So I went all the way back to immigration in Hua HIn, waited for them to reopen after lunch (and sampled a meal in the 3 girls restaurant next door, where half the immigration officials were eating) which took until about 1.20, and they corrected the mistake on the document (for free, thankfully).

Even though the test centre said to return at 1pm and it was too late, I took the chance and turned up eventually at 3pm. There was hardly anyone there waiting for service and they didn't actually ask me to do the vision/reaction tests. I just paid 355 baht (255 baht + 100 baht, not sure what the 100 is for), handed in the paperwork and old license and had a new photo taken - I was in and out of there in 10 minutes.

All in all, it was rather painless but the mistake in the original immigration letter was a pain - just goes to show that communication in Thailand is essential, and it's also recommended to organise such things a few days in advance, because mistakes do happen with paperwork and it could've easily screwed things up in another situation! :-)

Now I'm looking forward as always to being stopped so I can show my license, and then watch the farang behind with no helmet and license getting stung twice for a fine :-)

On another note, a farang I know who has no (car) driving license in the UK rented a car just the other day - amazing Thailand! no license and no insurance too probably......

I dont see the big deal in having to do the vision test anyway, its a walk in the park, Car or Bike.

Hope you have many gloats at Foriegner's who get fined for no helmet or driving license, whatever turns you on.

[roly]

Well, it's always a deserved inconvenience for anybody driving without a suitable license getting caught by the BIB and having to pay up. Not that it's really any hardship at a few hundred baht. If you're daft enough to ride around without a helmet on then you deserve to get caught too. The amount of farangs I've seen take the helmet off as soon as they've passed the police hotspots is unreal. But as for riding without a license goes, I admit I was guilty the first few times I came to Thailand and got caught a few times, though I wouldn't advocate it if there's a possibility to obtain a valid license. But then again, paying the fine rarely is no problem either, but I assume there would be significant issues to deal with if involved in an accident without a license.

[hhfarang]

Hmm....my license was set to expire today on 20th April, though my birthday is not until 29th May, so I would have had to have waited 5 weeks and risk driving with no license. If I'd gone on Monday 23rd instead, then I still would have got the license until 29th May 2017 which is when this one is to expire. Perhaps I'm just being dense and not following, but how would have going on Monday got me the license for 6 years, unless the first one I had should have had the date of my birthday actually on it rather than April 20th.

That's odd. I'm on my third license and all except possibly the temporary one year one (that was so long ago I don't remember) have been set to expire on my birthday, They are auto licenses so maybe motorbike licenses are different but I would have thought they followed the same rule. I checked with a couple of friends and my wife and all their licenses expire on their birthdays as well. Did they set your new five year license to expire on your birthday or five years from the date you got it? Maybe the one year temporary is one year from when you get it but they start the birthday thing on the five year licenses.

Edited April 21, 2012 by hhfarang

[roly]

Yes the 5 year one expires on my birthday in 5 years' time...so maybe it's just the temporary one expires on the same date it's issued...