Hi there

Yesterday I raised a topic below and grateful for the responses

Before I go to try and get a 1 year Thai driving licence using my valid licence from my home 'nanny state' country, i wanted to clarify if they will check my current visa status in my passport. I'm on a 'Triple entry visa' and on my final stamp which expires 1st August. I will be flying to Laos to renew this etc

Will they issue me a 1 year Thai driving licence with this 'entry' visa in my passport when I show up and only have this and my home country issued driving licence- I do not have an International driving permit.

Also, will I have to surrender my current nanny state licence to them if I do successfully get a 1 yr thai licence?

thanks in advance

second question first...no you dont surrender your foreign license

To get the Thai DL, you will need some sort of residence letter or cerificate...not sure exactly what the doc is as never needed one as I am on a WP.

Regarding the IDP some licenses offices want it, some dont...so depends on which office you use. As you are talking about a "nanny state" lets assume this is the UK, therefore your license is in English and from what i have read in the Pattaya office will accept this without an IDP

You also need a medical cert as well

You need to go to Immigration first to get a Certificate of Residence. Costs around THB 200.

You may also need a letter or a name card from the Hotel / Apartment where you are staying. (This is for Immigration)

Note: After the 1 yr license is finished, you will need to have a Non-O visa to get a 5 yr license, if you don't have the Non-O visa, they will only give you another 1 yr License.

Edited June 25, 201214 yr by MJCM

Thanks for the advice thus far. Australia is the ultimate Nanny state. The Uk does not compare sorry.

It was mentioned above that I might need a medical certificate as well. Is this correct? Can anyone else verify if this is another requirement that I must take when applying for a Thai licence?

Thanks for the advice thus far. Australia is the ultimate Nanny state. The Uk does not compare sorry.

It was mentioned above that I might need a medical certificate as well. Is this correct? Can anyone else verify if this is another requirement that I must take when applying for a Thai licence?

OP, you'll need to take in the following documents:

• Copy Main page passport.
  
• Copy Visa page passport.
  
• Copy Last entry stamp and TM card.
  
• Proof of residence (certificate of residence Thai Immigration or your Embassy).
  
• Medical certificate (available at almost any medical centres)
  
• Your current Driving License
  

Edited June 25, 201214 yr by MJCM

second question first...no you dont surrender your foreign license

To get the Thai DL, you will need some sort of residence letter or cerificate...not sure exactly what the doc is as never needed one as I am on a WP.

Regarding the IDP some licenses offices want it, some dont...so depends on which office you use. As you are talking about a "nanny state" lets assume this is the UK, therefore your license is in English and from what i have read in the Pattaya office will accept this without an IDP

You also need a medical cert as well

Sometimes, I had to do the driving test as I didn't have an IDP.

Also on my encounters Pattaya will not give you a license unless you are on a non immigrant visa, although again, I have read on these pages that sometimes they will give you one on a tourist visa.

Thanks for the advice thus far. Australia is the ultimate Nanny state. The Uk does not compare sorry.

It was mentioned above that I might need a medical certificate as well. Is this correct? Can anyone else verify if this is another requirement that I must take when applying for a Thai licence?

OP, you'll need to take in the following documents:

• Copy Main page passport.
  
• Copy Visa page passport.
  
• Copy Last entry stamp and TM card.
  
• Proof of residence (certificate of residence Thai Immigration or your Embassy).
  
• Medical certificate (available at almost any medical centres)
  
• Your current Driving License
  

The above document info is correct, and I got mine, actually my car license and my motorcycle license, since I had both endorsements on my Canadian photo license with a double entry TV in Chiang Mai.

Mo Chit will give you a license on a tourist visa, at least a 1-year license. Basically, you can either convince the people at the office that they misread your visa if they refuse a 5-year license or something (after all, unlike in some regional countries where visas are bilingual, Thai visas are only printed in English with no Thai annotations at all) or perhaps you could offer them a bribe? It also helps immensely if you speak Thai, like I do. However, I know a retired American guy, married to a woman from Kanchanaburi who live in Texas and visit Thailand every year and stay for about 3 months at a time who managed to get a 5-year license on a tourist visa from Kanchanaburi. Therefore, it can be done and depends on who you know and/or who you talk to. In particular, if you know Thai as I mentioned, you can probably get what you want, whereas if you only speak English, it will be considerably harder unless you have all the documents required.

You need to go to Immigration first to get a Certificate of Residence. Costs around THB 200.

You may also need a letter or a name card from the Hotel / Apartment where you are staying. (This is for Immigration)

Note: After the 1 yr license is finished, you will need to have a Non-O visa to get a 5 yr license, if you don't have the Non-O visa, they will only give you another 1 yr License.

Or a Non B.

You need to go to Immigration first to get a Certificate of Residence. Costs around THB 200.

You may also need a letter or a name card from the Hotel / Apartment where you are staying. (This is for Immigration)

Note: After the 1 yr license is finished, you will need to have a Non-O visa to get a 5 yr license, if you don't have the Non-O visa, they will only give you another 1 yr License.

Or a Non B.

Or a Non ED, Non F, Non "IB", etc etc to be complete

There is a lot information in this pinned topic from the driving in Thailand forum. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/27462-applying-for-1-5-year-thai-driving-licences/

You probably will not get a residence certificate from immigration. You will need to get it from your embassy.

Thanks for the advice thus far. Australia is the ultimate Nanny state. The Uk does not compare sorry.

It was mentioned above that I might need a medical certificate as well. Is this correct? Can anyone else verify if this is another requirement that I must take when applying for a Thai licence?

What do you mean: ultimate nanny state? You can use foreign license in Thailand for short stays here

Edited June 26, 201214 yr by Time Traveller