Drivers License In Chiang Mai

[eljuwa]

I arrived in Chiang Mai in January 2012 from BKK. I got my Thai Drivers License in October 2011 in BKK. So I am up for the renewal of Thai DL in October 2012. I have heard different opinion on this topic from the members of Thai Visa.

Kindly answer my following queries:

1) In BKK, I took a Thai speaking person to help me with getting my first temporary license. Do i need to take a Thai speaking person to get my renewal done? In CNX

2) If I go after my expiry date of 18th October, could I get my Thai Drivers License extended for more than one year?

3) There were 3 tests in BKK. One was the Colour test. Then the reflexes with the gas and break pedal. Lastly, the peripheral vision test. Is it still the same tests?

4) I am a US Citizen and I know that I have to go the US Consulate office to get my notarized address form done. What are the other forms needed. Where could I get a download of those "other forms"

I thank all of you in advance for your counsel.

James

[zippydedodah]

1) i did not need a thai speaker to renew my license last month (to replace my one year license)

2) if your "temp" license is actually the one year license, it renews for 5 yrs

3) i took no tests, just filled out forms, took a picture, end of story, walked out with 5 yr license

[rakchaingmai]

1. no you can just go yourself

2. the next one is extended for 5 years and you can do it up to one year after the expiry date

3. no test is needed if you have your one year temporary licence you might have to watch a video can't remember .

4. Not to sure about this as i am British and done mine over 4 years ago you can use the search button on the forum i know that you defintley need a health certificate and a letter of residence .

[zippydedodah]

agreed: forgot to add the medical cert and residence cert...which is usually cheaper from Immigration than from the Consulate.

Residence form is downloaded from CM immigration website and medical cert form is provided by the physician.

Edited August 5, 2012 by zippydedodah

[DowntownAl]

You don't necessarily need to go to your embassy/consulate. A letter of residency is all that is necessary. Take a copy or your rental agreement and the usual photocopies of your passport etc (there is a copy shop near behind immigration if you forget something) to immigration near the airport, there are forms on the counter as you go in, and they will give you (for 500 baht) a certificate of residency. I got my license(s) last year with one of those. I was getting my first one year license a couple of days before my Canadian one expired, the tests were just the colour and reflex ones. You might need a letter from a doctor as well. The doctor on Loi Kroh at soi 3, charges 200 baht (if I remember right) it take 5 minutes and you're out of there.

Edited August 5, 2012 by DowntownAl

[zippydedodah]

swear that i paid 100 baht (maybe even 50) for the medical exam... at lanna one time, and doctor morgan the other.

[mania]

swear that i paid 100 baht (maybe even 50) for the medical exam... at lanna one time, and doctor morgan the other.

Same for me as I recently did mine...100 baht

Did mine at Rajavej no appointment needed in & out 15 minutes max.

[in country]

I recently paid 50B at a clinic in Chiangmailand of Changklan Rd,no appointment.

Edited August 5, 2012 by in country

[DowntownAl]

swear that i paid 100 baht (maybe even 50) for the medical exam... at lanna one time, and doctor morgan the other.

swear that i paid 100 baht (maybe even 50) for the medical exam... at lanna one time, and doctor morgan the other.

Same for me as I recently did mine...100 baht

Did mine at Rajavej no appointment needed in & out 15 minutes max.

Yeah, as I think about it more, it probably was 100B for mine too. Hey, it was nearly a year ago, I'm old, I forget things. Like that time...um... Edited August 5, 2012 by DowntownAl

[MrBrad]

swear that i paid 100 baht (maybe even 50) for the medical exam... at lanna one time, and doctor morgan the other.

swear that i paid 100 baht (maybe even 50) for the medical exam... at lanna one time, and doctor morgan the other.

Same for me as I recently did mine...100 baht

Did mine at Rajavej no appointment needed in & out 15 minutes max.

Yeah, as I think about it more, it probably was 100B for mine too. Hey, it was nearly a year ago, I'm old, I forget things. Like that time...um...

There was a recent discussion about this just a few weeks ago here on the Chiang Mai forum. Two clinics were mentioned where the medical certificate can be gotten for 20 baht.

[uptheos]

What's worse old/young farts getting medical certificates (without having a medical) to be able to drive on Thai Roads, or people not wearing helmets? My guess is all the drivers with worthless medical certificates and dodgy health are the ones criticizing the riders without helmets.

[eyecatcher]

In and out in 15 for the medical. what exactly do they have time to do..... eyesight test?, blood pressure? epilepsy test.?

or is it still the "cough and drop" silver spoon test?

[anselpixel]

40 baht at the LK clinic, but I was there for other stuff too. Guess I got a discount.

[briley]

Used to be the case that you had to renew your first 1 year licence AFTER it expired since to get a 5 year licence since you had to have had a licence for at least 1 year.

Might have changed now?

[eljuwa]

I received about 14 replies to my question about Drivers License in Chiang Mai. I wish to thank all of you very much for consideration. Thanks again

[khwaibah]

Used to be the case that you had to renew your first 1 year license AFTER it expired since to get a 5 year license since you had to have had a license for at least 1 year.

Might have changed now?

You are correct. Not the day before, not on the date it expires but AFTER it expires. Five year license can be renewed 3 months before expiration date.

[Genericnic]

Used to be the case that you had to renew your first 1 year licence AFTER it expired since to get a 5 year licence since you had to have had a licence for at least 1 year.

Might have changed now?

I went from temp to 5 year back in April and did the change about 2 or 3 weeks before the temp expired. No problem.

David

[eljuwa]

I am confused as to the timing of my renewal from TEMP to % YEARS.

David says that he renewed his TEMP - 3 months before the expiration and he got 5 years.

Khwaibah says that the TEMP should be renewed AFTER the TEMP expires to get the 5 years license.

Who is right.

Pls advise. Thanks

[khwaibah]

I am confused as to the timing of my renewal from TEMP to % YEARS.

David says that he renewed his TEMP - 3 months before the expiration and he got 5 years.

Khwaibah says that the TEMP should be renewed AFTER the TEMP expires to get the 5 years license.

Who is right.

Pls advise. Thanks

CM LTD has soften up on their policy of renewal. It was as I stated but now they seem to let you go from 1 year to 5 year a few weeks in advance.

[Semper]

I am confused as to the timing of my renewal from TEMP to % YEARS.

David says that he renewed his TEMP - 3 months before the expiration and he got 5 years.

Khwaibah says that the TEMP should be renewed AFTER the TEMP expires to get the 5 years license.

Who is right.

Pls advise. Thanks

IMO, you would get the right answer at the DL office, they will also tell you what papers/copies to bring.

[uptheos]

In and out in 15 for the medical. what exactly do they have time to do..... eyesight test?, blood pressure? epilepsy test.?

or is it still the "cough and drop" silver spoon test?

No-one knows what they have to do, coz no-one's ever had it done.

Checking for blindness might be on the list, but I'm not absolutely sure.

The last one I had at Klaimore Hospital, I gave them my passport, nurse took my blood pressure and the doctor said " how are you?"........ and that was it.....100 Baht,

Edited August 6, 2012 by uptheos

[Genericnic]

I am confused as to the timing of my renewal from TEMP to % YEARS.

David says that he renewed his TEMP - 3 months before the expiration and he got 5 years.

Khwaibah says that the TEMP should be renewed AFTER the TEMP expires to get the 5 years license.

Who is right.

Pls advise. Thanks

@eljuwa

It was 2 to 3 weeks, not three months.

David

[Genericnic]

Just as a note, I went back and checked my prior and current licenses. The temp license expired on 3 March 2012. The 5 year extension did not become effective until 4 March 2012. (Sorry about the original mention of April. I'm old. LOL) So, even though I had the 5 year extension, I had to carry the temp license until it expired.

Also interesting to note that while the 5 year license becomes effective on 4 March 2012, it does not expire until my birthday (22 Oct) in 2017. So the license is actually valid for more than 5 years. I assume they do that so that any renewal after the initial 5 year license will be on your birthday and therefore easier to remember. Since I will be 68 when it comes up for renewal, I will need all the help I can get for remembering.

David

[khwaibah]

Used to be the case that you had to renew your first 1 year license AFTER it expired since to get a 5 year license since you had to have had a license for at least 1 year.

Might have changed now?

You are correct. Not the day before, not on the date it expires but AFTER it expires. Five year license can be renewed 3 months before expiration date.

Clarification . A 5 year license can be renewed up to 3 months before expiration.

[MrBrad]

What's worse old/young farts getting medical certificates (without having a medical) to be able to drive on Thai Roads, or people not wearing helmets? My guess is all the drivers with worthless medical certificates and dodgy health are the ones criticizing the riders without helmets.

Are you suggesting that Thais who drive have passed a more rigid physical exam? How many Thais wear eyeglasses, yet they drive? Surely their eyes must go bad at about the same rate as a foreigner's eyes. I was curious about this, and asked a Thai friend. He said that most Thais don't get glasses because they are too expensive or uncomfortable or just too much work to put on and keep on. So they probably don't pass their eye exam, but they are allowed to get a license just the same, because Thai people are nice to each other. Or they wear some kind of lenses for the test, but never while actually driving.

This is scary stuff, but it doesn't keep me off the road. It just helps to explain why so many drivers drive way too slow (by Western standards) or are driving on the shoulder all the time. They know that they cannot see where they're going, and they have enough sense to take it easy. Maybe.

[Semper]

Since I will be 68 when it comes up for renewal, I will need all the help I can get for remembering.

Not to mention, getting the medical.

[Genericnic]

Since I will be 68 when it comes up for renewal, I will need all the help I can get for remembering.

Not to mention, getting the medical.

+1

David

[CHARLES1949]

i renewed my one year license last year in chiang mai..

i got a five year license without any tests for the driver's license...

i went to the DL office on hang dong road before my one license expired.

on the second floor there is a customer service desk and the person speaks

english very well..

she gave me a piece of paper with all the info i needed to get my license

renewed for 5 years.

it stated i had 60 days Before the one year license expired to get my 5 year

license...

go by there and they will let you know everything you need....

[mania]

i renewed my one year license last year in chiang mai..

i got a five year license without any tests for the driver's license...

i went to the DL office on hang dong road before my one license expired.

on the second floor there is a customer service desk and the person speaks

english very well..

she gave me a piece of paper with all the info i needed to get my license

renewed for 5 years.

That woman you mention is very nice & helpful.

As you said she also speaks English very well.

She politely asked me when I was last there if she could ask me a few

questions. I was a little worried at that point

But it turns out she wanted to ask how does their system compare to the USA.

Also is it easy to navigate this system compared to back home.

I told her there is none as helpful as her in the DMV back home. There is no service desk

that helps pre-check your paper work.

I felt relieved & also bad for her because I knew the reason she asked those questions.

A few customers before me there was an older foreigner who raised such a fuss & basically yelled at her that he had been

driving xx years etc. & he knows full well how to do this & that. It was very sad to see.

Edited August 6, 2012 by mania

[eljuwa]

All Thai Visa forum members were very helpful in giving me counsel to get my 1 year renewal of license done. I have a few more questions, please.

1) Is the copy of my rental agreement sufficient in lieu going to the US Embassy to obtain an expensive Residency certificate.? One member already stated my rental agreement was sufficient. I just want to be sure. I do not like to go to the US Consulate and pay for this letter.

2) So, I need various copies from my passport. I need a residency letter. I need a doctor's certificate. Are there other forms that I need to get from the Hong Dong office? If any could I down load same. I am trying to avoid making a visit to the 2nd floor to ask that lady there.

Thanks much

James