There seem to be quite a few people in Pattaya who somehow managed to get Thai 1 year driver licenses, both the 55 Baht motorbike one and the 105 Baht car version while only holding a tourist visa.

Does anybody know the actual state of the regulations?

I tought this was only possible when holding a non-immigrant visa, even the renewal after one year used to require the applicant to hold a current non immigrant visa...

Not inside some dark alley, but actually picking up the paper stating your address at the immigration office, visiting the docter, then off to the registration office behind the international school of the regents and doing the color/depth vision test etc...

So anybody knows of any updates?

There seem to be quite a few people in Pattaya who somehow managed to get Thai 1 year driver licenses, both the 55 Baht motorbike one and the 105 Baht car version while only holding a tourist visa.

Does anybody know the actual state of the regulations?

I tought this was only possible when holding a non-immigrant visa, even the renewal after one year used to require the applicant to hold a current non immigrant visa...

Not inside some dark alley, but actually picking up the paper stating your address at the immigration office, visiting the docter, then off to the registration office behind the international school of the regents and doing the color/depth vision test etc...

So anybody knows of any updates?

I have done that for the last 2 years, not even a Tourist Visa, just a 30 day Airport stamp.

Get's you 1 year, and renewals of one year, the Non Immigrant visa will get you a renewal of 5 years.