Renewing a 5 year driving license in CM

[neilrob]

I renewed my five year car driving license in CM a few days ago. Before doing so, I looked up the requirements on Thaivisa and elsewhere on the internet and found some current requirements in CM are different to those posted there. The first time I tried I turned up about 1:30pm to find I was too late. They do it only twice each day, at 9:30am and 1:00pm, so you have to arrive a bit before either time. Requirements are:

- You hold a 1 year visa.

- Passport with copies of picture page, last visa extension and last entry.

- Residence certification (copy and original), either certificate from consulate or from immigration, or work permit or yellow tabian baan.

- Expiring Thai driver's license. You can renew up to 90 days before.

- Fee of 605B (extra 50B if you've changed your address).

- If you have two driving licenses you must make two copies of documents.

Two items that other postings say are required they did not need:

- Medical certificate---I brought one and they said not necessary.

- Photocopy of front and back of old license.

There was a colour blindness test using a traffic light mockup, but with the red, green and amber lights appearing in random positions, a braking reaction time test and a one hour training course. Thai participants went into a lecture hall for this. I watched an English language video on a computer monitor.

Everything moved quite quickly (except the video!) and total time from entering to leaving with a new license in hand was about 1.5 hours.

I went in a few days after my license had expired. No one commented on this and it is well worth doing. The new license expires five birthdays from now, so I received what in effect is a 6 year license, expiring in November 2019.

[sante]

Sounds as if the procedure has changed in the last few months. I got my first 5 year license in August and didn't have to do the one hour training course although I think I did the color blind & reaction tests. Getting the license took about 15 minutes. I also brought a medical certificate which was accepted without comment.

When I applied for the 5 year license my 1 year had been expired for two months. No one mentioned the time lapse.

Maybe the difference between a first time 5 year license and a 5 year renewal is the reason for the different requirements.

[masuk]

Did the reaction test include coming to a complete halt when driving at 90km/h, with a 2 metre gap between the car in front, and not colliding with the guy in front? ?

[Sparkles]

It seems quite acceptable to renew your licence after its expires which technically means you are an unlicenced driver for period...no worries TIT

[khwaibah]

It seems quite acceptable to renew your licence after its expires which technically means you are an unlicenced driver for period...no worries TIT

A Thai DL is accepted by the authorities up to 1 year over after its expiration date after the expiration date your back to square one on applying.

[taotoo]

Another variation: I renewed by existing 5 year licence in January I think, and I did the traffic light test, but neither the 1 hour training course, colour blind test, or reaction test. I'd rather have done all of them then sit through the 'safety' video though.