Any penalties for not returning a work permit?

[sikishrory]

I am finishing my job soon and was told by HR I should return the work permit on my last day.

The only thing is that I have to renew my Thai drivers license in a few months. I already have the license and am just renewing it but I imagine they will still want to see a work permit? Anyway I want to return this permit but I don't want to miss my chance at renewing my Thai licence as it means if I go back to Australia I don't need to go through the learners permit process again.

What happens if I hold onto it for a bit? Are the police going to lock me up? Anyone know?

Thanks

[Mario2008]

You or your boss need to cancel the WP, but not actually hand it in.

A WP only serves as proof of address for the driving license, having WP is not a requirement for the license itself.

[Eddy B]

Keep hold of it. I still have 2 WP in my possession and as far as I know the labour office were not concerned and the businesses I got them from did not suffer any penalty for non return. If you already have a thai licence then you should be able to just re-new when the date is due without the work permit as you are already on the system.

[momtaz]

My advise: before returning the WP. go to renew your Thai driving license,

or even at this time, tell them that you are leaving the country soon or some logical reason,,

[jimn]

You don't need WP

Five Year License (Renewal) Documents Needed for a foreigner:

1. Application for Driving License

2. Photocopy of Passport pages showing identity and visa/visa extension stamp

3. Photocopy of a Valid Thai Work Permit (required only if you have one)

4. Original Residence Certificate from Thai Immigration or your Embassy not more than 30 days old

5. Photocopy of Original 5 year Thai driving license (have original available for examination)

6. Fee for Car License of 605 Baht and/or Fee for Motorcycle License of 355 Baht

7. Upon receipt of your new license, look it over before leaving the LTO to be sure everything is accurate (your current address will be on the reverse side below the Restrictions section, but it will be in Thai script, so unless you read Thai script or have a Thai with you, about all you can verify is the house/unit number and postal code)

Edited June 18, 2014 by jimn

[MeowBundit]

AFAIK penalty exists and it 1000 THB only, But not always. When I ended work in Chonburi, local Labour office tell me I don't need to return it and need to go to Labour in Bangkok, because I moved to Bangkok. Then, in BKK I was "exchanged" it while obtain new in the new company.

[ubonjoe]

When you cancel a work permit they do not keep it it will be given back to you. There is no requirement to return the work permit only that it be cancelled.

[keestha]

I was slapped with a ฿1000 Baht fine once for not returning my work permit (however, on second thoughts, officially it might have been for not cancelling it, although they told me it was for not returning it,and also they didn't give the work permit back to me).

Edited June 19, 2014 by keestha

[Tomtomtom69]

I think your visa status, rather than your WP is what matters when you go for a driver licence renewal. If you are on a tourist visa or visa exempt entry, normally only a 1-year licence is issued, but I have heard reports that some licence bureaus are more generous and may issue a 5-year licence to such foreigners, provided they are renewing from a 1-year licence - one American guy who normally lives in the states and comes to Thailand and stays in kanchanaburi for about 3 months a year showed me his 5-year licence (having said that, he might have obtained it during the 1-year period he lived in Thailand on a retirement visa I'm not sure, but he did seem to claim he was able to get his 5-year licence on a tourist visa). However, unless things have changed, Mo Chit in BKK only issues 5-year licences to foreigners with at least a 90-day non-imm visa.

Therefore I'd go in and get a renewal before your extension is cancelled, assuming you are on an extension of stay. Otherwise you'll only get a 1-year Thai licence that might confuse the RTA officials in Australia when they see the words "temporary" on the licence even though the 1-year Thai licence is not in any way a lesser licence than a 5-year one is, other than it's shorter validity.

In NSW for instance, one can obtain a 1, 3 or 5 year "full" licence, all of which are the same (the vast majority of people go for the 5-year one as it's more convenient and slightly cheaper on a yearly basis) but before you are even eligible for a full licence, a learner's permit and then a probationary licence (now it's a two step process with P1 and P2 necessary) means it will take 3.5 years to even get a full licence in the first place, if you start from scratch.

Strangely though, in Thailand there is no "L" or "P" system at all - a 1-year temporary licence is the same as a 5-year one apart from it's shorter validity. If you pass a test to drive here, you're apparently considered as good to drive here as someone who's been licenced for 20 years - one can't tell from looking at a car as to whether the driver has just obtained their licence or has been driving for a long time.

Malaysia has an "L" system, Vietnam seems to have something like it too, with "Tap Lai" meaning learner driver stickers visible on many cars, but in Thailand none of these things exist - I wonder why not?

[PH59]

I am sure you will find on return to OZ that none of the States recognizes a DL from TH on their approved countries list. So a written and practical test is required.

[sikishrory]

I checked already. It's recognised, however you must have held it for 1 year minimum for it to pass

[NomadJoe]

I am sure you will find on return to OZ that none of the States recognizes a DL from TH on their approved countries list. So a written and practical test is required.

Incorrect. A Thai DL (in fact all foreign licenses) are valid in Australia if they are in English and have a photo, but only if you are a temporary visitor. Are you moving back to OZ or just visiting?

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Licences/NewToVictoria/OverseasDriversLicences.htm

http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/licensing/visiting-from-overseas.asp

http://www.qld.gov.au/transport/licensing/driver-licensing/overseas/driving/index.html

[NomadJoe]

...If you are on a tourist visa or visa exempt entry, normally only a 1-year licence is issued, but I have heard reports that some licence bureaus are more generous and may issue a 5-year licence to such foreigners, provided they are renewing from a 1-year licence - one American guy who normally lives in the states and comes to Thailand and stays in kanchanaburi for about 3 months a year showed me his 5-year licence

Officially people on visa exempt stamps cannot get a Thai DL. Some have reported here they have done it, (this is Thailand after all) but many more say they were told they cannot.

If you have a non-immigrant visa, getting a 5 year is not hard. I have one and so do many of my friends. It's the normal process after you have a 1 year and is no more difficult to obtain as a foreigner than it is for a Thai. The 5 year cannot be obtained without first having the 1 year.

the 1-year Thai licence is not in any way a lesser licence than a 5-year one is,...

One difference is IDP's are only issued on 5 year licenses in Thailand, not 1 year. And with the new licensing laws coming out now I think we will be seeing this change. I read recently they are introducing a learning period of some kind.

Edited June 19, 2014 by NomadJoe

[NomadJoe]

I checked already. It's recognised, however you must have held it for 1 year minimum for it to pass

Can you provide the link for the 1 year requirement?

[cosmosis]

P.S. In addition to jimn's excellent listing of documents when applying for the renewal of a license, don't forget the 2x small sized photos...

[NCFC]

The company I worked for said they would cancel the work permit for me when I quit Thailand. They didn't. When I came back to work for another company I was fined 1,000B for not cancelling it.

[PH59]

I think you should check your own links before claiming I am wrong. For example the link to Vic roads if you scroll down the page you will see a list of countries that they recognized licenses. Along with countries of driving experience recognized. Thailand is not on either list. Each state is exactly the same.

[PH59]

He says he wants to avoid having to do the learner a permit. Meaning no driving test. So wants to get an Australia license.......not possible with a Thai License. Yes you can drive if visiting and for upto 3 months after moving there but after that will have to do the test to get local license

[sikishrory]

vicroads have a pretty good customer service page on facebook. that's where I got the information from. this is not my issue anyway but thanks for the information regarding work permit. I will hold onto it for a bit. I know it says here that having the non-imm visa is enough but both times (samui + bang chak) they have requested it.

samui she refused to do anything and just pointed to a sign on the wall stating that work permit was needed. as is the case though different people in different places get varied results i imagine.

[OOLEEBER]

About 10 years ago my local labour office asked for the WP back and when I couldn't find it they went spastic at my wife and we had to go to the police to file a report to say it was lost and they gave me a copy of the report to give to the labour office. After that they were fine. I think I might have binned the WP thinking I didn't need it anymore. I was wrong on that one with all the trouble it caused.

[Mario2008]

Rules changed in 2008 I believe.