Checkpoint Police Saved me some money!

[FolkGuitar]

I was stopped this afternoon at a checkpoint inside the north-west corner of the moat. The police were stopping just about every bike going through, Thai and foreigner alike, helmet or no helmet.  Cop strolls up and says 'hello, license please.' I reach in my pocket and hand it to him. He studies it for a moment, smiles and hands it back to me saying, 'Two months... this finish. Get new license soon! Two months... this finish!' 

 

Now, I really thought I had three more months, and most likely would have waited until that last month the renew.

And during that last month I would have been driving on an expired license, perhaps getting stopped at a checkpoint, and fined for driving without a license! The Checkpoint police saved me some money!  30 seconds well spent!

 

 

[Chicog]

How nice. And people are always bad mouthing them.

 

 

[Gonsalviz]

Simply Amazing.

[naboo]

The 5 year ones expire on your birthday. If its a one year one, you need to wait until the one year is completed before you are allowed a 5 year one.

 

There's a thread about it somewhere.

[FolkGuitar]

My car license is a 5-yr one, but my bike license expires in one year. I thought I'd heard something about birthdays, but apparently the one year license doesn't work that way. My birthday isn't in two months, but the license will expire then. My home country license expires on my birthday as does my Japanese license.

I always had the old paper licenses before, and never bothered with a bike license as I rarely rode here, using a car much more often. Fortunately, getting stopped today saves me the embarrassment of getting stopped with an expired license while believing it was still valid and trying to convince the cop as much!

[FolkGuitar]

How nice. And people are always bad mouthing them.

 

 

 

I wonder why so many people do bad-mouth them. Or is it just a case of a  very vocal minority vs a 'Silent Majority' ?

I can't recall ever having any difficulties with the Thai police, and I've lived here since 2001, interacting with them many times over the years.

They've always been polite, and professional. And if not always giving me the specific results I want, at least not interjecting their own agenda into the mix. And quite often they've been rather helpful. A while ago I posted about an incident where an cop picked me up in the twisty mountain section of the road to Pai, when I had a flat tire, drove me down to town, helped me buy a new tire, drove me back to my car and helped me change it, and wouldn't accept any gratuity. Must have spent two hours helping me...  Most American cops would have just called a tow truck!

[CMSteve]

Technically, you have to wait for your 1yr license to expire before it can be renewed.    

 

 

My car license is a 5-yr one, but my bike license expires in one year. I thought I'd heard something about birthdays, but apparently the one year license doesn't work that way. My birthday isn't in two months, but the license will expire then. My home country license expires on my birthday as does my Japanese license.

I always had the old paper licenses before, and never bothered with a bike license as I rarely rode here, using a car much more often. Fortunately, getting stopped today saves me the embarrassment of getting stopped with an expired license while believing it was still valid and trying to convince the cop as much!

 

[FolkGuitar]

Technically, you have to wait for your 1yr license to expire before it can be renewed.    

 

 

My car license is a 5-yr one, but my bike license expires in one year. I thought I'd heard something about birthdays, but apparently the one year license doesn't work that way. My birthday isn't in two months, but the license will expire then. My home country license expires on my birthday as does my Japanese license.

I always had the old paper licenses before, and never bothered with a bike license as I rarely rode here, using a car much more often. Fortunately, getting stopped today saves me the embarrassment of getting stopped with an expired license while believing it was still valid and trying to convince the cop as much!

 

 

Thanks. I've heard that said a couple of times here.

But the cop yesterday intimated that I should renew 'soon.'  Two different opinions...

So... I figure the best way for me to find out exactly what is what, I'll take a ride over to the Motor Vehicle department next week and find out for sure.  As long as I have the time and energy for a 10-minute drive, I may as well go right to the source.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

How nice. And people are always bad mouthing them.

 
I wonder why so many people do bad-mouth them.

It's probably to do with crooks and extortion.

[iainiain101]

At the license centre now. 5 year renewal, and help desk says 5 year renewal can be done from 90 days before expiry.

[FolkGuitar]

 

 

How nice. And people are always bad mouthing them.

 
I wonder why so many people do bad-mouth them.

 

It's probably to do with crooks and extortion.

 

 

Or it has to do with some folks think it's cool to dis the cops...  They heard that a 'friend of a friend's third cousin' got stopped for not wearing a helmet and paid a bribe...  Made a good story to share after a couple of beers.

[CMSteve]

Yes, if you are renewing a 5 yr , then its no problem.    But if you are renewing from a 1yr to a 5yr, you must wait until the 1 yr has expired.    The rule is that you need to complete a full 1yr on a probationary licence before getting the 5yr standard license.  

 

 

At the license centre now. 5 year renewal, and help desk says 5 year renewal can be done from 90 days before expiry.

 

[Chicog]

 

 

How nice. And people are always bad mouthing them.

 
I wonder why so many people do bad-mouth them.

 

It's probably to do with crooks and extortion.

 

 

Or more likely "tarring everyone with the same brush".

[AnotherOneAmerican]

How nice. And people are always bad mouthing them.

 
I wonder why so many people do bad-mouth them.

It's probably to do with crooks and extortion.

 
Or it has to do with some folks think it's cool to dis the cops...  They heard that a 'friend of a friend's third cousin' got stopped for not wearing a helmet and paid a bribe...  Made a good story to share after a couple of beers.

Two in my family are Thai police, they tell me far worse stories of their exploits.
Straight from the horses mouth.

[iainiain101]

Yes, if you are renewing a 5 yr , then its no problem.    But if you are renewing from a 1yr to a 5yr, you must wait until the 1 yr has expired.    The rule is that you need to complete a full 1yr on a probationary licence before getting the 5yr standard license.  

 

 

At the license centre now. 5 year renewal, and help desk says 5 year renewal can be done from 90 days before expiry.

 

 

agree, but I was talking about a 5 year renewing to a 5 year.

 

It certainly used to be the case that you could renew a 1 year for a new 1 year before expiry.

 

If you want to change to a 5 year then you have wait for the 1 year to expire.