Report : new 5 year drivers license

[trainman34014]

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Anyone have recent experience going from 5-year to a new 5-year?

I know the 1-year to 5-year is easy.

I renewed my 5-year car licence in Bangkok today. I got there at just after 8am with all the right paperwork, already copied (passport ID & visa pages, work permit ID & address page, old 5-year licence which had expired 10 days earlier). No application form to complete, just wrote my name on the form I was given.

Short queue to get my documents checked and copies signed, then given a coloured queue number (purple for renewing a 5-year car licence). Sat around for about 40 minutes watching a looped video about the physical tests, then called in to watch the driving standards video. Very mawkish and very Thai. Would be nice to think it's effective. Good English subtitles. But it is long - about 45 minutes.

We got taken out before it had finished and there was a 20 minute wait, standing room only, for the tests.

The tests were conducted very publicly (colour tests, peripheral vision test, reaction test) and they have a strange idea of the colour yellow, but I passed and was out in 10 minutes.

I was #153 in the queue to be photographed and pay (605 baht) and they were on #113 so I was waiting around 45 minutes to finish.

So all in all fairly painless but I'll be glad when they start issuing licences for life. A bonus is that the licence doesn't expire until my birthday in 2020, so I've got 6 years!

Could it be they call the yellow 'Amber'...which is the correct name for traffic light colour in most countries.

[DrDave]

A couple of weeks ago in Phuket: went to renew both my car and motorcycle 5yr licenses which had been expired for 2 weeks. Was told to get 2 residency certificates from immigration, and come back. Returned the next day with all required documents, took the brake reaction time and color tests, and had to watch the 1 hour video. Paid the fee at the counter, had picture taken and license printed, and paid for the plastic license. About 2 hours in all.

Wife (dual Thai and US citizen) not so lucky. Motorcycle license expired for over a year, and no Thai car license (although she does have a USA car license). They refused to honor her USA car license because they didn't understand the category code printed on the license ("E" = car, as opposed to truck, motorcycle, etc). Had to provide a medical certificate, watch the 3 hour video, and take the written test 2 times (one for each license!). No driving test for the motorcycle license, but a driving test was required for the car license. All in all, it took her 4 trips to the DLT before she had both licenses. 1st trip: "sorry, you must be here at 7:15am - come back tomorrow". 2nd trip: "sorry, too late to take the driving test - come back tomorrow afternoon". 3rd trip: failed the parallel parking portion of the driving test (as did half the other people taking the test). 4th trip: passed the driving test and obtained license.

[khunPer]

Anyone have recent experience going from 5-year to a new 5-year?

I know the 1-year to 5-year is easy.

I did my renewal of 5-year driver license for car today (Samui). No need for the doctor’s medical test, which I had done the day before at a hospital (250 baht); weight(?), colorblind test, blood pressure, and finally a doctor who asked: »Do you have any problems?« and instantly signed the paper on my »no« reply. But passport and photocopy of name page and valid visa (extension); yellow House Book as proof of address with copy of first page and the page with my name; and old driving license.

All applicants (don’t know who renewed 1 year and whom 5-year or…?) had to watch a 50 minutes video with English subtitles, which seemed like a typically hi-so Thai soap aimed for someone who had never been driving on the road; and the full physical test of side vision, green-yellow-red color, distance depth vision, and brake reaction. Some 5 or 6 did not pass and were cued up for a second round, they all came down later to get their license…

Then pay 605 baht (500 for test, 5 for papers, and 100 for photo/plastic card); photo session; and waiting 5 minutes for a new license coming out of the plastic-card-printer – in all about 2½ hours, had to be there before 10am, video from 10-11, then a rushed testing and done close to 12.

Wonder if I don’t need a doctor’s test next time…?

Presume I will need it, if I don’t have one – however, a lot can change in 5 years…

[Ian223]

Does anyone know if a road test is required for a first time motorcycle license, and if so what it consists of?

[oneday]

Does anyone know if a road test is required for a first time motorcycle license, and if so what it consists of?

A road test will most likely be required UNLESS you have your countries national license and an IDP (International Driver's Permit) endorsed for motorbike. You might get away with no actual driving test in some places if you ONLY have your national license. Naturally, your national license and IDP must be endorsed for motorbike assuming they pay attention which most will.

I had my national license and IDP both endorsed with motorbike and got both my 1-year licenses without road tests or written tests or video. I did have to take the color, brake, depth perception and a reaction test. I believe now everyone must go through the videos with changes that came into affect in the middle of this year.

Edited September 5, 2014 by oneday

[BSJ]

Seems like everything is normal at the DLT!