Thai Driver's License on a Tourist Visa : Trip Report

[DevXfactor]

So knowing I was going to be here on a double entry tourist visa with 2 planned extensions (roughly 6 months) I wanted to get a car and motor cycle drivers license. To be a legal driver and to use as ID other than my passport. After reading a ton of posts and web pages on what you could and could not do I decided to give it a go and let everyone know what happened.

I first tried to get a Proof of Resedency Certificate from Immigration at Chaeng Wattana. I read all the posts on what forms to bring, had copies of passport, visa page, lease from my condo, letter from my thai lawyer, etc. With my translator in tow I go there, show them all the paperwork, get in front of the immigration official and they have no idea what I am talking about. They ask if I have a work permit, no I am on a tourist visa, are you reporting every 90 days, again no, I am on a tourist visa....so I got a lot of mai dai's and was told to go to my embassy. Ok, strike 1.

I scheduled an appointment at the US Embassy, was in an out in 15 mins (less $50 USD) but armed with a stamped certified copy of my certificate of residency.

Next day I go to the Department of Land Transporation near the Bang Chak BTS station roughly opposite Soi Sukhumvit 62/1 wth the following documents:

- Original passport + 2 copies of visa page and main page
- Medical report (got it from a Dr office on Sukhumvit Soi 77 150B to take my pulse and blood pressure) + 1 copy
- Address confirmation from US Embassy + 1 copy
- Current California Drivers Licence + 2 copies

I get there at 9:30am and it is a total mad house, packed with people, lines at numerous windows, annoucments being made over the loud speaker in thai, people milling about everywhere looking lost about what to do next. I get the forms to fill out from the information booth. Again with my very skilled translator in tow, I fill out the form and go to window 9, the lady (who does not speak a lick of english) verifies the forms, takes them all, asks for a few more signatures and says to wait until my name is called.

Wait about 45 mins, my name is called, I am told I can only get a car license and not a motorcycle license, I would need to come back after I have a car license to get that. I am given a queue number and told to go to window 16. There are no fewer than 100 people waiting there. I wait until 12 noon at which point the staff take a lunch break until 1. Come back at 12:45, wait another 2 hours until my group is called, I am ushered in with 20 other people and given 4 tests:

- Color blindness test, by looking at colors displayed on a stop light 10 meters away

- Reaction time test, sit in a chair, step on a gas peddle, when the light changes, stomp on the brake peddle

- Depth perception test, press a button until two pieces of plastic are parallel aligned in a box 5 meters away

- Peripheral vision test, identify which color light is displayed at the outer left and right of your field of vision

(total test time 10 minutes)

Told to go to window 8, present the paperwork with the passed tests, get a queue number, wait 1 hour 45 minutes, my group is called, I hand in my paperwork and I am told to wait until my name is called. My name gets called I pay 205 baht and get in the queue to get my photo taken.

When it is my turn, I sit in the chair, get the photo, verify the name information on the screen and the license if printed right there. Verify the info on the printed license and I am on my way.

About 7 1/2 hours and $50 USD + 150B + 205B invested, but I am living proof a 1 year, temporary drivers license will be issued on a tourist visa.

[DevXfactor]

As a follow-up to Day 1, I go back on Day 2 with my freshly minted Car drivers license to get my motorcycle license.

I arrive back at the same office at 9:00am (this time without my interpreter which made it a more interesting experience), complete the license application that I received from the information desk, go back to window 9, the lady reemembered me from the day before. She checks the paperwork and sends me upstairs to 'take the test'.

I go to the 3rd floor to the 'Examination Center', there are at least 50 people waiting and there are 10-15 people crowed around 2 e-learning machines that show questions and allow you to test your knowledge, but only if you can read thai, absolutely nothing in english. The staff have a drop box for the paperwork outside the door. The collect the paperwork, and call you in by name when there are test stations available.

I wait about an hour and in the meantime meet the only other white guy there and italian guy on his 4th day at the office! I find out you are allowed to take the test twice per day, if you fail, come back tomorrow. After hearing that I am determined to pass today! He directs me to a road sign chart on the wall that tells you what the road signs mean, this is the only thing that has any english on it.

About an hour and a half in, my name is called in the next group, you go into a room with rows of testing machines (maybe 40 in the room). You are given a card key to scan which ativates the machine, you take a photo and it starts asking you mulitple choice questions (thankfully they are in english). Many are on road signs, where to park and who has the right of way, they show diagrams and ask you which is correct. Note you 'cannot' make a U-Turn in an intersection, they will ask that question at least twice. At the end of 50 questions you press submit and on the first try I failed, ughhh, the machine can show you the answers you missed and and print a receipt. You take the receipt and card key back to the staff, who tell you to go outside a wait.

Another hour goes by and I get my second try. The test was very similar to the 1st try with many of the same questions, on the second try I pass. I am given my paperwork back and directed downstairs. I go back to information and they gesture/tell me to go outside and take my riding test. Myself and the Italian guy wander around out back for about 15 minutes before we finally realise the car driving test course is used for motorcycle also but you have to wait until they do the next group. Again the 12-1 lunch break, I come back at 12:45 and wait until 2pm for the motorcycle group. The rent me a Honda Wave for 50B, give me a helmet and gesture what to do. I watch the 5 thai guys go before me and mimic their actions. I pass, they stamp up my paperwork and I head back inside to window 8.

I present the paperwork, get my queue number and proceed to wait....2 hours later, my group is called to window 9, I present the paperwork and am told to wait until my name is called, 5 mins later I am called, pay my 105 B and queue up for the photo. Get the photo, verify the information on the screen, license is printed there, verify the info on the printed license and I am on my way.

Warning not a lick of english spoken by most of the staff, it will be complete mayhem in there because even the Thai's don't understand where to go or what to do and you need to be prepared to wait....

Another 7 hours + 155 B invested, but I now have 2 Drivers Licenses!

[BobTH]

Great report and thanks for posting it, I enjoyed reading it as I pretty much went through the same getting my 1 year last year and recently getting my 5 year. However I let my USA license expire not knowing I would have to start from scratch here. I went to the same location as you and I am sure glad I don't have to go back for 5 years. Have fun while you are here and be careful on the roads.

[NomadJoe]

It Phuket it has not been a problem to get a Thai DL on a tourist visa. I guess some other places it's not possible.

[topt]

OP I admire your persistence

Just glad it is nothing like that at Pattaya - where you can do it on a Visa Waiver and both in the same day if lucky

[Sabot]

You're right about it being mayhem; if my gf hadn't gone with me not sure how long it would have taken to sort everything out.

The computer test is one I never want to take again. I'm sure it was written by someone who thought they had a good command of the English language...they were wrong. Passed it the first time but not sure I could do it again.

[tinhead]

The question that begs to be asked, is there a better way? Does anyone out there have any contacts that could expedite this process so you wouldn't have to wait around Please DM

[oliver engel]

You didnt get 1 year licence just because of your Tourist Visa.

Everyone getting 1 year driving licence when you apply for the first time and after the 1 year you will get 5 years.

[PMZ]

In case anyone needs a translator / support to attend the Department of Land Transport with them, services can be obtained from: bangkokvisitors.com

[mango66]

how can a USA consulate certify a Thai residence certificate? are they a Thai authority to do so ?

they can certify a copy of the certificate, but very strange a thai document;

I guesss the correct place would be the Khet were your - or the condo owners yellow book is done;

[Tayida]

I tried Buay Yai and Dan Khun Tot.Both with tourist visa,but that happens years ago.Not problem at all

[superdome]

cant understand all that waiting around...if you had an IDP...could have saved all the fuss...could have got both in one go...I did to about an hour..that was in Samui

[MAZ3]

To the OP,I assume you had a full Car licence but no motorbike licence?. Hence the full riding test,its my local test centre. And not getting the CR from Chang Wattana is a pain,I'm on a tourist visa as well.

Looks like the British Embassy for me then

Good info. Cheers

[namdocmai]

OP if you have a renting contract you can also go for the 5 times 3 months visa. Will be much easyier for you.

But reading all this, i better pay for an international driverslicense every year in my homecountry. 18 euro a year and no waiting at all.

Edited September 19, 2014 by namdocmai

[garyinhuahin]

OT, but I had a curious experience renting a car in US recently. Had booked through an online service. Got off the plane in Los Angeles, when to the rental co with the printour of my booking, handed them that with my credit card and my US drivers license.

The guy said, "We can't rent you a car on this voucher with a US license. Do you have an international license?"

I said "Well, no. But I have a license from Thailand."

He said "Fine." took the license and I drove off a few minutes later, slight befuddled. <deleted>?

[facthailand]

FEI--that doctor's certificate should only cost B50! Used to have a doctor to write you one right in the parking lot! (B20 then!)

[Moonlover]

how can a USA consulate certify a Thai residence certificate? are they a Thai authority to do so ?

they can certify a copy of the certificate, but very strange a thai document;

I guesss the correct place would be the Khet were your - or the condo owners yellow book is done;

The British Embassy also offer this service. Details at https://www.gov.uk/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand under the heading "Proof of address and identity". I haven't actually tried myself as yet, but I might be soon.

[sfokevin]

I also just went through the process... Failed the test three times... I would stress that if you do fail - look at the questions you missed - you will get to see them right after the fail sign comes up... Memorize the correct answers for the next go around... This is the only way to learn... As they have no other resource to learn and most likely the question you missed was a screwy question anyway...

Oh and one other stumbler or at least here in Chiang Mai... Right after the eye test they pulled a few farrang off the line and said they could not continue as the we're wearing shorts which was inappropriate for a government building... They gave them half an hour to go to the nearby Big C and buy a pair of long pants...

And to be a test spoiler - yes you can drive a tank on the highway...

[bigguy]

A total of 14 hours wasted , 2 days of aggravation, again to all in need, "FIND A FIXER". I went to DMV in Udon, walked in with my contact, 45 minutes later walked out with 1 year license for both vehicle and motorbike. This past June went back same thing for my 5 year licenses, no fuss no muss. My time is worth the extra I pay to have someone do all this for me.

[louse1953]

As a follow-up to Day 1, I go back on Day 2 with my freshly minted Car drivers license to get my motorcycle license.

I arrive back at the same office at 9:00am (this time without my interpreter which made it a more interesting experience), complete the license application that I received from the information desk, go back to window 9, the lady reemembered me from the day before. She checks the paperwork and sends me upstairs to 'take the test'.

I go to the 3rd floor to the 'Examination Center', there are at least 50 people waiting and there are 10-15 people crowed around 2 e-learning machines that show questions and allow you to test your knowledge, but only if you can read thai, absolutely nothing in english. The staff have a drop box for the paperwork outside the door. The collect the paperwork, and call you in by name when there are test stations available.

I wait about an hour and in the meantime meet the only other white guy there and italian guy on his 4th day at the office! I find out you are allowed to take the test twice per day, if you fail, come back tomorrow. After hearing that I am determined to pass today! He directs me to a road sign chart on the wall that tells you what the road signs mean, this is the only thing that has any english on it.

About an hour and a half in, my name is called in the next group, you go into a room with rows of testing machines (maybe 40 in the room). You are given a card key to scan which ativates the machine, you take a photo and it starts asking you mulitple choice questions (thankfully they are in english). Many are on road signs, where to park and who has the right of way, they show diagrams and ask you which is correct. Note you 'cannot' make a U-Turn in an intersection, they will ask that question at least twice. At the end of 50 questions you press submit and on the first try I failed, ughhh, the machine can show you the answers you missed and and print a receipt. You take the receipt and card key back to the staff, who tell you to go outside a wait.

Another hour goes by and I get my second try. The test was very similar to the 1st try with many of the same questions, on the second try I pass. I am given my paperwork back and directed downstairs. I go back to information and they gesture/tell me to go outside and take my riding test. Myself and the Italian guy wander around out back for about 15 minutes before we finally realise the car driving test course is used for motorcycle also but you have to wait until they do the next group. Again the 12-1 lunch break, I come back at 12:45 and wait until 2pm for the motorcycle group. The rent me a Honda Wave for 50B, give me a helmet and gesture what to do. I watch the 5 thai guys go before me and mimic their actions. I pass, they stamp up my paperwork and I head back inside to window 8.

I present the paperwork, get my queue number and proceed to wait....2 hours later, my group is called to window 9, I present the paperwork and am told to wait until my name is called, 5 mins later I am called, pay my 105 B and queue up for the photo. Get the photo, verify the information on the screen, license is printed there, verify the info on the printed license and I am on my way.

Warning not a lick of english spoken by most of the staff, it will be complete mayhem in there because even the Thai's don't understand where to go or what to do and you need to be prepared to wait....

Another 7 hours + 155 B invested, but I now have 2 Drivers Licenses!

Thank Buddha i went the International Permit route,10 minutes,2 licenses,cya.

[louse1953]

You didnt get 1 year licence just because of your Tourist Visa.

Everyone getting 1 year driving licence when you apply for the first time and after the 1 year you will get 5 years.

Only 1 year on tourist visa,no 5 year follow up.

[beechguy]

how can a USA consulate certify a Thai residence certificate? are they a Thai authority to do so ?

they can certify a copy of the certificate, but very strange a thai document;

I guesss the correct place would be the Khet were your - or the condo owners yellow book is done;

They don't certify a Thai document, they issue one that the Thai's accept as proof of residence. Not everyone is on a Yellow Book, or on a one year Extension of Stay".

[DevXfactor]

Thanks for all the additional feedback. I think some other BLT offices are more lenient and certainly less crowded, all the waiting time was because they are pushing close to a 1,000 people a day through that office and there was a line of a couple hundred people at each window in the process. There were a few other westerners with 'helpers/fixers' there but they were waiting just as long, maybe their fixers did not know the right office managers. My advice would be to try find a less busy place to get this done and some other posters gave some good suggestions on where those might be.

As someone mentioned, my USA license did not include motorcycle which is why I had to take the written and riding tests.

As was already clarifed, the US embasssy allows US citizens to make an affidavit of residency and they certify that I did so in their presence, BLT accepts this document as proof of residency, when in fact it only proof that I said something in front of someone, so $50 for that 'service'.

And as mentioned, when you see the question about what is illegal to drive on the roads, driving a tank is not correct, the correct answer is 'you cannot drive a car without a windshield', hahaha

Best of luck to those of you out there trying to follow the process of being legal.

[krabimike]

I got mine in krabi less then an hour and as long as I already had a motorcycle endorsement I did not need to take the writen or driving test. But I did have to have a international drivers license. Along with my home drivers license. Which I had both so it was ok.

[IsaanUSA]

Thanks OP. Good write up

[mango66]

how can a USA consulate certify a Thai residence certificate? are they a Thai authority to do so ?

they can certify a copy of the certificate, but very strange a thai document;

I guesss the correct place would be the Khet were your - or the condo owners yellow book is done;

They don't certify a Thai document, they issue one that the Thai's accept as proof of residence. Not everyone is on a Yellow Book, or on a one year Extension of Stay".

from where a ambassy knows that you resident in Thailand ?

you declare, and they beleave ?

as you say no yelolw book,

a condo rental contract does not say that you are live in Thailand,

even it doesn't mean you stay in the condo;

Wonder which other authority will do it on that way;

[Tayida]

from where a ambassy knows that you resident in Thailand ?

You have to go your embassy and change your resident status from your country to here in Thailand.This will appear also in your passport.For me is called A.I.R.E.

That's why Embassy now you resident here