Approved Translation Office for Belgian Driving Licence (to get Thai licence)?

[SS1]

Hey guys,

I recently posted here about getting a Thai drivers licence with an international licence issued from Belgium. I went to the Land and Transport Office to apply for one and brought all the necessary documents, including a local EU licence from Belgium as well as a separate international driving licence.However, the international licence was not accepted because it is from "convention 1968" and they told me it must be from "convention 1949".

They told me to have my Belgian licence translated and verified by the Belgian Embassy and come back again.

I called the Belgian embassy and they told me they are unable to provide such service. They said the licences are issued by local communes and can only be translated locally there in Belgium. I talked with other Belgian people who confirmed that they had the same problem. However, the Embassy suggested me "unofficially" that I can just go to some translation office to do it and she said there is one in Pattaya that she knows. I also chatted with a Belgian guy from Chiang Mai who offered to do the service but it would have cost around 10k total which is out of my budget for this.

Does anyone know a translation office in Bangkok who can translate a Belgian licence to English and verify it for the purpose of getting a Thai licence?

[KhunBENQ]

The Belgian license (Euro card) is multiligual.

That seems clear.

But what languages are on the license?

Is this true?

The Kingdom of Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French, and German

You could use any translator for one of the languages and let it translate to Thai (!).

Your post is interesting as it proofs that this Bangkok DLT is very nitpicking/fussy about the documents.

But unfortunately this 1968 vs. 1949 thing is true and you can probably not come around.

Also that they do not acknowledge a Euro plastic card is very fussy not to say harassment.

Plenty of German/Thai translators that I know in Bangkok.

10k Crook! Another proof that fellow "farangs" can be the worst enemy you have in Thailand.

Your embassy also seems not one of the helpful.

[Thian]

Do you still have to do the exam to get the Thai DL if you show the foreign ones?

[KhunBENQ]

If the foreign DL is accepted/acknowledged then you only have to do the physical tests (color blindness and reaction) plus maybe sitting in to watch some video.

No theory or driving test.

But when I read all the fuss about bringing translations then one could still consider to do it from scratch!

The only hurdle is the theory test (English) which requires some swotting.

The "driving test" (aka, circling on the yard) is a joke.

Edited April 8, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[Thian]

If the foreign DL is accepted/acknowledged then you only have to do the physical tests (color blindness and reaction) plus maybe sitting in to watch some video.

No theory or driving test.

But when I read all the fuss about bringing translations then one could still consider to do it from scratch!

The only hurdle is the theory test (English) which requires some swotting.

The "driving test" (aka, circling on the yard) is a joke.

I see, i don't fear any test but it's just all the waiting and frustration which keeps me from not getting a Thai DL.

If i was the Belgium guy i would just do all the tests instead of getting papers translated. Maybe TV-members can do the Thai DL-exams together? That would be more fun then going there alone.

Are Dutch driverslicenses + international DL accepted/acknowledged by them?

Actually ALL EU DL's should be accepted, they all have had many more drivinglessons than any thai ever had.

[Smokin Joe]

OP,

When you were filled out the application for the International Drivers Permit did it give you a choice if you wanted one from the 1949 or 1968 treaty?

If it did you might be able to get a new IDP that states it is from the correct treaty. Just a possible option.

[SS1]

The Belgian license (Euro card) is multiligual.

That seems clear.

But what languages are on the license?

Is this true?

The Kingdom of Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French, and German

You could use any translator for one of the languages and let it translate to Thai (!).

Your post is interesting as it proofs that this Bangkok DLT is very nitpicking/fussy about the documents.

But unfortunately this 1968 vs. 1949 thing is true and you can probably not come around.

Also that they do not acknowledge a Euro plastic card is very fussy not to say harassment.

Plenty of German/Thai translators that I know in Bangkok.

10k Crook! Another proof that fellow "farangs" can be the worst enemy you have in Thailand.

Your embassy also seems not one of the helpful.

Yep, no English on the licence. Heheh, yeah 10k was excessive but this would have included the travel expenses of the guy to Bangkok and do the whole process by himself with his contacts, as well as his personal commission. Good service for someone who has too much money laying around but not for me thanks

OP,

When you were filled out the application for the International Drivers Permit did it give you a choice if you wanted one from the 1949 or 1968 treaty?

If it did you might be able to get a new IDP that states it is from the correct treaty. Just a possible option.

I'm not sure if they gave me a choice. I actually got the IDP from Belgium almost a year ago before moving to Thailand, as a friend was recommending getting it beforehand. Had no idea about the different "conventions" back then. Getting a new one would work but I have no plans to travel to Belgium anytime in the future (just used to live there before, not from there).

[FlorC]

I went twice ( 1 y & 5 y) , but they were not interested in my international DL. They needed the pink belgian DL , which has only 1 language , but clearly shows which vehicles I can drive. They copied it and want to know how long it is valid , because it only has the date of issue on ( and my birth date). Belgian DL's are for life , no BS renewals like here. No translations . Of course it wasn't in Bangkok.

[SS1]

I went twice ( 1 y & 5 y) , but they were not interested in my international DL. They needed the pink belgian DL , which has only 1 language , but clearly shows which vehicles I can drive. They copied it and want to know how long it is valid , because it only has the date of issue on ( and my birth date). Belgian DL's are for life , no BS renewals like here. No translations . Of course it wasn't in Bangkok.

I went to another Land and Transport Office in Talingchan, Bangkok and tried again with both the IDP and the pink Belgian DL. I had to go there in any case to move a bike to my name, so decided to try it at the same time. This time, they didn't complain about the wrong convention year, but they said the IDP is missing the valid date in English. It's true, this is on the front page and it's only in French and Dutch.

They told me again to get the Belgian one translated with a stamp from the embassy. Only thing the embassy does not provide this stamp, so I think getting it translated at a translation office won't help either. What an absolutely pain in the ass, they just want to make things so unnecessarily difficult here. Oh well.. TiT.. Must say Belgium isn't any better either, telling me I need to go translate it at my home town near Brussels.

May be best to just give up and go waste a day doing the licence from scratch. Unless some of you know a "stamping service" for the translation?

[blackcab]

Even if you could get it stamped by your embassy they wouldn't be able to read the Dutch/French/German on the stamp.

You could:

1. Try getting it translated and stamped by a Notary Public.

2. Try getting it translated and legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Option 1 might be cheaper. Option 2 might be more liable to work as it would have a Thai government seal on it and the staff would be unlikely to go against another government department.

[depi]

Hey,

 

did you solve it anyway?

 

I got the exact same issue.

 

They need a translation which is a joke as EU DL has almost no text to translate on it, it's basically internationally easy to follow.