Pls clarify documentation for DL

[paddlinsteve]

I moved to Thailand just a month ago and have been easing myself into the documentation traffic flow. I've got a DL in my sights, but there's already been a hiccough or two. One of the requirements for a license is having one's address certified. DLT's checklist gives three choices for doing this: embassy letter, Immigration Office letter, or Work Permit. I don't have a job so the last one is out. I don't want to be gouged by my embassy, so the logical choice is asking Immigration. I did that earlier this week when I submitted my TM.30, only to be told they didn't issue any address certification (this was in Nonthaburi IO).

 

Does DLT accept the Yellow Tabien Baan for this purpose? Anyway, I thought I'd give that a try. But at my local Amphoe, the list of required documentation I was given included a birth certificate that needs to be translated into Thai and certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I would have to spend quite a lot of money for a replacement birth certificate and my use for one, at age 69, is pretty limited except for getting a DL.

 

Anyone see a solution here?

[Don Mega]

Did you ask immigration for a residency certificate ?

[paddlinsteve]

Are you suggesting that the wording is significant? Do you know what that is in Thai so I can have my wife ask them?

 

Thanks.

[Kwasaki]

14 hours ago, paddlinsteve said:

DLT's checklist gives three choices for doing this: embassy letter, Immigration Office letter, or Work Permit

Never had a struggle with getting stuff done here, just few more hoops because the way aliens are processed here.

Did you tell immigration you need proof of address to get a Thai DL. ?

Did your DLT say they accept yellow house book my DLT does some don't. ?

As for birth cert l have needed my one several times immigration kept a copy of mine.

DLT's issue Thai DL's using date of birth for renewal times.

Do you wear long trousers  sorry had to just have my little joke.

[Don Mega]

13 hours ago, paddlinsteve said:

Are you suggesting that the wording is significant? Do you know what that is in Thai so I can have my wife ask them?

 

Thanks.

 

This is the form.

 

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/download/pdf/res_cert.pdf

[paddlinsteve]

Many thanks for the form! I suppose the IO have enough documentation in their system for me. Or is there anything in particular I should have to hand if they ask for it to support this form?

[Don Mega]

9 minutes ago, paddlinsteve said:

Many thanks for the form! I suppose the IO have enough documentation in their system for me. Or is there anything in particular I should have to hand if they ask for it to support this form?

Ive never had to get one but I believe you will need the following (am happy to be corrected though).

Passport

Photocopies of passport main photo page, visa page, TM6 departure card

proof of address

and possibly the TM30 page filled out by your landlord.

[paddlinsteve]

Well, I brought all of those documents to the boys at the IO last week and they stapled the bottom of the TM.30 into the passport as well as the departure card, just as they used to do at the airport.

 

I tried downloading the Certificate of Residence Application (TM.18) from the templates list, but instead of that form it links to the following form, Substitute of Residence Certificate Application (TM.20). So your form saved me a lot of bother. Thanks again.

[Don Mega]

6 minutes ago, paddlinsteve said:

Well, I brought all of those documents to the boys at the IO last week and they stapled the bottom of the TM.30 into the passport as well as the departure card, just as they used to do at the airport.

 

I tried downloading the Certificate of Residence Application (TM.18) from the templates list, but instead of that form it links to the following form, Substitute of Residence Certificate Application (TM.20). So your form saved me a lot of bother. Thanks again.

yeah I think the TM 18 and TM 20 have to do with actual residency, not a certificate of residence, all is very confusing !!

[paddlinsteve]

I downloaded, printed and carefully filled in the residence application and trotted off to Nonthaburi IO this morning. They recognized the form, asked for the usual lineup of copies (passport photo page, non-imm visa, TM.6 departure card), two photos, and 1000 baht in cash. Ten minutes later I was walking out with a document, bearing my photo and impressively stamped, addressed to the DLT introducing me as a regular guy who should be allowed to apply for a DL.

 

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that, in Nonthaburi at least, there's no delay of three weeks or more and no police home visit required.

 

Thanks again for the valuable help!

[paddlinsteve]

To bring closure to this particular thread, I got my driving licence today at the DLT on Tiwanon Road in Nonthaburi after working on it for quite a while. The first hurdle, a few weeks ago, was to get the certificate of residency from the IO. That was done in a few minutes and I was charged 1,000 baht. A few days later I went to a local clinic and the doctor, from viewing me from across the lobby, signed off on the form, charging me 80 baht.

 

The next obstacle was whether they would recognize my existing licence, which is from Saudi Arabia. The important information -- name of holder, number of licence, and expiration date -- were given in both Arabic and English on the card. However, because there was some other Arabic writing on it, the DLT told me to go to the Saudi Embassy to get it translated (not saying whether into English or Thai).

 

So I went to the Saudi Embassy in Sathorn and made my enquiry. I had anticipated being asked to go to a translation service in Ploenchit, followed by getting it stamped by the MFA. However, they gave me the phone number of a place called the Sheikhul Islam Centre, which is rather inconveniently located in Nong Chok, 54km from my home in Nonthaburi. It was a five-hour trip there and back, and for the translation I forked over 700 baht.

 

Then it was back to the embassy where I was told to go to a certain unmarked office 14 floors below. I found it and the guys there asked for the paperwork. They took it upstairs and brought it back with a stamp and charged me 500 baht for their trouble.

 

I went to the DLT on Friday, with my Thai wife, only to be told that they needed to study my existing licence and get approval to honour it from a higher up. I was to come back today, Monday, and watch the training video at 1:00 p.m.

 

I dutifully went again today and watched the video -- it was simply a methodical trawl through the Thai driving law of 2522, with such dubious information as the load limits for a pickup truck.

 

Then it was time for what they call physical testing. The 40 people who had watched the video were taken together into the testing room and given four tests each: (1) color blindness test, (2) peripheral vision test, (3) depth perception test, and (4) reaction test.

 

Thereafter it went very fast: pay 305 baht, have a photo taken, pick up the two-year temporary licence. The time required from start to finish of the process was about three weeks and the total cost was 2,585 baht, not counting quite a lot spent on fuel and food.

[JAS21]

On 06/02/2017 at 1:07 PM, paddlinsteve said:

I downloaded, printed and carefully filled in the residence application and trotted off to Nonthaburi IO this morning. They recognized the form, asked for the usual lineup of copies (passport photo page, non-imm visa, TM.6 departure card), two photos, and 1000 baht in cash. Ten minutes later I was walking out with a document, bearing my photo and impressively stamped, addressed to the DLT introducing me as a regular guy who should be allowed to apply for a DL.

 

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that, in Nonthaburi at least, there's no delay of three weeks or more and no police home visit required.

 

Thanks again for the valuable help!

1000thb and it used to be free. Immigration must have cottoned on to the fact that it will cost much more if you have to obtain it from your own embassy.

 

Did you get a proper receipt from Nonthaburi ... I have always found them 'straight'.

 

Get yourself a Yellow Book (just search the forum) and you can use that as Proof of Address. After that get your Pink ID Card (just search the forum) and then you will be as set up as you can................. 

[Martinpeter]

Hi all/.

 

thanks for the certificate form download - i have to renew my licence soon?

 

Do you need 2 copies of form for DL  (1 for car driving licence and 1 for motobike licence renewal)  or i 1 enough? they copy it there? cant remember? 5 years ago - i want to renew both at the same time   

[paddlinsteve]

8 hours ago, JAS21 said:

1000thb and it used to be free. Immigration must have cottoned on to the fact that it will cost much more if you have to obtain it from your own embassy.

 

Did you get a proper receipt from Nonthaburi ... I have always found them 'straight'.

 

Get yourself a Yellow Book (just search the forum) and you can use that as Proof of Address. After that get your Pink ID Card (just search the forum) and then you will be as set up as you can................. 

1. No, the young guy at Nonthaburi IO didn't offer a receipt at all. It wasn't a big issue because, as you pointed out, it would have cost more to get the same from the U.S. Embassy and also because one online DL guide that I consulted said it could take three to six weeks for the IO to produce a residency certificate.

 

2. I tried previously to get a Yellow Tabien Baan from Bang Kruai amphoe, but I was flummoxed because I didn't have a copy of my birth certificate. I calculated that it would cost more than it was worth to get a replacement b.c. from the U.S. and that in itself wouldn't be easy because I didn't have the required credit card to order one.