Thai Driving Licence by yourself

pee · Feb 29, 2008

I know this issue has been addressed before on this board. However administrative matters need refreshing from time to time.
The informations below have been gathered on 28.02.2008 at Chatuchak Land and Transport Office (Bangkok).
The staff there is nice and helpful but the ride to get there a bit boring... Bangkok traffic ride... So if it can save others a ride through the big smoke, here are listed documents required to get a Thai driving licence.

1. PASSPORT WITH VISA (ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY)

2. ORIGINAL PRESENT RESIDENT ADDRESS IN THAILAND CERTIFY FROM EMBASSY

0R

WORK PERMIT WITH ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY

3. 2 PHOTOS 1 INCH (NOT MORE THAN 6 MONTHS)

4. ORIGINAL MEDICAL CERTIFICATE
(5 DISEASES FORM: FROM CLINIC OR HOSPITAL (NOT MORE THAN 1 MONTH)

5. ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY OF INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE (IN CONVENTION OF 1949 OR 1968)

OR

LOCAL DRIVING LICENCE (TRANSLATION TO ENGLISH OR THAI LANGUAGE AND CERTIFY FROM EMBASSY)

---------------------------

IF YOU ARE DISQUALIFIED IN No.5 YOU HAVE TO TAKE A TEST:

TRAINING 2 HOURS REACTION TEST

WRITTEN TEST DRIVING TEST

FEE:
CAR 105 BAHTS

MOTORCYCLE 55 BAHTS

The leaflet I have reproduced above also mentions a phone number which I haven't tested yet:
02 272 3615-16

tomdegerth · Feb 29, 2008

Thanks for that info, it sure seems a bit more tricky now than when i had my drivers licenses made about 5 years ago. That was somewhere on Sukhumvit rd, around soi 110 i think.

About those international drivers licenses that some companies "sell" here in Thailand, are they also valid for motorbikes? I've seen some ad's in BKK post. Is there such a thing as a international motorbike license?

Both my car and bike license will expire soon, and without a 1year visa i cant get new ones. So i was thinking about getting an international one, its maybe better than driving without license or with a fake one.

Thanks,
Brgs,
Tom

madjbs · Feb 29, 2008

The ones you buy are not at all valid, nothing more than a money making scheme I am afraid. Looks like you are going to be on a road block avoiding mission, they hardly ever stop cars in central BKK anyway.

tropicaljohno · Feb 29, 2008

If you download the latest copy of the Chaing Mai Ex Pat Newsletter

on page 14, article saying Cnx Immigration have had a directive from Bangkok saying no need to get a letter now for licence or own a vehicle.

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/guide/stor ... 87,00.html

cdrw · Feb 29, 2008

An Intern'l Driver's License (technically Drivers Permit) is not valid for use in the country it was issued...only for use in other countries where permitted.

When renewing your initial 1-year Thai bike and/or car license you normally then receive a 5-year license. However, in Pattaya (don't know about elsewhere) you must go a few days _after_ your initial license expires. If you go before the initial license expires, they just give you another 1-year license. Go figure? TIT

tomdegerth · Mar 1, 2008

Go??
U mean go where? I know that after 1 year u can get another 5 years license, thats what i got. But after that?
So what i read here, is that an intl.dri.lic. is not really that valid in Th, if it was issued here??
Hmm. Well, i just have to go and get myself married then, talk more on monday after the wedding, bye.
Tom

tropicaljohno · Mar 1, 2008

cdrw wrote: An Intern'l Driver's License (technically Drivers Permit) is not valid for use in the country it was issued...only for use in other countries where permitted.

When renewing your initial 1-year Thai bike and/or car license

Tom

Just wondered if you are getting Intern'l and Initial words mixed up.

I believe most/all International Licence's are not valid in the country of issue.

Captain Slash, here on Phuket Immigration issue residency letters free of charge.

pee · Mar 1, 2008

Tom,
Even without a 1 year visa you may qualify for a Thai license if you produce a residency letter usually obtained through your embassy.
As far as I am concerned International licenses can only be obtained in one's home country. I don't believe you can "buy" a real one in Thailand.

Madjbs,
Police do stop vehicles in central Bkk (not that often but they do) and the first thing they ask is the driving license. That said, if you have all the right documents they let you go without any trouble.

I stress that the information I have given here comes from Chatuchak Land and Transport Office. Requirements may differ elsewhere (Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket...even at the On Nut Bkk branch). TIT.
However one must deal with the office related to one's current address.

Cheers

SilverhawkUSA · Mar 1, 2008

pee wrote: Tom,
Even without a 1 year visa you may qualify for a Thai license if you produce a residency letter usually obtained through your embassy.
As far as I am concerned International licenses can only be obtained in one's home country. I don't believe you can "buy" a real one in Thailand.

Madjbs,
Police do stop vehicles in central Bkk (not that often but they do) and the first thing they ask is the driving license. That said, if you have all the right documents they let you go without any trouble.

I stress that the information I have given here comes from Chatuchak Land and Transport Office. Requirements may differ elsewhere (Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket...even at the On Nut Bkk branch). TIT.
However one must deal with the office related to one's current address.

Cheers

If you are living in Thailand and have a Thai drivers license you can get a Thai issued International Driving Permit. Not difficult, basically same process as your regular Thai license.

tomdegerth · Mar 1, 2008

Alright, i have to think a bit on how to fix this. I'll get the paper from the embassy that i live here, thats no problem at all.
Then we'll see if thats enough to renew my license. Maybe some "teamoney" for the department staff would work...

madjbs · Mar 1, 2008

It is unlikely you will be able to get anything without a Non Immigrant visa, they follow the rules quite strictly in BKK.

Just to make it clear, the International Permits that you get on the internet and the ones you can get using your Thai License from the Transport Department are two different things. The ones off the internet are basically just meant to act as a translation. If somewhere requests you have an international driving permit these will not suffice. The ones you can get at the land transport department are used when driving in a country other than where it was issued and they must be accompanied by the original license, these ones are recognised by many countries around the world.

Pee, that is why I said "hardly ever", if you follow the traffic rules they rarely stop cars, unlike motorbikes which they often stop for no reason. The reason being is that they very rarely have enough space to just start pulling lots of cars over and asking for documents. What you need to be careful of is doing things like turning left on a red light when there is no sign etc..

mikerust · Mar 3, 2008

tomdegerth wrote: its maybe better than driving without license or with a fake one.

Tom

Tom,

I think it would be better if you left your license in your other trousers. :wink: