Obtaining the Thai Driving License - Revisited

[Gaybutton]

Many of you are familiar with my article about how to obtain the Thai driving license. After an experience earlier this week, I need to write a revision to the article.

 

If you want the short version, here it is: Make sure you have a valid International Driving Permit when you apply for the Thai driving license.

 

Here's the longer version (it may be different in other provinces, but this is what he went through in Pattaya):

 

I have a friend who wanted to obtain a license for driving a car and also a license for driving a motorcycle. He needed two separate originals of all the documents. Copies were not acceptable. That meant two residence certificates, two medical certificates, and two sets of photos. The only copied items that were acceptable were copies of his passport, but he still needed to have the actual passport with him.

 

By the way, there seems to be some confusion about the requirement for a medical certificate. You must have a medical certificate to obtain the Thai driving license. You no longer need to have one to obtain the one-year retirement visa.

 

We arrived at the driver's license bureau at 8:30 AM. You have to take a number and wait until your number is called. His was called at 9:00 AM. He produced all the documents and his valid driving license from the USA. They refused to accept his driving license. They used to accept those, but now they don't. They told him the only thing they will accept is an International Driving Permit.

 

That makes about as much sense as so many other things, to me. You have to have a valid driving license in order to obtain an International Driving Permit. All you have to do to obtain the permit is to pay for it. So, why would a standard driving license be unacceptable? You figure it out. I can't.

 

If he had the International Driving Permit, then all he would have had to do would be to take the color blindness teat, the peripheral vision test, and the reaction time test. That's it. He would have had the license within an hour.

 

Since he didn't have the permit, he ended up having to take the above-mentioned tests and then sit through a one-hour movie. All "farang" applicants without the International Driving Permit were taken to a room, separate from the Thai applicants, to view the movie. Of course, there was no air conditioning, but at least the movie was in English. It started about 10:00 AM. When the movie was finished, he had to take a written test, also in English. He had to take two separate tests, one for the car driving license and one for the motorcycle driving license.

 

After passing those he was told to wait until 1:00. He would have to take a driving test. The way the driving test works is that a lone examiner sits at a picnic table and watches the drivers drive through a rather bizarre obstacle course. One aspect I didn't understand was that drivers of cars with automatic transmission had to parallel park. If a driver was in a car with a stick shift, then they did not have to parallel park.

 

The test began with all the applicants for a motorcycle license. That took about 40 minutes. Then, the applicants for cars were called forward. Only Thai citizens were allowed to be tested at first. "Farang" had to wait. I could understand that because instructions were first given in Thai. They needed to get the Thai applicants out of the way first. The trouble was, there must have been at least 30 Thai citizens in line to be tested. By the time they got to the "farang" applicants it was well after 2:00 PM.

 

After the test was passed it took about another half hour before his license was ready. It was after 3:00 PM by the time we left. On top of that, he had to return the next day with a motorcycle to take the obstacle course test and obtain the license.

 

In other words, folks, if you want a Thai driver's license, get an International Driving Permit before entering Thailand.

[PattayaMale]

Today I went to get my first Thai drivers license. Fortunately I had my international drivers licenses and all the needed paperwork including the certificate of residency from Thai immigration. Some other farang seemed to be missing one part or another.

 

Some problems I saw today. Even if you are re-newing your Thai drivers license you need the residency permit that is less than 30 days old. The picture must also be less than 30 days old. One lady was there renewing nad the staff noticed she gave the same picture as her last license a year ago. She had to go across the street and get a new picture. If you don't speak Thai you must speak English or have an interperter. On guy spoke only French and came by himself. For the color test he was not sure how to say the colors in English so the staff refused him at first. He came to me since I was standing next to him and even though I do not speak French I think he was asking me what to do. Since he had on a Pattaya shirt with each letter in a differnet color I suggested he point to his shirt which had the red, yellow and black. I asked the lady in charge and she said OK. I thought that was nice of the lady. A few farang who did not have the right material became angry and when one came back with the copy he needed they just ignored him. I think the staff is just trying to do what they have been instructed to do...no need to get angry with them.

 

Anyway if you have the right papers the entire process may take 2 hours. The longest wait was for them to call my name for the color and reaction test. They seem to call all Thais first by number and then farangs by their names. It really is simple. But hot today. (Sorry, I could not get the spell check to work today)

[Gaybutton]

All of that is quite right. If you get there right at opening time, 8:30 AM, you'll find the waiting time will be as much as an hour less and the room won't be so terribly hot.

 

When you get your first Thai license, it is valid for one year. When you renew, the validity period is five years.

[Guest Trongpai]

I got a Thai DL without an international DL last month in Bangkok. First they told me to get the DL translated to Thai but someone else said don't bother if it's clear that it's a drivers license. It was from USA. Maybe I got lucky.

 

The only residency certificate they wanted was from the US embassy.

 

I did not have to take the written test or the driving test only the physical tests.

 

Very few farangs at the Bangkok office. Out of the 60 or so in my group taking the physical tests there was only one other farang and he did not look normal. He did not speak much English or Thai and was yelling out the colors in some language, maybe Russian. They passed him anyway and I was glad because he looked like he would have killed anyone giving him a hard time.

 

In Bangkok you have to know your numbers in Thai and colors in Thai as I did not hear anyone speaking English. The Thai they spoke was not central Thai, it must have been DMV burectatic Thai, fast and slured.

 

My offer still holds to anyone wanting assiatance in BKK in getting a DL.

[Gaybutton]

My offer still holds to anyone wanting assiatance in BKK in getting a DL.

 

That's very kind of you. My offer still holds too, which explains my involvement the other day.

 

Well, there you have it. Different provinces obviously have their own methods of doing things. I don't know if this applies now, but several years ago a Thai friend wanted his license. He came from the Kamphaeng Phet province and that's where we were at the time. There was no requirement for a driving test, but he had to sit through a two-hour lecture and take a written test. He failed the test. 500 baht later, somehow he passed the test and was licensed. Welcome to Thailand.

 

One thing I do not know - that's whether you have to obtain your license in the province in which you reside. Does anyone know?

 

If you don't hold a valid International Driving Permit, then I'd go to Bangkok and try there.

[Guest wowpow]

There seem to be many helpful points clearly laid out in this article at Pattaya City Ex-Pats Club. They used to go in little groups to get Driving Licences.

 

Getting a Drivers License - all the details

 

Buying or Renting a Car or MotorbikeAnonymous writes "If you plan to drive in Thailand over any long period of time, a Thai driver

[Guest dekdek]

I wrote about some important points quite a long time ago.

 

1) I had my photos rejected. They were the correct size etc, but I had made them myself on my home computer. The attendant said I had to go across the road and get poloroid ones. This was last year and this year for my first extension. Maybe it is up to to the attendant and not a fixed rule.

 

2) When renewing both car and motorcycle licence I was told no medial certificate is neccessary. The lady who hands out the forms and checks your docs. said "where is the medical". I said I was categorally told I did not need one. She consulted with a higher up and said "Oh, ok"

 

3) In answer to Gaybutton saying why an international permit. Last year I took my international licence in, which was in about 5 bits, torn and grubby. My friend proudly took in his pristine Britsh Licence. They refused his and accepted mine!!. The reason. I had a photo. The old style Brit licences have no photos. So beware.

[Gaybutton]

I wrote about some important points quite a long time ago.

 

Dekdek, at which office did you obtain your license? Was it Pattaya or somewhere else?

 

Also, if anyone has experience in other provinces, please let us know what you encountered.