Getting A Driver's License in Pattaya

[cigar7]

I have a Canadian driver's license for both car and big high speed motorcycle, also an international driver's license with the same. What happens at the license bureau in order to get a Thai car and motorcycle license? Do I have write a test or take road test or just do the paperwork and pay?

[BaldPlumber]

Just search the forum, your questions have been answered many times before.

[eXplosief]

If you bring your (valid) driver license & international driver license together with the paperwork (health certificate & residence certificate) all you need to do is take a reaction & eye test, pay a few hundred baht and off you go with a brand new thai 1 year driver license (or 2).

 

PS You will need the paperwork for each driver license you need.

[PepeLePew]

If you bring your (valid) driver license & international driver license together with the paperwork (health certificate & residence certificate) all you need to do is take a reaction & eye test, pay a few hundred baht and off you go with a brand new thai 1 year driver license (or 2).

 

PS You will need the paperwork for each driver license you need.

 

 

You make it sound so easy but I'm sure I read somewhere it can be a real pain in terms of going here, queing there, getting it all stamped etc?

[eXplosief]

It is easy. If you have all documents ready.

 

- Make sure you have both a valid drivers license and a valid international drivers license

- Go to any doctor and get a health certificate

- Go to immigration (Jomtien Soi 5) with a rental agreement or your housebook and 1 passport sized photo for each drivers license you want + 1 extra. If you don't have a rental agreement many hotels or guesthouses where you are staying are willing to make 1 for you. Take also your passport and photocopies of everything (the copy shop next to immigration knows what you need and can also make the passport sized photo''s). Ask at immigration for a residence certificate (1 for each drivers license)

- Pickup your residence certificate(s) the next day after 1PM (??)

- Go to the Land Transportation Office with all paperwork. Opposite is again a copyshop where they know what to copy. Go into the building and they will check your paperwork and give you a number. Go upstairs and wait for your number and hand over your paperwork. Wait for the eye & reaction test. Once done, wait your turn to pay. Once paid you will be called to have your photo taken and the license(s) is printed on the spot and ready to take in 2 minutes.

 

Done.

 

 

(If you don't have an international drivers license for the category you want, then you will need to do a theoretical test and a driving test, also not too difficult)

[altec123]

Hopefully your diving license will specifically indicate car and / or motorcycle or you will need to take the written and practical exam.

[eXplosief]

Hopefully your diving license will specifically indicate car and / or motorcycle or you will need to take the written and practical exam.

At least the international license should have.

[PepeLePew]

Hopefully your diving license will specifically indicate car and / or motorcycle or you will need to take the written and practical exam.

At least the international license should have.

 

The UK one looks like this

 

 

They stamp 'AA' next to the whichever category your standard licence is valid for.

 

I presume the A,B,C,D,E rating is standard international and understood by the Thais?

 

Is it true that after your 1st yearly one runs out you can get a 5 year one?

[Taeng Mo]

Don't know how long you're in Country for, but I just run around on my International Drivers License.

Get it renewed whenever I find myself back in Oz (once a year, generally). Much easier there, a formality, really.

Saves all the paperwork.

[eXplosief]

....

 

 

Is it true that after your 1st yearly one runs out you can get a 5 year one?

Yes the 2nd time you get a 5 year license.

Don't know how long you're in Country for, but I just run around on my International Drivers License.

Get it renewed whenever I find myself back in Oz (once a year, generally). Much easier there, a formality, really.

Saves all the paperwork.

The paperwork sounds like a lot, but at least to me, it isn't.

 

You are officially only allowed to drive it an international license for max. 3 or 6 months, not really sure how long.

 

For me a huge benefit is that not only i will have less hassle on police checks, i also use the drivers license as id. I never take my passport with me nor do i have to take my drivers license from home or international license with me. No risk of losing those.

 

Last benefit is that you will have to pay the thai entrance fee instead of the falang prices on many places.

 

PS A motor license will only cost you 155 Baht (+ medical & residence), so probably cheaper then the international drivers license in your home country.

[MisterE]

Maybe I was just lucky, I didnt have an international license and didnt have to do the written or road tests. It would have been an all day affair if I had.

[Seedy]

Last month I turned up with all the paperwork and the right signed copies.

 

They handed back my International Driving permit and the copies of it and said they did not need it as I had a UK licence.

[pubstud]

What visa do you hold? To the best of my knowledge you need a non-imm or higher type of visa to get the Thai licenses. I recently got Thai licenses for both car & motorcycle, not in Pattaya but in the NE, and it turned into a very lengthy affair, 4 days in fact as I had to sit through an all day training video and take road tests even though I hold current Australian drivers licenses. It seems Pattaya is still relaxed about licensing foreigners but it may well be tightening up everywhere.

[Seedy]

What visa do you hold?

 

I had to sit through an all day training video and take road tests even though I hold current Australian drivers licenses.

 

I have a 1 year multi entry O visa.

 

Just the colour blindness test, peripheral vision test, depth perception test and reaction test. No lectures, no videos no road tests.

[altec123]

Work permit is also accepted in lieu of your passport with visa. As far as taking all of the tests, it all depends upon what your home country driving license indicates as to the type of vehicle you can drive. My license just says "Driving License" so I had to take the written and practical. If it had said car and motorcycle somewhere, then no written or practical.

[MisterE]

Work permit is also accepted in lieu of your passport with visa. As far as taking all of the tests, it all depends upon what your home country driving license indicates as to the type of vehicle you can drive. My license just says "Driving License" so I had to take the written and practical. If it had said car and motorcycle somewhere, then no written or practical.

That might be the answer to the mystery. My license says class E and motorcycle. I did not have to do the tests.

[eXplosief]

Work permit is also accepted in lieu of your passport with visa. As far as taking all of the tests, it all depends upon what your home country driving license indicates as to the type of vehicle you can drive. My license just says "Driving License" so I had to take the written and practical. If it had said car and motorcycle somewhere, then no written or practical.

Then you didn't bring an international drivers license besides your regular license.

[anappleaday]

I went to renew my expired 1 year licences (20 months expired) and after doing the colour blindness/reaction/muti-choice tests I was issued new 5 year licences that don't expire until March 2018.

[pubstud]

I went to renew my expired 1 year licences (20 months expired) and after doing the colour blindness/reaction/muti-choice tests I was issued new 5 year licences that don't expire until March 2018.

 

When renewing the 1-year license and getting the 5-year license, do you need all the paperwork again? Like the residence document from immigration and the doc's certificate?

[Edge]

I went to renew my expired 1 year licences (20 months expired) and after doing the colour blindness/reaction/muti-choice tests I was issued new 5 year licences that don't expire until March 2018.

 

They don't seem to worry if it's expired, plus the new expiry date is based on your birthday for some reason i.e. I presume yours is in March.

 

When renewing the 1-year license and getting the 5-year license, do you need all the paperwork again? Like the residence document from immigration and the doc's certificate?

 

I'm pretty sure the answer is yes to the Residence Certificate but no to the Medical Certificate.

.

[pubstud]

They don't seem to worry if it's expired, plus the new expiry date is based on your birthday for some reason i.e. I presume yours is in March.

 

 

 

I'm pretty sure the answer is yes to the Residence Certificate but no to the Medical Certificate.

.

 

Will it matter at all that next year when I do the renewal I'll have a new passport number and a new address?

[Edge]

Will it matter at all that next year when I do the renewal I'll have a new passport number and a new address?

 

I'm sure lots of people are driving around with the wrong Passport and Address on their DL.

I don't know whether that could cause any problems.

 

As I also use it as ID, I didn't think that was a good idea so I had it changed.

Basically it's a bit of a palava - RC again and new photo taken up there to produce new licences - same expiry date.

 

.

[pubstud]

I'm sure lots of people are driving around with the wrong Passport and Address on their DL.

I don't know whether that could cause any problems.

 

As I also use it as ID, I didn't think that was a good idea so I had it changed.

Basically it's a bit of a palava - RC again and new photo taken up there to produce new licences - same expiry date.

 

.

 

Cheers Edge. Christ only knows where I'll be next April, so I'll lay off worrying about this one until then....lol

[anappleaday]

I think that you do need the medical certificate but not 100% sure.

For the sake of 60 Baht and 2 minutes in the clinic, I'd take one just in case.

 

When renewing the 1-year license and getting the 5-year license, do you need all the paperwork again? Like the residence document from immigration and the doc's certificate?

[DP Gumbypgh]

Renewed 1 year license today and got a 5 year one. If your address hasn't changed then you will not need a new residence certificate. I did get asked for a new medical certificate. Copies of passport information page and visa pages, did not want the copy of departure card. Have photocopies of your old licence.

If you are applying for both motorcycle and car license at the same time then photocopies of residence certificate and medical are acceptable for second one.

Remember to bring your passport. Had to do the reaction,colorblindness, peripheral vision and depth perception test again. Total cost 1060baht for both licenses. Time needed was about one and a half hours but would take less time later in afternoon.