Thai driving licence and Thai bank account

[Scuba+]

I've been stopped 6 times in 3 weeks. You get to know where their checkpoints are. If you haven't got the proper licence (Intl or Thai) or helmet they will fine you. I have a licence so its ok but it is a PITA.

[fourrings]

15 hours ago, Hawkeye said:

You should have an international license with motorcycle endorsement or a Thai motorcycle license.   Have heard people using motorcycle licenses from other countries but expect you are technically illegal.  They stop motorbikes a lot around Pattaya to check licenses and registration and if you are not 100% legal you are at their mercy and probably will get a ticket.  Depending on where you come from getting an International Drivers license is probably the best option to be covered.   FYI the same applies to no helmet.  There are just too many traffic stops to take the risk assuming you were not inclined to wear a helmet in the first place.  Once you are stopped they will also check license and registration sticker.

From Seattle, been endorsed since 77, have a Goldwing and don’t ride without a helmet anyway. 

Looks like getting an international DL through AAA is pretty simple. I’ll check into that this week. 

I would love to get a scooter for a day or two but since I’m only going to be there for 8 days I don’t really want to go through  a bunch of hassle to do it. 

[Barhop]

https://pattayaone.news/en/warning-thai-driving-license-scam/

Thai licence...

 

[Garzan]

13 minutes ago, Barhop said:

https://pattayaone.news/en/warning-thai-driving-license-scam/

Thai licence...

 

So discounting whether or not I would believe ~anything~ Mr. Easy Visa says, I'd put a lot more weight on that news story if it stated exact what had changed to supposedly make Thai licenses difficult to obtain for non-Thai nationals. All that story was, was a regurgitation of a rumor passed along by Paul King. Where is the meat of the story? All I saw was a fluff piece.

[overseas516]

I have just renewd my Thai Driving license on the 26th December 2017 on a standard 30 day tourist visa by doing it the official way and cost me under 1000 Baht for both car and motorbike licenses.

One thing i would mention is get their early at around 7.30am as they only can process 120 applicants a day 

[Scuba+]

So discounting whether or not I would believe ~anything~ Mr. Easy Visa says, I'd put a lot more weight on that news story if it stated exact what had changed to supposedly make Thai licenses difficult to obtain for non-Thai nationals. All that story was, was a regurgitation of a rumor passed along by Paul King. Where is the meat of the story? All I saw was a fluff piece.

Yes I'd say fake news, although the shop to the left of Jomtien immigration said they'd get me a driving licence for 29,000 baht, i did it for around 700

[Garzan]

7 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Yes I'd say fake news, although the shop to the left of Jomtien immigration said they'd get me a driving licence for 29,000 baht, i did it for around 700

Oh, I certainly would not dispute that you (3rd person) could go out and buy a driving license, pretty much anywhere in Thailand. :-)

 

[Darksider11]

On ‎26‎/‎03‎/‎2017 at 01:54, Richie said:

Thank you again. I'll hand them my UK licence so hopefully won't need to do a test!

They only accept the credit card style UK licences. I have a very old paper style licence and had to take the full test.

[The Sculptor]

8 minutes ago, Darksider11 said:

They only accept the credit card style UK licences. I have a very old paper style licence and had to take the full test.

Would love to see a detailed rundown on exactly what you did to obtain your license to ride or drive in the kingdom.

[GlobalTraveler]

i did mine last year .here what required.The residency certictificate I got mine at Maneeratsoi Post office 13/2. 500 baht delivererd next morning . She made me all teh photo copies required to for free. Dont bother doing it yourself for 200 Baht. They are helpfull can only recommend them. Go there 45 minutes earlier make sure you arrange taxi back as there are none. When nI got there 7:45 over 100 people thought o Shit will take all day. 8 am old lady comes out and lines people up 4 lines . 1 line for foreigners and they where not to many . we got the lowest numbers starting with 1... great. Go inside 8:30 to teh left is a big staircase. When your number shows go up teh stairs. Lady will take your papers when allin order you told to move up about 12 feet there you be tested for Colour(3) and a reaction test...very simple. usually about 12 people in room when all through 20 minutes maybe. You get a bunch of papers and told to go pay for you licence 10feet acroos room. Make sure you apply both Car and Motorbike its all the same. Forgot what i paid but something like 500 baht for both. Then you told to ahead. Blue chair area...sit down wait for you name to be called. When called go in office they make a picture for your licence.You told wait outside 5-8 minutes later they call and give you two licences 1 motorbike 1 Car and off you go. Took me two hours normally. but unfortunately I had wrong info from teh forum who said only car you dont need test. So when I left i mentioned to lady what to do for motorbike she said all same and send me right abck in the line .So same shit again but extra hour and wiser now. 

I had a Plastic Canadian Driver Licence and an Intl license so it was easy. Without Intl they make you watch a video for 1 hour.If your licence is anything else but in english or thai you need a translation.My friend paid 3000 baht to a Lawyer. an  Intl  DL is basic just a translation of your Licence into 49 differnet languages not more. So get one its cheaper

Most easy thing i ever did. If you short of copies go outside building straight ahead cross the street there is a guy with a copy machine 5 baht a copy. Do not wait again in line go straight upstairs again and give to teh lady and proceed.

Here is the expat club checklist of what you need. NO WORK PERMIT REQUIRED JUST RESIDENCY CERTIFICATE

http://www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com/expats/docs/thai license Checklist.pdf

 

[Darksider11]

Just now, The Sculptor said:

Would love to see a detailed rundown on exactly what you did to obtain your license to ride or drive in the kingdom.

Take a chair!

Firstly, I live here and rent a house, so no problems with proof of address, apart from going to Jontien immigration to obtain a certificate (200 baht, I think). Also had to obtain a medical certificate. Pay 100 baht at any clinic, no medical required.

Presented everything and was told that I would have to view 3 hours of videos in a small crowded room with little or no AC.

Before that we had to do 3 tests. Colour blindness, reaction times and a third test that involved aligning 2 parallel sticks in a box by pressing a left or right button. Not sure what this was for, presumably to check that you had 2 eyes. You were allowed as many goes as you wanted to pass these tests.

Videos were in Thai although everyone in the room was a foreigner. Complete waste of time, one Chinese girl never looked up from her phone at any time. After 2 one hour videos, everyone got up to leave and when I told them that there was another video they didn't believe me but after a few seconds the staff ushered everyone back into the room and put another video on. During the first two videos, a German guy and myself kept nipping out for a cigarette and a drink, for which we eventually received a bollocking and a final warning. I was running a temperature at the time and stood in the doorway for the "final" video as it was cooler in the corridor. A large woman, in an army officers uniform, came out of her office and tried to push me back into the room so I explained my predicament. She was having none of it and after a bit of a confrontation, she said "What your name? I get your passport and send to your embassy and they deport you". The staff were processing our paperwork and had our passports so I thought it best not to give my real name so I replied "Mickey Mouse". "Right, I get your passport now", she replied and marched off. I didn't see her again that day. After the third video we were made to watch a fourth video as punishment but they only made us watch 30 minutes of it and let us go. We were told to return at 8am for our practical test.

The next day, as we waited by the test track, I noticed GI Jane, in civvies talking to the examiner who sits in a little box in the middle of the track. They were both looking at me and obviously talking about me. I drove round to the first test which involves stopping with your passenger side wheels touching a yellow line and your front bumper inside a 1 metre wide box. Easy. You then put your hand out of the window and the examiner asks for your name and finds your paperwork. "I not have your papers" he shouted at me, I knew that he did as they were bundled with everyone else's that had been with me and as I was last through he obviously had everyone else's. I argued the toss with him and he said "You go to office, go go go!". I drove off the track and went to the office and the girl said that she definitely gave the examiner the paperwork and that I should look for myself. I did this, much to the consternation of the examiner who began fighting me for the papers. No sign of my paperwork. I then saw one set of papers on a shelf under his desk. As I reached for them, he quickly grabbed them and said, "Oh yes, they are here!" Twat.

I then started the test and had no problem with the first part. The second part is parallel parking. You are allowed nine gear changes to park inside a white line and not hit the cones at the front, rear and nearside of the car. I did it in one single manoeuvre and the examiner shouted " Fail, go!". I got out of the car and asked him why I had failed and he said that I had touched one of the cones. I made him get out of his box and come over and show me which cone I'd touched. He pointed to a cone at the rear of my car and I pointed out that, as I'd completed the manoeuvre in one go and the rear of my car was a good foot from the cones it was impossible that I had touched any cones. "You fail!" he shouted, "Take test again tomorrow." Double twat.

Came back the next day and a different person was the examiner, sailed through the first 2 tests, the third test was to drive about 20 metres through a double line of cones and then reverse back through them. Simple. test passed in less than 10 minutes. Only acknowledgment to safety was to wear your seatbelt. No use of indicators, emergency stops etc. In the afternoon had to sit a computer generated test, multi choice. Needed to attain 45 correct questions from 50. The questions and answers were very obscure, had to guess several of them. I remember one question being "When can you not drive a car?" 4 answers: 1. Immediately after consuming alcohol. 2. When you're having a heart attack. 3. After taking diarrhoea tablets 4. When there is insufficient light.

Of course, the answer is "When you're having a heart attack". Thai logic.

I only achieved 35/50 but went back the next day having read all the questions and answers online. There were only 35 questions at the time (several were repeated). Re sat the test and achieved 49/50. Had my photo taken and paid my money and received my 2 year driving licence.

Renewed it recently and now have a 5 year licence. This time had to produce a certificate of residence, passport, old licence and medical certificate. Also had to do the 3 little coordination/eyesight tests.

 

[The Sculptor]

A more comprehensive  rundown couldn't have been asked for. I'm grateful for you sharing this experience with me and the addicts board.  It's a must view for anyone contemplating the process. Thank you very much.

[Darksider11]

22 hours ago, The Sculptor said:

A more comprehensive  rundown couldn't have been asked for. I'm grateful for you sharing this experience with me and the addicts board.  It's a must view for anyone contemplating the process. Thank you very much.

Please don't take my experience as the norm. I made some basic newbie mistakes that cost me dear.....

1. Never challenge a Thai, especially one in authority. They hold all the cards, you will never win. This cost me a full day at the Land & Transport office to retake my practical test.

2.Do your research. It took me a trip to the Land & Transport office just to find out what documents I needed. Could have done that in 10 minutes on the internet. Another day wasted.

3. Do your preparation. 30 minutes on the internet revising the theory questions would have saved me another trip to the Land & Transport office and another wasted day.

4. The biggest mistake was not obtaining a credit card type driving licence, in my own country and bringing an International Driving Permit (IDP) with me. Armed with these, I would have avoided most of the tests and would probably obtained my licence in a single visit.

Learn from my mistakes and it can be done in a couple of visits to the Land & Transport office and the tests are childs play, which is probably why Thais are such awful drivers and the death rate on the roads in Thailand are the highest in the world.