18 replies to this topic

[CrazyExpat]

Thai Driving License

Obtaining a Thai driving license is relatively simple, but you must hold a non-immigrant visa in order to be eligible. If you intend to drive a car or motorcycle within Thailand during a holiday, then it is not necessary to obtain a Thai driving license at all. A valid International Driving Permit, along with your home country driving license, is acceptable, but you must have both.

If you will be in Thailand for a stay long enough that you hold a non-immigrant visa, then if you intend to drive in Thailand it is advisable to obtain a Thai driving license.

When you first obtain the license it will be valid for one year. Upon renewal, the license is valid for five years. Thailand does not combine licenses for car and motorcycle. Each is a separate license. If you intend to drive both, then you will need both licenses.

The easiest way to obtain the license is to come to Thailand with both your valid home country driving license and an International Driving Permit. Make sure the International Driving Permit specifies car, motorcycle, or both if you intend to use it to obtain the Thai driving license. Despite the fact that an International Driving License is valid for one year, Thailand honors it only for the first ninety days upon entry to the country, so make sure you get your licenses within those ninety days. Also, you must obtain the International Driving Permit outside of Thailand.

You must also produce two additional documents. You must produce a medical certificate and a residence certificate. You can obtain the medical certificate at any hospital or street clinic. The medical certificate is quite simple. Almost literally, if you are moving and breathing you can get the medical certificate. It is easiest and least expensive to get one at a street clinic.

For the residence certificate you must hold a valid non-immigrant visa, have passport photos, and produce documentation that verifies your address in Thailand. You must also have a copy of your main passport page and your visa page. You obtain the residence certificate at an Immigration office, but it must be the office in your home province. Most immigration offices have a photo and copy shop next door. You can get whatever photos or copies you need at the copy shop. The fee for the certificate at most immigration offices is 200 baht. When the certificate is issued, make sure to check that it shows that you hold a non-immigrant visa. Sometimes they mistakenly show that you hold a tourist visa. Check that to be sure.

According to the most recent regulations, if you are getting both a car and motorcycle license, a copy of your medical is acceptable for the second license, but you must have a separate residence certificate for each license. If you intend to obtain both licenses, get two residence certificates.

Here’s what you need to take with you when you go to obtain the driving license:

• Valid Passport with non-immigrant visa
• Residence Certificate
• Medical Certificate
• Valid home country driving license
• Valid International Driving Permit

Once you have the required documentation you are ready to go to the driving license agency. In Pattaya the agency is located at the Eastern Verification Center. To get to the Eastern Verification Center you go north on Sukhumvit Highway, as if you are headed to Bangkok. When you reach the junction of Highway 3 and Route 36, 8 kilometers from Central Road (Pattaya Klang), take Route 36, toward Rayong. You'll see a sign that says "Rayong," with a right-pointing arrow. That's the road you take. 5 kilometers up the road you'll come to a sign that points Bangkok to the left and Rayong to the right. Go to the right. Almost immediately see a large, rather new looking school, The Regent's Academy. Directly in front of the school make a U-turn. Once you pass the school again, take the first left you come to, and just follow the road around. You'll see a large white building on the right side of the road. That's where you are trying to go.

At the building entrance there will be a desk at which you fill out the application form for the driving license. Make sure to tell the clerk which driving licenses you want. The clerk will check your documentation and inform you if you need anything else. If you do need additional copies, directly across the street from the building there is a row of copy and photo shops. Once the clerk is satisfied you will then be issued a number and sent upstairs to wait your turn to be called.

When you are called your documents will be taken and you will then be sent to go through some simple physical tests. Those usually include a color blindness test, a peripheral vision test, and a reaction time test. There can be other types of tests if they so choose.

Once you pass those tests, you’re done. All you will have to do is wait to be called to pay the fee, about 200 baht, and wait again for the license.

What happens if you don't have an International Driving Permit and/or a valid home country driving license? You'll have to sit through a two-hour movie, all in Thai, followed by a written test. Then, hours later, you will have to physically drive a vehicle through their obstacle course while the examiner watches. You have to supply the car and/or motorcycle yourself. If you're going to get both the car and motorcycle license, again those are two separate licenses. You can do it all in one day, but since you can't drive both a car and a motorcycle to the agency, how can you do it? If you don't have a motorcycle or car, offer a Thai who is getting his own license about 200 baht if he'll let you drive the obstacle course on his motorcycle. You will almost always find someone willing to help you out.
If, for some reason, you fail any of the tests you can try again in thirty days.

When the time comes to renew your license you must produce the same documentation again. Of course, since you already hold the Thai driving license, you no longer need a home country driving license or International Driving Permit. There are no fee penalties if you renew late.

One advantage to holding a Thai driving license is you can quite often get the Thai price, rather than the farang price, at venues and parks, or at least a discount. Also, when you find yourself in circumstances in which you are asked to leave ID, you can leave the license rather than your passport.

cc ThailandVisa.com 2009

[Captain Sensible]

You can show a work permit or tabien baan (house book) instead of a residence certificate.

When you renew your Thai DL after one year don't apply until after it has expired or you will only get another one year license and not 5 years

[WannaGo]

In case you were like me and wondered how to go about getting an International Driving Permit, here is some information:

The IDP basically acts as a local-language translation of your existing driver's license. It is not actually a separate license. For example, any citations you receive while driving overseas will go against your regular driver's license, not the IDP.

According to the US State Department, there are more than 150 countries that honor the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic agreement of 1949 and will accept an IDP issued to a US citizen.

The permits are extremely easy to get. You have to go through either AAA or the American Automobile Touring Alliance, which issues IDPs through the National Auto Club.

You just have to fill out the application from either group and send it in, along with $15 and two passport-quality photos. Get the AAA application here and the National Auto Club application here.

The AAA application also has a list of the countries that accept IDPs. As CrazyExpat mentioned above, Thailand is one of them.

Two things that are important to remember: You cannot get your IDP more than 6 months prior to the date you want it to become effective. And an IDP cannot be used in lieu of your driver's license in the US. Matter of fact, that brings up a third important thing...when you are driving in Thailand or any other foreign country that accepts IDPs, you must carry both the IDP and your existing driver's license.

Hope this helps.

[Bob]

Although the international driving license says it's good for a full year, I understand that you're only allowed to drive for 90 days with it in Thailand.

[Thaimo]

Bob, on 18 September 2009 - 10:02 PM, said:

Although the international driving license says it's good for a full year, I understand that you're only allowed to drive for 90 days with it in Thailand.

That is correct. No matter what the expiration date is, Thailand will honor the permit only 90 days upon entry to the country.

[prigas]

When you renew your driving license after 5 years in Thailand, you will be required to go through a series of examinations. 2 or 3 examinations focus on testing your eyesight and how quick you can distinguish different colors. You will also have to sit for a 1-hour video describing (in English) various driving incidents and scenarios.

[Wino]

What happens if the cops catches you without a Thai or International driver's license but you have your home country license? Probably up to the cop. Pay a small on the spot fine and be done with it?

[rucus7]

Wino, on 06 October 2009 - 12:30 PM, said:

What happens if the cops catches you without a Thai or International driver's license but you have your home country license? Probably up to the cop. Pay a small on the spot fine and be done with it?

If you don't have any valid license ( Thai or international). The police have latitude, usually a fine paid directly to the police will suffice. I have a Thai license so I don't know the cost. Hearsay has it at between 200 and 1000 baht.

[Bob]

rucus7, on 08 October 2009 - 11:49 AM, said:

If you don't have any valid license ( Thai or international). The police have latitude, usually a fine paid directly to the police will suffice.

As a matter of sad humor, the only latitude the Thai police usually exercise is for the benefit of their own wallets. They don't need a violation of anything to pick up a little tea money when it's needed.

[lvdkeyes]

Unfortunately, in Thailand you are guilty until proven innocent if the police stop you.

[Thaifan]

The information on getting a Driving Licence proved very useful - many thanks thailandvisa.com!
I was lucky though because I didn't have an International Driving Permit, but was still able to obtain my Thai Driving Licence, though I did have to resort to a small white lie. My British Driving Licence wasn't accepted because it isn't a picture licence but it is valid until I reach 70 years of age (still a long way off)so I had to use my Australian Licence which expired in 2007. Luckily my Postcode was 2017 so I was able to convince her that that was the expiry date and that it was valid for 10 years from an issue date of 2007(actually the expiry date). Should I feel guilty? Surely that was a better move than buying a Licence from JJ's Market?

[lvdkeyes]

My US license expired in 2007. I don't drive here in Thailand, but I would like to have an international license. Can anyone tell me what I have to do to get one?

[Bob]

lvdkeyes, on 04 November 2009 - 05:15 AM, said:

My US license expired in 2007. I don't drive here in Thailand, but I would like to have an international license. Can anyone tell me what I have to do to get one?

Don't think I can. I got mine from the AAA office in my dinky town before I came over here. I haven't used it as yet (still deciding if I will drive either a motorsy or car here). I do know you need a couple of the small photographs (which AAA will take for you unless you take your own in - the 2" x 2" size). I believe I paid $15.00 for the license - which physically is like a small booklet versus a driver's license.

[lvdkeyes]

I only want an international license if/when we travel to Europe. No plans to go to US. My bf drives here and will drive when we go to Australia in December, but Europe would freak him out if he had to drive there.

[Wino]

lvdkeyes, on 04 November 2009 - 05:15 AM, said:

My US license expired in 2007. I don't drive here in Thailand, but I would like to have an international license. Can anyone tell me what I have to do to get one?

I believe that if you had a valid US license, you could have applied via the mail to the AAA for an international license. In your case, I think you would have to obtain a valid driving license, either in the US or Thailand, then obtain an international license.

[lvdkeyes]

OK Thanks, that's what I suspected.

[Wino]

You might want to obtain a Thai diver's license, just for the heck of it. Some have reported that they saved money at national parks and other attractions by showing a Thai license. I guess they are given the Thai admission fee instead of the farang fee. Not saying that is a big deal but if you have a valid driver's license, it should be easy to obtain your international driver's license. The other alternative is the next time you are in the US, obtain your license there.

[lvdkeyes]

Going to the US is highly unlikely.

[Wino]

lvdkeyes, on 05 November 2009 - 04:39 AM, said:

Going to the US is highly unlikely.

If going to the US is unlikely, then the only option that I see is to obtain a Thai driver's license and then obtain an international license. Without a valid driving license, it is highly unlikely that you will be issued an international license. I may be mistaken. This is Thailand and anything is possible.