How to get a Thai driving licence

Driving and riding in Hua Hin and Thailand, all topics on cars, pickups, bikes, boats, licenses, roads, and motoring in general.
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usual suspect
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Re: How to get a Thai driving licence

Post by usual suspect »

J.J. B..What are you trying to say about all the polite & caring drivers out there..?? 555!

What was worth making note of was the fact that nearly ALL the young Thai males in the room this morning
FAILED the reaction test!...yet were still given a licence.. :banghead:

Also (with me being the last to take this test) I noticed ALL the young Thai ladies PASSED this part of the test.. :thumb:
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Re: How to get a Thai driving licence

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usual suspect wrote: What was worth making note of was the fact that nearly ALL the young Thai males in the room this morning
FAILED the reaction test!...yet were still given a licence.. :banghead:
I've never passed that part of the test first time, yet you can ask anybody that has driven with me, my reactions are first class when driving.
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HHTel
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Re: How to get a Thai driving licence

Post by HHTel »

usual suspect wrote:
Things kicked-off around 8.20, the place was very busy, & after doing the usual colour, perception, & reaction tests
upstairs myself & another westerner were made to sit & watch a brain-numbing video about driving carefully & curtiously
for nigh-on an hour..after that photo taken & new licence handed out within 10mins.

:
Things have certainly changed. I renewed my driving licence around 3 years ago at Pranburi and it was just that - a simple renewal. No tests of any kind. In and out in half an hour!
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Ginjaninja
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Re: How to get a Thai driving licence

Post by Ginjaninja »

HHTel wrote:Things have certainly changed. I renewed my driving licence around 3 years ago at Pranburi and it was just that - a simple renewal. No tests of any kind. In and out in half an hour!
If you have an International driving licence you won't have to do the tests at least that was the case for me procuring my first-issue licences.
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Re: How to get a Thai driving licence

Post by HHTel »

When I first applied 14 years ago, I used my UK licence to get motorbike and car licence. No tests whatsoever. Since then I've just renewed my Thai licence, again with no tests whatsoever. I've seen people doing these tests while I've been there but I have never done any test since moving here.
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Thai driving license

Post by benji57 »

I got today at Cha'Am my thai driving licenses (temprary car and motorbike), but why are they valid until the 26th of April 2018 , thus 2 years ???? Usually it's only 1 year.
I didn't check the licenses at Land Transport Office, so can anyone please answer my question ?
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Re: How to get a Thai driving licence

Post by benji57 »

finally I found the answer: law changed again
http://donslifeinthailand.com/files/Dri ... r_2016.pdf
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Re: How to get a Thai driving licence

Post by Nereus »

Yes, that is correct. It has recently been changed.

DLT renews driver licence extensions

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transpo ... extensions
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Re: How to get a Thai driving licence

Post by huahin4ever »

My 5y Thai licences expire this coming Friday the 27th. May. If I go and renew tomorrow, Thursday, will my new licences be valid until 27th. May 2021? If I wait until Monday to renew, will my new licences then be valid until 27th. May 2022?
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Re: How to get a Thai driving licence

Post by Nereus »

huahin4ever wrote:My 5y Thai licences expire this coming Friday the 27th. May. If I go and renew tomorrow, Thursday, will my new licences be valid until 27th. May 2021? If I wait until Monday to renew, will my new licences then be valid until 27th. May 2022?
If you wait until after your birthday, you will get the additional time added to the 5 years.
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Re: How to get a Thai driving licence

Post by HHTel »

Unless the rules have changed, you can't renew your licence until it's actually expired then you have 12 months to get a renewal. And Nereus is right in that the five years starts from your next birthday so, with the correct timing, you can get almost 6 years.
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Post by hhinner »

^^ According to dlt web site you can apply up to 3 months before the old one expires.
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Re: How to get a Thai driving licence

Post by Ratsima »

I applied for a renewal yesterday in Korat. My wife had checked in advance and found that you can apply up to three months before the expiration date. Mine expired in late July.

I had to do four tests: Reaction time, depth perception, color blindness and peripheral vision. I flunked the peripheral vision test, but they let me slide. After the tests we watched a very boring video. If this video is any indication of how Thais are taught in school there is no wonder why the education system is failing. I mean how many ordinary drivers need to know that a tuck carrying flammable material needs to carry at least two fire extinguishers which contain not less than three liters of either carbon dioxide or chemical fire retardant?

Before the video was over and much to our relief, we were all called out to pay the fee, get photographed and pick up our licenses. Although the whole procedure could be improved, it moved along smoothly and took a total of about three hours from arrival to departure.
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huahin4ever
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Re: How to get a Thai driving licence

Post by huahin4ever »

Nereus wrote:
huahin4ever wrote:My 5y Thai licences expire this coming Friday the 27th. May. If I go and renew tomorrow, Thursday, will my new licences be valid until 27th. May 2021? If I wait until Monday to renew, will my new licences then be valid until 27th. May 2022?
If you wait until after your birthday, you will get the additional time added to the 5 years.
You were absolutely right. I went to Pranburi DLT Tuesday 31 May, 4 days after my birthday. Handed in my papers, two resident certs from Immigration (1 for car, 1 for motorcycle), copy of my passport picture page and visa page and the original 5 years expired licenses. Cued up and did ONLY the color eye test (which is so weird since if you have color sight, you never loose it, so one time check is sufficient). Sat down and watched the silly video for 1 hour, paid the fees, a total of 1060 baht, took picture and got my new licenses. Valid until 27 May 2022 wich is nearly 6 years. All in all it took approx. 2 hours and 15 mins.
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