I renewed my license before it expired. I have read many times about having to let it expire but had no problems renewing for 5 year several days before expiration. Guess we have the right connections through a friend who knows the lady in the office.
Well TIT, what is a hard and fast rule in one location, is optional in another
CDNinKS wrote:One other thing, when you do go to re-new your temporary 1 year license, you must wait until it is expired. One day past expiration is ok, but you can not re-new and get the 5 year license before that.
Yeap - certainly the case at Pranburi! I managed to get 5 years and 6 months last year.
Recently got a five year renwal at Cha-Am. Staff where very friendly and helpful not busy in and out in 20 minutes. Also they renewed a week before expiry but i did tell them that I would be travelling when the renewal date fell.
What if I don't have a foreign license? I'm here with a tourist visa only (you know, the typical visa run thing). Can I still get a Thai license or is that plain impossible?
with the Touristvisa you get only one year DL. I tried to renew my one year, they said i need a NonImmigationvisa, so they give me a new DL again for only one year.
It's funny that they make you wait until your 1 year license expires, then it's OK to drive down to the center to renew, making you break the law. Why don't they do it in the week before it finishes?
Suppose that would make too much sense, wouldn't it?
As an observation, guess the regional variation works for this one too, did mine 4 days before it expired but wasn't a problem, just said to use the old one until it expires. However, this was not in Hua Hin, sticklers for the rules down there on many things.
Yes you can take the test, there is a question part (in English)then you drive a round a set course reverse park and reverse between some flags. Not difficult.
I took my test in Phuket and had my own car but because it is a D-Max with a canopy on the back I paid 200Baht and used a small saloon car rented at the license station.
You normally have to do it within 1 year of expiry.
Still, if you go to the Pranburi office and ask nicely, you might have a good chance - they are very obliging there.
