Applying for first Thai driving licence

[MLS]

Hi, I must apply for an initial one-year Thai licence and assume I'll need to go to the Transport Dept in person armed with various documents, passport, photos and patience (and a good book, as helpfully suggested in an earlier post). Apologies if answers have already been given, but earlier info I've looked at may be out of date so I'd be interested in finding out if anyone has recently and successfully applied for their first licence.

First question: I can't see the actual address anywhere - is it signposted and/or easy to find heading into Pramburi?
Second: I have UK and international driving licences. Is it true that producing the international one means I won't need to take a test?
Third: Do I need a medical certificate? Some say I do, some say I don't. If I do, can anyone let me have contact details of a doctor who can provide this service? I don't know any here.
Fourth: One piece of info I read said I need a letter from Immigration showing proof of address, but if I lug over my house ownershop docs would that suffice instead?

On limited time in HH so would be grateful for any pointers or updates that might make my - and maybe others' - initial application as quick and painless an experience as possible! Thanks for any advice.

[buksida]

This is the process I went through in March for the motorcycle test: viewtopic.php?f=44&t=17593

Yes, you need to take the test and you need the proof of address letter and medical, any clinic will do it.

The only difference with the car one is that you have to do the maneuvers in your car instead.

[pitsch]

I had an international driving licence and had to do only the reaction test but no driving.

[ste860]

to get to the test centre head for pranburi bear left at the flyover , as you approach the second set of lights get in the right hand lane ,do a u turn and its the first turn on your left down the side of the police station,once you have turned just look for the big purple building on your left ,its upstairs in there

[barrys]

First question: I can't see the actual address anywhere - is it signposted and/or easy to find heading into Pramburi?
Second: I have UK and international driving licences. Is it true that producing the international one means I won't need to take a test?
Third: Do I need a medical certificate? Some say I do, some say I don't. If I do, can anyone let me have contact details of a doctor who can provide this service? I don't know any here.
Fourth: One piece of info I read said I need a letter from Immigration showing proof of address, but if I lug over my house ownershop docs would that suffice instead?

Answers:

1. From Hua Hin, drive south towards Pranburi until you reach the Tesco Lotus (on your left) traffic light intersection just before the main Pranburi intersection.
Make a U-turn at the Tesco Lotus intersection and then turn left, that will take you to the driving licence office.

2. You can produce either your English or international licence. You will then not have to take the theoretical and practical tests. You will have to do reaction and colour blindness tests on the spot, though (easy and harmless).

3. Yes, you need a medical cert. Carry on past Tesco Lotus to the main Pranburi traffic light intersection and turn left. A couple of hundred metres on the right you will see a semi-open Thai doctor's surgery.
Go there at 8 p.m. and get your cert for 30 baht with no examination. You will then get to the driving licence office around 8.15 and be at the head of the queue when they open at 8.30 a.m.

4. Home ownership documents will not be sufficient per se unless you can produce the yellow house book.
If not, a work permit will suffice or, failing that, you have to get the confirmation letter from immigration, who should accept the house ownership papers for that purpose.

[Spitfire]

As Barrys says, having a valid (not expired) license from your country of origin or an international license should make the process smoother and you won't have to bother with all the silly written tests (which are a little nuts), just the reaction and sight (peripheral vision etc) tests.

Pretty painless if you have the medical paper and the address documents thing too.

[Dannie Boy]

I might have been very lucky, but I went to the test centre at Cha Am, although it is actually a good 10 kms past Cha Am towards Petchaburi. However on producing copies or originals of medical certificate, UK driving licence, passport with residence visa, proof of residence, I walked out of the "test" centre with two photo-ID driving licences for motorbike and car in 15 minutes flat, and all at a cost of 370 baht. The only "test" that I had to do was a colour blind one and when I started calling out the numbers before the woman had even held the card up, she knew I didnt have a problem with colours.

I did have my Thai wife with me which may have been a (big) help, but couldnt have been easier!!!

As I said, I may have been very lucky and turned up at the right time on the right day, but based on my experience, all I can do is recommend Cha Am.

[crazy88]

Took mine a couple of weeks ago.

POA from immigration where you will need copies of your passport and visa page and of course the passport itself. Copy Tabien baan first 2 pages. Mine is not in my name so I took a letter signed by my partner saying I lived here and the original document. Dressed smart and gave a proper Thai greeting to every official I came into contact with. In and out in 20 minutes. Avoid lunchtime and especially just before it cos they will be hungry! Also need photos, think they only took one but could be wrong so take a few. Cost 300 Bt

Then off to polyclinic for your medical. They do actually give you a basic medical and an eye test 200 Bt.

Test centre I presented the whole folder of signed documents and the originals. They shuffled them about a bit then took them away and directed me to a room where you take some very simple reaction tests then they give you a book on road signs to study for an hour or son then you take a multiple choice test on one of those touch screen machines you see in shopping centres. 30 questions, many of which we had to guess You get 2 goes and if you fail both you have to go back another day. Lunchbreak and then the bit in the car. All applicants were Thai apart from me but luckily one spoke enough English and translated to the examiner that I would like to watch a few people first as I did understand half of what she said. My turn came so you drive around a mock up circuit. First a 10m drive within a certain distance of the curb followed by a series of give way signs, crossings etc. Did make me chuckle watching them all stop at pedestrian crossings. Then you drive in between 2 lines of poles and reverse out again followed by a reverse park into another set of poles where you have to get all four wheels on a red rectangle. It is a bitch in a truck, took me about a dozen shuffles backwards and forwards. Knock a pole over you fail. Back into the test centre and you have your photo taken and your wallet lightened by 205 Bt and out comes your licence

Crazy 88

[crazy88]

Took mine in Pranburi with no UK licence.

Crazy 88

[dom77]

See my earlier post - I did it back in June for both a car - having had no UK licences and they could not have been more helpful. Funny how some things that should be difficult are not. Just be respectful and smile and you will walk out of there at around 3pm with your licences.

[barrys]

In the OP's case he should be out before lunchtime as they do the practical driving tests in the afternoon and he won't need to do them if he produces a valid international UK licence.

[hhfarang]

Agree with everything Barry said except:

Go there at 8 p.m. and get your cert for 30 baht with no examination.

I'm sure he meant 8 a.m.

[Noz]

I might have been very lucky, but I went to the test centre at Cha Am, although it is actually a good 10 kms past Cha Am towards Petchaburi. However on producing copies or originals of medical certificate, UK driving licence, passport with residence visa, proof of residence, I walked out of the "test" centre with two photo-ID driving licences for motorbike and car in 15 minutes flat, and all at a cost of 370 baht. The only "test" that I had to do was a colour blind one and when I started calling out the numbers before the woman had even held the card up, she knew I didnt have a problem with colours.

I did have my Thai wife with me which may have been a (big) help, but couldnt have been easier!!!

As I said, I may have been very lucky and turned up at the right time on the right day, but based on my experience, all I can do is recommend Cha Am.

I second Cha Am as the place to go. Got both my initial 1 year and then 5 year licence there. Went on my own both times and only the first time did I have to do the sight and reaction tests. And I got both car and motorbike licences, despite not having a UK motorbike licence.

The only pain in the butt for me this time was the one older woman staff member in HH immigration, who frequently has off days, and despite all politeness, loves to make things as difficult as possible sometimes. On this occasion it was the certificate of residence and how she wouldn't issue it on production of my rental contract and some bills in my name, and required the house book when the owner was out of the country. After some begging she relented. If you're going for 2 licences, the Cha Am driving licence people will also accept a copy of one certificate of residence plus the original, so when immigration ask if you want for both car and motorcycle, you can get one and avoid the double charging. At least it worked for me. And oh yes, the nice woman in immigration also at first refused to the issue the residence letter addressed to the Cha Am driving licence department because I wouldn't be able to get a licence because I lived in Prachuap. And stuck to her story when I showed my Petchburi issue 1 year licence from last year! I politely asked her just to take my money, type it and I'd take my chances!

And not forgetting the time this same woman wanted a bribe for sticking a re-entry permit in the last remaining space in my passport........Anyway, I digress. It's still Cha Am for me. Seems easier to find and never any queues any time I've been.

[barrys]

Agree with everything Barry said except:

Go there at 8 p.m. and get your cert for 30 baht with no examination.

I'm sure he meant 8 a.m.

Yes, he did - sorry about that

[Farang]

Here's the map to Pramburi DMV: