Thread: Driving License Rules Changed ?

Originally Posted by buadhai

..Ms. B got almost six as the five year license expires on your birthday after the fifth year. Hers expires in May of 2555.

Me too - mine was for 5 years and about 10 months.

(Mine expires May 2554 - I wonder if she's got the same birthday as me )

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Can I apply at any office or does it have to be the one in Phrae.

My friend Ken, who lives in about 80K north of Korat, was told he had to apply in the Ampoer in which he resides. He was wanting to apply in Korat because in his home Ampoer (Ban Luam?) they were insisting that he get a statement of residency from the US Embassy while in Korat they accepted just a statement from the immigration division at the local police office.

You're not alone, Thetyim.

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Originally Posted by buadhai

This is nonsense

Agreed.
But you can't argue with a government official....

I won once - when I first arrived at Don Muang with my shiny new visa. The woman at the immigration desk wanted to give me a 3 month stamp - I said it should be for one year. She said 3 months, I said 1 year, again and again. Eventually she gave me a 3 months stamp. I didn't move from the line. She called a runner over to get the boss. He turns up in a nice uniform with lots of insignia on it and we go off to have a chat.

I explain and he agrees with me straight away. We go back to the woman at the desk, he says something to her and she starts wai-ing so much I was hoping she'd hit her head on the desk. I got my 12 month stamp plus lots of "So solly's" from her and "My pen rais" from me (that wasn't what I was thinking of course.)

Originally Posted by RDN

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Originally Posted by buadhai

This is nonsense

Agreed.
But you can't argue with a government official....

II explain and he agrees with me straight away. We go back to the woman at the desk, he says something to her and she starts wai-ing so much I was hoping she'd hit her head on the desk.

I liked that part.

Originally Posted by Sir Burr

I think the rules have been changed.

There are no rules....

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by Old Codger

which is ok because i want to visit the Thai distributor for Beer Lao who as it happens are based in NK

Does he sell the dark beer, or just the tastelss lager?

Good question, i will report back.....

Originally Posted by buadhai

Originally Posted by Sir Burr

I think the rules have been changed.

There are no rules....

Never a truer word spoken

Originally Posted by Old Codger

The ones i bought over the border dont have the NK address and do have the tiger head logo. Ask the gaffer at your fave bar to investigate!

Will do. Have contact info for the distributor?

The houses shown on that web page are in phase I of the development where we're planning to buy....

Sorry to hijack the thread Thetyim, but we seem to have reached the logical "no rules" conclusion.

Originally Posted by buadhai

Sorry to hijack the thread Thetyim,

No Problem.
Beer is much more interesting than a driving license.

Speaking of no rules... I'm in the middle of applying for a Thai DL. I'll report my exerience after I finish it - hopefully tomorrow!

I had a rather difficult time with the physical tests - I was seated at a desk designed for someone about a foot shorter than me for the reaction time test and kept on banging my knee against the desk when I tried to break! Then, for the peripheral vision test, I kept on cheerfully calling out seekiow and seedang until I finally realized that some of the lights were supposed to be yellow and not another shade of green! I finally passed that part of the test & should finish up tomorrow.

OK, I've got a Thai Driver's License now. I took in my Passport, my Work Permit, a health certificate and my current California Driver's License. I had to take a couple of vision tests and a reaction time test and a 30 question written test. The written test was in English and you needed to get 23 questions correct to pass (I got 25 ).

As my Work Permit has my current address, no letter from immigration confirming my address was required. Also, as my CA Driver's License is current, I didn't have to take a road test.

Update:

I have learned that if you own and drive a vehicle in Thailand and do not have either an International Drivers permit OR a valid Thai driving licence then your insurance is INVALID.
If you have an accident the first thing that your insurance company will ask for is either of these documents. Showing just your regular farangland issued licence is not enough, your insurance is void and that is that.

That leads me onto my situation right now.

My 1 year licence ran out. I want to get a 5 year licence. (note that right now my car has no insurance as i do not have either of the required licences, if somebody steals it today its bye bye one million Bht)

I talked to the drivers licence center, they told me i need the proof of address document.
Now the process for getting this free document appears to have changed.
I was informed today by Nong Khai that i need to take the housemaster ( head name on tabien baan) with me IN PERSON to Nong Khai office.
The original tabien baan and the housemaster ID card is reqired during that visit. Now for most folks that is not a problem as in many cases the tabien is in the name of the ggod lady wife or girlfriend.
Not in my case, i live in a rented condo and the owner has told me that he will not go to Nong Khai with me (a rightly so, this is a bunch of bullshit request).
So seemingly I have a car i cannot drive, even though i spent a lot of money on it.
Immigration rules are preventing me from telling the truth about where I live.
Now i have to lie to them by using my girlfriends parents address and her dads id card and tabien baan.
The other option is an expensive trip to BKK and the wankers at the British Embassy to get an address document from them. Evidently they make no checks on the addresss you provide to them, you just scribble down your claimed address on a form and they print the document for 3000 baht or whatever!

OC, do you do your 90 reporting ?

I got the wife to phone immigration today for a new proof of address.
He said "No problem, just send me a couple of photos and I will post the document to you "

This is why I always "take care" of the immigration officier when I do my extensions and always get his name and phone number.
When I phone up he remembers my name and is always helpful.

^ no i just do 90 day visa runs these days....mostly for BeerLao benefits

Originally Posted by Old Codger

no i just do 90 day visa runs these days.

Thats why you are getting all the red tape.
If you do 90 day reporting then they can just issue an address document.

Without a previous 90 day report you have to jump thru all the hoops.

Originally Posted by Old Codger

The other option is an expensive trip to BKK and the wankers at the British Embassy to get an address document from them. Evidently they make no checks on the addresss you provide to them, you just scribble down your claimed address on a form and they print the document for 3000 baht or whatever!

You can do this at the Consulate in Chiang Mai, if that's any help.

^ Thanks for that, never been to CM and maybe its time i did

You won't beleive the Consulate in CM.

You can park outside the door, and then nip in and be served (no queue) by a very charming and beautiful thai girl who speaks perfect english, knows the facts and is eager to help.

I just noticed that the Phuket Transport office no longer mentions 5 year licenses and states that, for foreigners, a license lasts for one year only. I wish I'd kept a snapshot of the old page.

Phuket Office - Driving Licenses

Driving License Renewing

When you are issued a driving license please note that there is an expiration date. Please come to renew your driving license on or before the expired date, but not later than the expire date.
You can also renew after the expired date, but not later than 1 year; otherwise, you have to take tests same as for a new driving license.

I love that last sentence - it completely negates the previous one! . It makes you wonder what else gets lost in translation.

information: A driving license is only 1 year old according to government permission for foreigners annually. [Yes, OK, we know what they mean.]


Documents Required for renewing your driving license.

1) Passport (and 1 signed copy of photo page)
2) Visa (and 1 signed copy)
3) Two 1 inch photos
Note: Available from vendors outside the parking lot.
4) Your old driving license

information: DRIVERS LICENSE fees

For motorcycles 55 Baht/year
For cars 105 Baht/year

So I will not get my 5 year licenses updated with my new address just in case they say I must have a one year one. Maybe I'll pop in and ask if I'm passing their office.

Pity, I wanted a nice new "smart card" 5-year license with my new address on it. I'll report back if I find out anything.

I read that you can drive on a UK licence if you are a tourist. Can anyone confirm that?

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

I read that you can drive on a UK licence if you are a tourist. Can anyone confirm that?

Nope. You need an IDP

Oh. Different to what I read somewhere once.

The way I remember it is, you can use your home country license to DRIVE a vehicle and will satisfy the police IF you are a tourist - i.e. here for less than a 3 months stretch, but you still won't have insurance cover (unless your car/moto-cy supplier shows you paperwork that says to the contrary).

But, if you're here for longer than 3 months you must have an IDP or Thai license to satisfy the police and to get your own insurance cover.

Or something like that.

Possibly.