lost in red tape- getting new Thai Driving Licence

[alexuk]

I have 2 Thai 5year Driver Licences, one for a car, one for a bike,
and lost the bike one this month.
So I went to Mae Hia driving licence place, nr Tesco,thinking they'd just give me a replacement, but was told that I need a non-immigration visa, letter from doctor and certificate of residence.
Then they gave me a piece of paper explaining that I need a non immigrant visa OR a tourist visa to do this.
So I am on a tourist visa now so I checked the internet. The advice I got there was that people report the licence loss to the police, the police fill a form in for you, then take that to the licence place and they give you a new licence. No res.cert etc.

So I got a report from the police,took it to the licence office,,now they told me that since I had had my 5 year licence for over a year, and I was on a tourist visa, I would not be able to get a replacement 5year licence, only a 1 year licence.

And that I need a Certificate of Residence to do this.
They said then that I did not need a doctor's letter.

So back to the Immigration Office nr the airport, with housing contract, passport,fotos.copies and got the Residence Certificate, the guy said he'd rush to get it ready for me the next day.

Today, picked up the Residence Certificate, off to Licence Office, and it bucketed down. This time I was told I need a doctors letter. She took my passport to get a fotocopy for 10 minutes while I stood in a puddle in the aircon. The electric must be realllly slooow in there
Back up the road to the hospital, just past tescos, it took 15minutes to get the doctors letter for 100bt. And on to the Licence place, another 20 minutes and she took my foto, 155baht, tested me for colourblindness with some copy traffic lights, and gave me my new licence

So possibly if you are on a tourist visa now, your 5year licence is not legal

 

[LivinLOS]

It just changes every time you ask..

You gotta love the paperwork tho.. It gets kafkaesque.. I remember on Phuket needing to make my 5 year license.. So I go with my one year to the office.. You need a proof of residence paper.. So I go to immigration.. You need to show us a lease, OK I dont have one right now but heres my Thai driving license how about that? Oh that will do fine.. So I then go back to the DMV with my paper, to obtain a new license, that they demanded I get by showing them the old license.

Sigh..

 

[alexuk]

cool when it works

I dont know how they expect me to keep up with them when the same person tells me 2 different stories..

but when she took my car licence, and told me the bike licence was no longer valid, I kind of waited a long time to let her hand it back..

So get copies, and just show them next time

 

[jkrfjessjess]

Am curios Alex apart from renting a vehicle ( if you ever have ? ) How many time have you needed the Thai licence , do you need it to enter other countries if you are riding ?

 

[alexuk]

going to waterfalls mostly.
Its taken as ID many places.
I got fined a lot in Pattaya once when I didnt have one, but it was all trumped up traffic offences anyway, even the Tourist Police said,its gonna make no difference,you'll still have to pay it
.
I think I'm supposed to have one when I apply for a bike temporary import, maybe that's the only time I really needed it
Until I get a new International Driving Permit, I think its a good idea
But not so much use for entering other countries.

 

[LivinLOS]

As above.. I never carry my passport, even when travelling the country here.. Hotels etc take the Thai ID as valid, you can even fly domestically with it.

Cops seem more likely to give you a pass or reduced fine (especially down south) where tourists pay the highest price, expats a bit down, Thais the lowest.

I also get a Thai IDP to travel with, based off my thai licenses, as I have no western motorcycle endorsements.

 

[alexuk]

How do u get an IDP here?

 

[DerekUK]

I was told by my insurance company that you need a Thai driving license to keep your insurance valid. As an International driving license is only valid for 3 months in a year. This was years ago when they first made vehicle insurance mandatory here.

 

[Loop]

^ i think you`ll find IDP`s are valid for 12 months?

 

[LivinLOS]

How do u get an IDP here?

Once you have the 5 year its easy.. They can do it at the DMV on Hang Dong Rd.. They have to post it away to BKK and its back a few weeks later but they handle everything.. Years ago it was a real hassle with loads of forms you had to do yourself, buy a postal order, register mail the lot and it could take up to 2 months.

 

[LivinLOS]

I was told by my insurance company that you need a Thai driving license to keep your insurance valid. As an International driving license is only valid for 3 months in a year. This was years ago when they first made vehicle insurance mandatory here.

Partly true.. I have been told the same enough times to think some insurance companies may do this.. However when I didnt have a Thai license I asked my broker exactly this as I had a 'island jeep' and I thought maybe I would rent it.. They assured me (and I demanded and got in writing) that any license would be accept and a claim paid. I never tested that but they did put it in writing.

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^ i think you`ll find IDP`s are valid for 12 months?

Yes they are.. One of the great things about the Thai one tho is.. It only says this, in small writing, on the very back of the document.. You would really need to scour it to see and not something likely done by a 3rd world copper.