Drivers licence

What do you need to get a Thai drivers licence?

1. Residence certificate from Embassy/Consulate, Immigration Office Work Permit (Chiang Mai address) or Residence Book (yellow book) copy and original
2. Non Immigrant visa extensions, and Passport and last entry (copy and original)
3. Medical Certificate (report for driver’s license)
4. Two photos (size 1 inch x 1 inch) not glossy (taken within 6 months)
5. Drivers license (any one type listed below).
• A driver’s license written in English and must have an explanation about the class of license (e.g. valid for car or motorcycle etc) (Copy of the license front and back)
• If unknown, you must contact your consulate or embassy for explanation and guarantee for you license. (Copy of the license front and back) or present a printed explanation from internet.
• A drivers license in any other language must also have the license translated into Thai or English on your Embassy Copy.
• International Drivers License (Original and copy)
• If you do not have a license, you must take the training course. (2 hrs at 0900 – 1100am or 1300-1500pm) written Test (1100am or 1500pm) and driving test
6. Fee (car) 105 Baht (motorcycle) 55 Baht + 10 baht for laminating the license

Note: To get your Thai license you must take some quick tests for reflex, depth perception and colour perception.

The office is located on the Chiangmai-Hod Road about 1.6 kilometers from Tesco Lotus on the left hand side heading towards Hang Dong.

It has a purple fence and is before the first over road walkway and is opposite the airport.

If you get to the 1st set of traffic lights after Tesco Lotus you have gone too far.

Not having an embassy in ChiangMai (feedback from an Australian expat), the easiest way of getting a "Residence Certificate" was from the Thai Immigration office at ChiangMai.

The required documents are (and I quote from Thai Immigration's handout):

1. two colour photos 1.5" x 2";
2. copy of passport (including) - picture page; - visa extension limit page; - arrival / departure card i.e. the TM card;
3. a copy of the house registration (i.e. house book) and a copy of the rental contract;
4. a copy (of the) ID card of the owner and "write certified of residence" (?) and signed by the owner. (I'm guessing this is a simple letter to state you really do live at that address and signed by the owner.)

The comments included in the brackets ( ) are mine - the other words are from the original hand-out. (Feedback November 2006)

Photocopying must now be done off the premises - the closest is directly across the road from the license office (be careful of the high speed traffic) (new info Nov 2006)

Photos can be done inside the license office near the stairs (by a private company). I already had larger than 1x1 inch (2.5 x 2.5 cm), but had to submit the smaller size. (new info Nov 2006)

Medical Certificate is available from any hospital or most doctors and is given out straight away after seeing a doctor and of course paying the bill.

The hospital I used was the Chiangmai Klaimor Hospital which is just before Lotus/Tesco Chiangmai-Hod Road and the fee was 80 Baht. You can do it all on the way.

Obtaining a license is on the 2nd floor; go to counter 21-the window next to it there is a sign (Thai driver’s licenses and International drivers licenses for foreigners) in English.

The very nice lady there speaks fairly good English and is most helpful.

Pickup completed license at counter 25.

I am led to believe that you must start with a 1 year license before you can obtain a 5yr license.

Quote from an Expat November 2006:

All quite simple, just a little time consuming. I've consistently found all of the staff at the Thai Immigration office in Chiangmai, and at the driving license office in Chiangmai, to be very friendly and accommodating even when they're very busy (which is mostly). Having seen some of the (occasional) rudeness by foreigners to those officials, I'm amazed at how they keep their cool at times. Full credit to them all.

This information was obtained from the Chiangmai Motor Transport Office November 2005 and updated with feedback from an expat in November 2006.

{This was added to the CEC Google Group on September 14, 2007. It sure is good to have over 400 members keeping us informed, isn't it?}

Since there is no info on the CEC website about renewal of driver's license and hardly any reliable info elsewhere, I thought it might be handy if I throw in a post.

Maybe the editor of the website can copy this info as an extension to the article on how to obtain a driver's license.

Text below is copied from a leaflet handed out by the lady at counter 21.

- - - - -

RENEW THAI DRIVER'S LICENSE FOR 5 YEARS

1. Non - Immigrant visa extensions + Passport and last entry (copy and original)

2. Residence certificate from Embassy, Consulate, Immigration office, Work Permit or Residence Book (yellow book) (copy and original)

3. Two photos (size 1 inch x 1 inch) not glossy (taken within 6 months)

4. Thai Driver's license (on or after expiration date)

5. Fee (car) 505 Baht, (motorcycle) 255 Baht for 5 years

6. Medical certificate (date within 1 month time)

- - - - -

Mind if you renew before the expiration date you will only receive a 1 year renewal/extension.

Your website editor, who hasn't operated a motor vehicle of any kind since December 1999, thanks you for this.

{This was added earlier on the same day, but I found it later.}

There was an excellent article (The Legal Beagle) by Khun Jaroonroat Krasaeusk in Issue# 11 of the Expats Newsletter, and I thought I would pass along some additional items, as I successfully obtained my car and motorcycle licenses today.

Note that you will need FOUR 1 inch-by-1 inch photographs when applying. The photoshops usually know what to do once you tell them it is for a driver's license. Passport size photos are too large.

You will be given a color blindness test (pick out colors of dots on a big circle), a reaction test (press the accellerator for a green and then hit the brake when the red light shows up), a depth perception test (pull on two strings until two vertical rods are the same distance from you) and a peripherial vision test (you put your nose up to device with lights on the side and you denote what side and what color appears). These four tests are done in fairly large groups of people. If you get to the office at 8:30, you should be able to get in first group and avoid a wait for a later group.

The forms are indeed in Thai, and it goes very fast if you have a Thai-English speaker with you. The staff there is very efficient, and I got out in an hour and ten minutes. If you need a translator, please let me know.

Before you go, make sure that you have two copies of all the documents listed in Issue 11, and it should go smooth. Good Luck!