Reader Submission: Getting a Thai driver's license
Last Monday I went to the Department of Transport at Moo Chit in Bangkok to inquire about the possibility of getting a Thai driver's license to obtain.
Building 4 from the entrance the last building on the right before the road turns right, first floor information. I got the piece of paper (photo) with the list of necessities which I then studied briefly before going home again and since I had another question I joined the queue again because I wanted a car and a motorcycle and then I had to do everything twice consult times? That was the case and I was allowed to copy the doctor's statement.
I come to Thailand every year for a minimum of 7,5 months, so I have to get an international driving license from the ANWB every year. Just too crazy for words, because it costs almost € 20 (excluding the passport photo) while it is only valid for 1 year and is therefore € 160 more expensive than your normal driving license that costs just under € 40 for 10 years.
Tuesday I went to the hospital where I take my sister-in-law every day and pick it up (she works there) to get the doctor's statement. She had arranged an appointment for me so that I could do it just before she was done, in no time at all.
They had the form but the doctor had never used it before and the nurse who came in didn't know it either, so a mistake had been made and a new form was filled out. Cost? Which costs? So that was manageable.
On Wednesday with all papers back to Department of Transport. Have a copy of the doctor's statement made immediately upon arrival, costs 1 baht.
Reported again on the first floor and showed all the papers that were split there for the different driver's licenses and forwarded to the 2nd floor for "THE TEST". At the top of the stairs turn right and then right again in the left corner for a que number and hand over all papers. Just at that moment, all the people who are sitting there go to the next room one by one and someone sits next to me with number 465 I have 464 so I know that when he gets up later I have to too.
On a TV in front of us, a movie is played continuously, which after I look at it a little longer turns out to be the test. The test consists of 4 parts:
The first is that you have to say what color you see in the traffic light in front of you, it is a bit confusing that the colors appear at random places and not in a fixed place like with the normal traffic light.
Second is that you stop a moving pole that is supposed to move from left to right when it slides in front of the other pole. On the table is a block with a red and green button and the employee says that I have to press the green button, nothing happened but it's okay, so on to 3?
Third is the brake test, on the floor is a block with a gas and brake pedal and in front of you is a box with green and red light. The intention is that you accelerate after which the green light comes on and as soon as the red light comes on you have to brake, you have to do that within 0,75 seconds otherwise you are finished, which happened to me but no problem you immediately get a retake pfffff success .
Fourth and final part, pushing your head into a preformed piece of iron where there is a recess for the nose and to the left and right of you 2 lights that go on and off and are of different colors. I mentioned the colors I saw and was then forwarded to information, the same counter where I got my que number.
One of each stack of papers was removed and I had to report back to the first floor.
Back in line on the first floor and another que number to get the driver's license. Inside it turned out that there were at least 75 people in favor so I went for a cup of coffee. When it was my turn, a photo was taken and the driver's licenses immediately came out of a machine. Motorbike costs 105 baht and car 205 baht, I was there from about 9.30 am to 12.30 pm so that is not too bad when you see how many people are hanging around.
There are desks that guide you through all this, but that is really not necessary, even if you do not speak Thai like me, you will save 2000 baht, I think.
By the way, if you don't have your driver's license, you can also go here to do that, but you will have to ask yourself how that works.
Good luck to those who have yet to make it.
Submitted by Tom
That's how it went with me, the highest in rank even took me aside to show the film in English and also took me to the room for the color test etc and showed me everything again.
I just got the doctor's statement from a clinic, I think a fixed price of 100 Thb.
Measure blood pressure, weight and answer some questions.
While I was waiting a man nervously walked up to the highest rank and tried to arrange his extension with money under the table. however, the big boss said (so loudly for everyone to hear) that no more tea money was accepted, not in the whole building. Turned out he couldn't do the 3D test later.
When collecting my driver's license, the lady tried to get something extra, she said all the time that this is not possible and is not allowed and I do not make a driver's license, etc. Others were ready in 3 minutes, I had been there for fifteen minutes and still nothing. Then my wife came and asked if she would call the big boss if there were any problems. 2 minutes later my 2 driving licenses were ready.
This was at Land and Transport Office 4
Is this only for long stay? Is this only possible if you really have a visa to live in Thailand? or is it also possible if you are regularly in Thailand on a tourist visa? Can you provide the address where you always stay (in the name of your wife's Thai family) as a residence address, or do you actually have to be on that house registration form and be named?
it's been a while now for me, but I thought I had to go get "proof of recidivism" in immigration and you have to have a one-year visa for that.
I had a non immigrant O visa (3 months) and less than a year extension and I could get my redecent certificate based on this visa and a lease (rental) contract. That was a condition to be able to apply for the driver's license.
I am married to a Thai woman, I have a visa for one year and I have a yellow booklet, which you can get at the district office together with the person whose name the house is in and who therefore has the blue booklet.
You can immediately get the Thai ID proof and you pay 60 baht for that.
I am afraid that it is not possible with a tourist visa, but you can always ask, and as with everything, they do not apply the same rules everywhere, sometimes they accept Johny Walker.
that brake test was also wrong for me the first time, I thought I had to wait until green was right on the line of red, and she even did it, accelerating and braking immediately is enough.” was behind the regency in Pattaya.
A driver's license in Thai. In Belgium, that international driving license is valid for 3 years and costs 25 Euro
I also got my first driver's license in Bangkok (1959)
That was a lot easier then than it is today, when I read this piece. Matter of a bottle Johnny
Slide Walker (black label) over the table and go outside with your driver's license.
Before a lot of comments: I drove around for 10 years without a single scratch.
Well,
It was exactly the same with me, only I also had to watch a movie.
I had to laugh during the brake test, there is a 2 meter high pole, the bottom meter has green LED lights and the top meter has red LED lights. These indicate the reaction time between the red traffic light and my braking time. There is a Thai standing (sitting) in front of me, he almost reached the top red LED light, he is surprised and says >no one can do that< to which the lady says, let that farang go first. And I, from below, overtook 30 cm in the green. You should have seen that Thai look ha, ha, ha.
Last year had a similar experience in Trad for both car and motorcycle driving license.
This year I can switch both temporary to 5 annual.
Are the claim-free years you accrued in the Netherlands also valid in Thailand?
Can someone tell me if the mentioned 4 points for the car / motorcycle license in Pattaya
be the same as in Bangkok. I am in possession of the yellow booklet and a Thai identity card