Thai Driving License renewal 2019 to 2025

[HHTel]

Mine is also due. I intend to go to KC garage and test centre tomorrow. I'll post whether it's open or closed.

[Don East Stand]

Cheers HHTel

[HHTel]

Taxed and MOT'd for another year.

I can't speak for other test centres, but although KC garage is closed, the office is open for testing and road tax.

[Don East Stand]

Thanks again HHTel

Glad you got sorted out OK.

I'll take a trip down towards Pranburi tomorrow to meet a Thai friend, and hopefully it will be as quick and painless as yours appeared to be.

[squire]

I've just got my 5-year license at Ch-am Road Transport Office. Be aware they now have a booking system.

[Mod edit: title changed to reflect content.]

[squire]

I've just got my 5-year license at Ch-am Road Transport Office. Be aware they now have a booking system.

[Mod edit: title changed to reflect content.]

Hi Robinhood (or other members that recently renewed their DL), would you please elaborate on the renewal process in Cha-am when you renewed. How long is the queue for booking, e.g., do you have to book weeks in advance or just a day or so, can you book over-the-phone or need to go in person? and did they accept a yellow tabien baan in lieu of a residence cert from Immigration? Were you required to pass all the usual physical tests, or were some forgone due to covid transmission risks?

Thanks

[HHTel]

You have 12 months to renew your licence so whether the wait is days or weeks doesn't really matter. There was a time when you couldn't renew it until it had expired. I believe that's changed now.

[squire]

You have 12 months to renew your license so whether the wait is days or weeks doesn't really matter. There was a time when you couldn't renew it until it had expired. I believe that's changed now.

Thanks for your comment. My DL expired back in January this year, and I hadn't renewed due to the on/off covid stoppages at the DLT. So although I'm still within the 12 month grace period, it now matters as I tried to do a renewal booking at DLT in Bangchak (BKK) this week and the earliest available farang appointment was 18 Jan 2022 (which unfortunately results in me exceeding the 12 month grace period - which the DLT staff said would be okay but I have some doubts).

Since I'll be returning to Cha-am for a few days later next week, it would be ideal to have the opportunity to renew there & then.

I guess I should drop by the DLT Cha-am office on my drive down next week and ask them personally about making a booking.

[Robinhood]

Hi Squire,

I'm not the best person to answer this because despite me putting loads of effort into having the correct paperwork, I was the one who turned up at Cha-am Road Transport office at 8.30 without an appointment. To be fair to the staff, they said to come back at 11.00 am, and they sorted me out from there.
Another English guy showed me this link:

https://www.dlt-elearning.com/Home

Maybe check it out. I think I was lucky.

[squire]

Thanks Robinhood for the clarification. I've recently completed the online video and printed out the certificate and have all the usual documents that they request. Given that they let you complete your renewal within a few hours I reckon I will drop by on my way down early next week to schedule an appointment, and hope they allow me a slot on the following day or so.

[Ratsima]

I renewed my license in Korat this week. Getting the required residence certificate from Immigration took two trips. I needed two photos, two copies of almost every page in my passport as well as a copy of the receipt for my most recent residence registration which we had to do again as they had no record. The medical certification now has to be done on the DLT form, a general purpose health cert is no longer accepted. An appointment is required for the renewal process which is impressively quick compared to the hours of agony I experienced five years ago. Luckily for me the depth perception and peripheral vision tests have been suspended because they involve contact with the testing device they use. All of the gear they use for the reaction time and two vision tests look like they were slapped together in someone's garage. The color blindness test is rather hilarious as they misuse a standard Ishihara color plate.

The license itself now has your address in both Thai and English as well as a QR code which produces an incredibly long string of numbers and letters; the meaning of which is a mystery to me. Perhaps some internal file number.

Perhaps the adjustments the DLT has had to make because of Covid has freed them from the byzantine bureaucratic bonds that hindered them in the past which has resulted in a much quicker and more customer friendly process. Perhaps it will stick.

[Green Nomad]

A question for my Thai wife. Her first licence has just expired, we are unsure about the process for a Thai to renew the initial license as we live outside Thailand. We are hoping to be in Hua Hin week after next and will need to do while there. Is it the same as detailed in the forum posts? Or easier? GN.

[HHTel]

I'm sure that the rules are pretty much the same apart from the immigration bit. She has 12 months after expiry to renew without having to start again.

[hhinner]

A question for my Thai wife. Her first licence has just expired, we are unsure about the process for a Thai to renew the initial license as we live outside Thailand. We are hoping to be in Hua Hin week after next and will need to do while there. Is it the same as detailed in the forum posts? Or easier? GN.

This:
https://www.dlt.go.th/th/driving-licens ... hp?_did=80

[Green Nomad]

Thanks for the link hhinner.