# Thai Driving Licence



## bonidea23

my name is David Bon i just got my new Thai driving license last June 4 2013 @ roi-et province Thailand its easy and fun to apply Thai officers are friendly and lovely smile tourist and other visitors in Thailand that stay for more than 3 months in the country can apply driving license... any LTO office/Province
make sure you complete your requirements before to visit [LTO]
Land transportation office

Drive Safe 
David Bon


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## olbozz

Hi David
what are the requirement to apply? is it just to exchange it with your country of origin driving license?


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## thaicanuck

If you already have a driving license from another country it is very easy. You just need your passport and 2 copies of visa page and main page, medical report (any doctor can supply, address confirmation from immigration + 1 copy, current driving permit. I have been living in China for six years and just moved to Thailand a few weeks ago. My Canadian license has expired so I have to take the practical and written test as well. It takes about a week to get a residence certificate from immigration before you can go get the license.


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## Mweiga

thaicanuck said:


> If you already have a driving license from another country it is very easy. You just need your passport and 2 copies of visa page and main page, medical report (any doctor can supply, address confirmation from immigration + 1 copy, current driving permit. I have been living in China for six years and just moved to Thailand a few weeks ago. My Canadian license has expired so I have to take the practical and written test as well. It takes about a week to get a residence certificate from immigration before you can go get the license.


For Brits they won't accept the old style British licence (grubby piece of folded paper with green print and no photo that remained valid till you're 70) - only the new EU style photo card licence can avoid you taking the tests.

The immigration residency certificate / letter is issued same day at Pattaya immigration - last time it took me just 20 minutes from arriving at imm office and filling the form to collecting the completed letter and being on my way.


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## olbozz

Thanks

I am moving there for few years.
Is there any advantages to change my French driving license and just use the international driving license?


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## olbozz

thaicanuck said:


> If you already have a driving license from another country it is very easy. You just need your passport and 2 copies of visa page and main page, medical report (any doctor can supply, address confirmation from immigration + 1 copy, current driving permit. I have been living in China for six years and just moved to Thailand a few weeks ago. My Canadian license has expired so I have to take the practical and written test as well. It takes about a week to get a residence certificate from immigration before you can go get the license.


cool
I've been living for something like 7 years (Beijing/Taipei) and moving to BKK in Sept.


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## Mweiga

olbozz said:


> Thanks
> 
> I am moving there for few years.
> Is there any advantages to change my French driving license and just use the international driving license?


Use your French licence , which presumably is the EU style photo licence , to get a Thai licence - of course you keep your original French licence as well. The first time you're issued a Thai licence it will be a temporary one valid for just one year - after the first year you can get a permanent Thai licence which is valid for 5 years and then it must be renewed - and the permanent licence cannot be issued to people only on tourist visas.

In theory you should be able to drive using an International Licence but in practice the Thai traffic cops prefer to see a Thai licence if you get stopped and how you're handled after being stopped often varies according to the particular cop who stopped you and his interpretation of what is an acceptable licence. The international licence is still useful to have however - again easy to obtain and you keep it alongside your national French licence.

There are also frequent changes and modifications to the Thai driving licence rules and regs but the above was valid last time I was getting mine sorted a couple of years ago.


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