EXPATS INFORMED ON DRIVING LICENCES

[Admin]

Sunday 23rd August 2009, - The Director of the Land Transport
Department that deals with the issuing of drivers licences, Khun Kalorn
Wuntip very generously agreed to attend a Sunday morning meeting of the
Pattaya City Expats Club at (PCEC) At Henry J Beans Pub on the northern
end of Pattaya Beach Road. As he does not speak much English, M/s
Kanchanar from the Rayong City Land Transport Office did an excellent
job of translating the presentation into English.

She explained that as well a copy of your passport and the equivalent photos
of yourself, you must have a “Residency Certificate,” which can be obtained at
your local Immigration Office (which is Soi-5 Jomtien for Pattaya residents).
You also must have a medical report of your health condition, which usually is
very straightforward, with checks on your blood pressure, eyesight, etc, and
this is available from any local doctor or hospital for upwards of 100 baht,
with Banglamung Hospital being only around 60 baht if you do not mind the trip
out of the city centre.

Locally, Thai driving licenses are issued at the
Land Transport Department Office and this is situated on Highway 131, which runs
from the end of the overpass north of Pattaya and carries on south to Rayong.
This is easily found if you do a U-turn to the right at the International School
of Regents, head back towards Pattaya for about 400 metres, the turn left, go a
few hundred metres, turn left again ant there it is on the right side.


Thai driving licences for both cars and motorcycles usually require you
to do both a theory and practical test. But if you have an International drivers
licence, you may not have to do a practical test. Foreign nationals must be
residents and not tourists, and many are under the misconception that the
driving licence from their country of origin is sufficient, but this is
generally not the case. It is interesting to note that if you have such a
licence, you can obtain a valid international driving licence from the Land
Transport Department in Chonburi for a very reasonable cost of slightly over
500-baht.