Renewing your Thai Drivers License ??? Helpful info...

[travelerjim]

The Baht Stop message board has a helpful discussion about ...
Renewing your Thai Drivers License...

http://www.baht-stop.com/forums/index.p ... topic=4249 (http://www.baht-stop.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4249)

"When you get your first license it is good for 1 year.

You have to wait until it expires before you can renew and you have
1 full year after expiry date to do that.

The second license is a 5 year one, and this can and should be renewed
before it expires. This can be done up to 3 months in advance."

and more...

"Ironically, you cannot renew your Thai drivers license until after it has expired.
Yep, if you need to drive yourself to the license bureau for a renewal,
you must do it on an expired license.

Regarding the photos, I believe the Pattaya office (if not nationwide) now issues
the new card-type of license where they take a photo with a digital camera,
so you need not bring your own photos.

There was going to be a period of time, and I'm not sure if we're still in that time,
where you could still specify and get the older paper license where you need to supply photos.

and more...

Thanks to the Baht Stop posters for sharing...

[TrongpaiExpat]

Yes, helpful if your getting a driver's license in Pattaya, but only in Pattaya. As is typical of that site and the others, the advise is applicable only in Pattaya.

It's funny but it seems just like Immigration not all the local offices follow the same interpretations of the rules and Pattaya is way out there sometimes.

In Bangkok, now you do not have to take your own photo with you, they take the photo and emboss it on a "smart card".

Has anyone applied to 'upgrade' their standard Thai driver's license to a Thai International License?

What does one need to do to obtain this?

Cheers!