5 Year Thai Driver Lisense

It is difficult to find much on the subject about your drivers lisences, and my blog contains information on getting the initial 1 year lisense you are supposed to have by law,if you are here longer than 90 days. Today I got my 5 year "permanent" lisense. And I wanted to share the process with those who may be trying to find the same information I did. This is based on the Phuket Land and Transportation office process. And I must say that the staff there are very helpful.

I needed TWO of each of the following (if you want a car and motorcycle lisense), only one set of documents if you want a car or a motorcycle only):

A medical certificate;
avaliable from any doctors clinic. Mine cost 100 Baht, soem doctors cost more and other less. I had some running around to do, as apparently the floods in Bangkok have made the forms in short supply or out of stock in some offices. I made a coloured photocopy of the certificate

A Residency Certificate from the Immigration department. This also took me 2 days, as last time it was a simple sit down and fill in the form, pass the man his 300 Baht for the pocket, and out you went. Make a second photocopy for your driver application paperwork. Now I needed to complete an application for residency certificate, copies of my passport photo page, visa page,and the departure card, PLUS 2 passport size photographs.They have changed the certificate and it now bears your phorograph and a seal from immigration. So photocopy will no longer work, and this time for the two I had to "donate" 600Baht. You will see that this is supposed to be no charge, and I have in the past managed to get one for no charge, but safe to say go with 600 Baht if you want two certificates.

Your expired Thai one year lisence. It has to be EXPIRED and they will not renew prior to expiry date. You have 6 months from expiry to get your renewal or 5 year lisense. And you need to know that when you get the 5 year lisense, you must renew PRIOR to expiry.

2 copies (if for two lisenses) of the passport photopage, your visa page, and your page with the last entry stamp and/or departure card.

I went at 2PM, as the mornings are a crush of people lined out all along the outside of the building. The lady at the desk checked all my paperwork. I was short one photocopy, but they will make a copy for you at a cost of 6 Baht. She gave me a que number, and off I went to  have a seat and then go to counter #2.
All the paperwork is checked again. Pay the lady the 860Baht fee and then she sends you to booth #5. You put your paperwork in the red basket at the side of the desk, and wait for your name to be called. They take a photo and you pay 120 Baht and go back to sit. A few minutes later they call your name and hand you your brand new 5 year lisenses. You do need to have cash, as the nearest ATM is a ride away into Phuket town. All in all the process was probably less than 15 minutes. The new lisense expires on your birthday in 5 years, so lucky me I actually get to drive for 6 years on the new lisense. I had heard that if your one year expires, do the renewal within the 6 months, but preferably after your birthday, and this seemed to bear true.