How To Get Thai Driver’s License on DTV in Chiang Mai & Learn How To Drive

I have had no prior driving experience and holding DTV I decided to learn how to drive a bike and a car and get licences for both (it is two different licences and separate tests).

Trust me, I was terrified of even attempting it, especially the scooter. However, I was really looking forward to learning how to drive a car and spoiler alert it was super fan! I was choosing between two schools where you can learn AND pass the exam, and was prepared to do the necessary paperwork myself.

Here is how it went and you how you can get your training and license within a month, too.

Total time: 33 days (majority of it is waiting for residency certificate). Total cost including driving lessons, paperwork, exam, and license for car: 6465 Baht/197 USD and 1365 Baht/42 USD for a bike.

Travel Essentials

Paperwork You’ll Need For Driver’s License:

1. Residency certificate
2. Medical certificate
3. Passport + Visa

Foreigners on DTV are eligible for 2-year temporary Thai driving license. It can be extended but it can’t be converted to an international driving license.

Step 1: Residency Certificate

I know that there are schools that provide the service of prepping your documents for extra payment, but you can actually do everything yourself, legally and cheap.

Getting the certificate is the first step because if you are doing it on your own, it can take up to 3 weeks to actually recieve it. Officially they say it takes 10 working days, but it took more than that for me.

To get your residency certificate you will need:

1. Get your TM30 printed (your agent or landlord should be able to send you a pdf without any issues and for free)
2. Lease agreement or real estate ownership to prove address on TM30. Make sure addresses match and it is where you live. They will look at it but they will not take a copy.
3. Get passport size photos on white background.
4. Get a copy of your DTV e-visa (just print extra from your approval email).
5. Passport + copy of the bio page.

You come on a weekday from 8AM to 12PM to the Chiang Mai Immigration office at the airport, go directly to the second floor.

There is a counter where you will get a form to fill up.

If you are doing motorcycle and car license fill ONE form but check both options. You will need ONE set of documents.

In the form they will ask you to provide ID for the last entry, open your TDAC email and get the number their.

I was in and out of the country many times since my TM30 entry but it was NOT a problem for them at all.

Once you are done with the form, you will give it to the officer at the counter, they will check you supporting documents and collect a payment. I think I paid about 120 baht/3.6 USD. They will also inform you that your residency certificate will go to your home address (TM 30 adress) by regular mail. You will get a little piece of paper with tracking number and approximate date of delivery.

That tracking number did not work for me on the Thai post site at all for the whole 3 weeks. But then, all of a sudden the status was updated and it was delivered within 2 days.

You will get one residency letter for each type you applied for. So as I applied for both car and scooter driver’s license I received two originals of the certificate. It will look identical except just words car in one and motorcycle in the other haha:

It is important to make this at least a little bit in advance as the medical certificate you’re going to do next usually has only 30-day validity.

I ran into this issue with my bike license as between waiting for paperwork, working, traveling, and actually learning, my 30 days ran out. Poor planning on my part, for sure, but best to keep it in mind.

Step 2: Medical Certificate

Super easy and cheap to make (100-200 baht/under 2 USD) at many clinics in town. It is usually a walk-in service and you will be out in 15 minutes.

They check your vitals, ask a few questions, and most importantly establish that you are not color blind.

For small things like this I always go to CM Mediclinic, but plenty of clinics will do that. This is how it looks like:

HOWEVER! Make it when you have your residency certificate on hands or closer to the date it should be delivered because in my case I had to do medical letters AGAIN simply because they expored (validity 30 days only). And it was expired by 1 day only and the DLT office did not accept it even though the next day I brought the exact same paper with fresh dates.

Learning How To Drive

Thailand is amazing in many ways and they do make things really simple for you and you have many options to choose from.

There are driving schools more geared towards foreigners, with everyone on staff speaking good English and more expensive packages that include even the paperwork. They have great reviews and if you need simpler process, you should go with Chang Phuak Gate Driving School.

• Total package for car including documents and exam is about 11,400 baht/344 USD
• Total package for bike 6400 baht/194 USD

I went with a different school, though, as I was not ready to pay 300+ USD for a few days and I can do my paperwork myself.

I used Chiang Mai Driving School located in Saraphi and their prices were:

• 1000 baht/30 USD for bike course + exam.
• 6000 baht/182 USD for car course + exam.

I loved the school and the classes. It is definitely more relaxed than in Western countries, but you get to sit through some theory videos, practice written test and drive both within the school, practice parking, and go in the city (the most fun part).

I did my car driving course first and I got to try 3 different cars including a pickup truck. You will learn everything you need to do.

The exam is pretty straightforward: you need to demonstrate parallel parking, curb parking, and going in and out a tight spot. Driving in the city is not a part of the exam.

Getting Your License

I was able to do the course and test while waiting for my residency certificate to come through but you will NOT get the license until the school has your certificate and can pass along all the documents and photos from your exam day to the the Department of Land Transport (DLT).

So once you have medical certificate, residency certificate, and you pass your tests at school, they will transfer this info to the DLT office and give you time and date for your pick up appointment.

At DLT you show up with cash to pay for you license:

• 105 Baht/3 USD for 2-year motorbike license
• 205 Baht/6 USD for 2-year car license.

My school attached simple instructions on where to go and what to do, too, however, ignore what it says 🤪 because it is completely wrong lol.

I went to the DLT office by the airport so everything below is that location specific. I assume it will be similar in different areas, but smaller offices may not have a dedicated counter for foreigners.

Even though the DLT opens at 8AM officially, come by 7.30 AM the latest. First time I came, I came at 8AM and that was the line:

Do not queue for the Information stand but head to the Counter 26 and put your documents in one file in the tray they have there. Just put it there even if there is noone at the counter yet and lights inside are off.

In your file: printed DLT booking page (my school did it for me), E-visa printed, certificate from the school regarding your course, residency certificate, medical certificate, signed copies of passport (bio page and latest stamps), original passport. If you are missing any printed docs, you an print them at DLT for 5 baht/15 cents per page.

Then sit down and wait for your name to be called. I spent 1.5 hrs waiting anyway, even though I came that early because the officer didn’t start calling out until 8.30 and the process is not fast. Tip: bring a book or something to kill time.
There will be a lot of people, even for the foreigners only counter, but not as many as in others though.

If the docs are accepted if you will be given a time when to come back for payment and pick up. The school made a booking for October 26th even though I passed the test in July (it is simply when there was a slot available) but when you submit the documents they will give you a closer time, in fact I was told to come back the same day at 11 am.

So I did. The crowds were still there! I approached the same counter 26 and was given a filled form you need to sign and a ticket with a number (for payment queue)

Another waiting game to pay. I waited about 2 hrs.

Once you paid, you are given a receipt and you can proceed to your final queue, haha. This time it is a long queue for taking pictures and printing your license (yay!).

If you care how cool is your picture, it is best to wear something with sleeves from your own wardrobe. But if you don’t, they have shirts to cover your shoulders. Open shoulders are not allowed. No hats or glasses.

Then in a few seconds you will be given your freshly printed license!

And that’s it! You’re ready to wroom wroom and explore the national parks, local villages, and go shopping 🙂

Remarks:

• Procedure to transfer your existing license (from you home country) at DLT is similar. You must have a license that is valid for more than 6 months and you will most likely need to do the tests anyway. You can actually do it at DLT as well, but keep in mind the lines.
• Temporary Thai driver’s license is not eligible for IDP (international driver’s license).
• You can be eligible for a permanent license if you have a non-immigrant visa.

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