WOW SOunds like fun to me!

Mainer,

Your experience sounds similar to mine several months back to obtain my first one year license. I dealt with the gentleman next to the window for all visits. Immigration first turned me away because I did not have the letter from Land Transport requesting the resident status letter from immigrtion for the purpose of obtaining a drivers license. I went back to LTO and got the letter. Immigration next turned me away as I only had a copy of my landlords house book and ID, he said she had to come in person with me, the copies were no good. I then went back with the landlord in person and the letter was obtained after filling out the forms indicating that a farang stayed at her house and a 1000baht fine for failure to notify them of this within 24 hours. Land Transport were OK with copies only of the landlords house book and ID along with rental agreement. Man at immigration said I have to bring landlord back with me for any future transactions as well, such as buying or sellling a car in my name or obtaining another license minus the 1000baht if staying at the same address. Make sure you keep copies of the forms immigration gives you pertaining to the notification of residence or there will probably be another 1000baht fine each trip. He even wrote a receipt for the 1000 baht. Great report and sounds like you had even more trouble then me.

Keg

Good god !!!

All i did to make mine from 1 year which was issued in BKK and converted to 5 years in Udon, was to show the orginal Yellow house book i have, copy of my exsisting passport with my Tourist visa in it and 15 mins later, i had my new 5 year licence issued.

The haredest part of all this was trying to find the laminating lady after i walked out of the office.

Wazza,

When did you get the license converted to the 5 year? Did you not have to get a letter of residency from immigration? I got my license in late August and the lady at Land Transport said I was the first she had dealt with that immigration sent back to them for a letter from LTO first prior to giving out the letter of residency status. She did say that it was a new requirement and did know about it. I believe having a yellow book makes it easier as well. I rent and I believe it sounded like Mainer rented as well so had the issues with the Landlord and notifying immigration of a farang residing at your residence. I thought this letter of residency from immigration was now standard policy, but if you did not need it, if you did this recently, I guess it is the old selective enforcement going on.

Keg

Your story is one of the most impressive stories of mental torture and suffering through bureaucratic red tape in Thailand that I have heard!

You deserve a gold star for tenacity, a congratulatory handshake and a slap on the back. =D>

Thank you for posting this valuable information and for the very amusing detailed tale.

Now you can sit back and relax for another 5 years.

what about if you have work pemit? do i still have to go with the owner of the house? (he is 82 old and can't walk)

rickfarang wrote:Your story is one of the most impressive stories of mental torture and suffering through bureaucratic red tape in Thailand that I have heard!

You deserve a gold star for tenacity, a congratulatory handshake and a slap on the back. =D>

Thank you for posting this valuable information and for the very amusing detailed tale.

Now you can sit back and relax for another 5 years.

I couldn't possibly say it any better. Great perseverance in the face of insurmountable adversity? Thanks, Mainer/Lloyd. You made it easier for those of us who followed.

Similar experience happened to me today:
Drivers license expired 8 feb, went DLT to ask for that request letter to immigration, took 2 hours to get, boss to sign letter was not around

The drove to Nong Khai, was lunch time, then to hear I would need a police report from my moo baan where my gf would state I live in her house (or is it the other way round since I paid for the house?) confirmed by some amphur stamps. But in the event I would be willing to dispose of 1k baht the certificate would be made up subito-presto.

1k baht lighter I drove back to the amphur, to arrive there at 15.10 and to learn they can not accept demands after 15.00.

So will see what brings tomorrow

From what I understand now the 1k baht I paid was for a fine "Not having registered a foreigner with form TM-30 (Notification Form for House Master, Owner or the Possessor of the Residence Where the Alien Has Stayed). We got a note in Thai for the 1k baht fine, I can not translate that...

Now this is bullsh*t, because on Jan 3d we were at immigration soi Suan Phlu Bangkok where I got my extension for retirement on a non-imm visa and we needed to fill in that form there, withouth that I would not have gotten my extension.

This I conclude from the talks I just had with the gf on all this police stuff that was discussed at Nong Khai immigration, the 24h obligation was mentionned to her.

I do believe some civil servants at Nong Khai Immigration are plain mean people

I need to get my first Thai drivers license. From reading these posts I see the immigration office will be a problem since I rent and my landlord will not assist me with this.
In reading the http://driving.information.in.th/extend ... cense.html page it states you will need "A certified letter of address from the applicant's embassy, or from the Immigration Bureau."
It seems to me that taking a day to fly down to Bangkok to get the certified letter of address from your embassy would aleviate the headaches that Mariner had dealing with the Nong Khai immigration office.
I've also seen posts on Thaivisa.com stating that the certified letter from the embassy is accepted at Bangkok DTL offices with no problem.

Have any of you tried using the embassy letter to get your license at the DLT here it Udon?

Got my 5 year license this morning. Here's an update:

1yr to 5yr

605 bt for car license
355 bt for MB license
*if address change required 50bt fee

Changing from old style license to smart card 255bt

Went to the Land Transport office, got there by 08:30 and out by 0900. My licenses expired 2 weeks ago, apparently not an issue. No issues, no drama.

papaguido wrote:Got my 5 year license this morning. Here's an update:

Papa,
Any paperwork required other than your 1 year license and the cash?

1. Copy of passport, info page & page with visa & 1yr extension stamp based on marriage/retirement.

2. Medical certificate.

3. Expired driver license(s)

4. Proof of residence. In my case I used my yellow book, otherwise need to have proof of residency as discussed on this thread.

If applying for both licenses (car & MB) than need a copy of everything above for each license. Copy machine available on 1st floor at a cost.

Thanks for the info Papaguido.
I got my first 1 year license last month in Bangkok.
Since I rent, it looked like the proof of residence was going to be a hassle here in Udon. I got a certified letter of residence at the US Embassy and took that with all the other required paperwork to the main office of the Dept of Land Transportation in Bankok.
I had no problems.