Five year driving licence at Nong Khai

Post by **businessman** » October 1, 2006, 1:06 pm

Well after the nightmare at immigration on Friday morning i went to the transport office to get a five year licence in the afternoon and the whole process took ten minutes.

Old licence,letter from immigration,copies of various passport pages,two small photos and 505 Baht.No forms,no queues and a chap to laminate the licence at the bottom of the stairs,10 Baht.Lovely.

What is interesting is that i got the new licence on the day of expiry of the old.On many forums they say you have to go the following day once the licence has fully expired.Not at Nong Khai.

Post by **BKKSTAN** » October 1, 2006, 4:06 pm

Did you get your last 5 year license from the NK land transport office?I went there to renew 2 years ago and they told me I had to go to Bangkok!My friend from immigration said that wasn't true.So,I went back and they said OK,but it would take 3 months.I left and went to Bangkok!

Afterwards,I was discussing it with other people and there consensus was either they didn't want to do it or they were manuevering me into a ''money ''situation that I didn't recognize.

Just now,I had the thought that my Bangkok address on the old licence might have made them think that I was just visiting NK.

Post by **businessman** » October 1, 2006, 7:58 pm

It's my first five year licence as i used to just show my UK licence at road blocks and get through fine.However the number of stops in the last couple of years has risen sharply and i have read stories about insurance not being valid so i decided to get the one year licence last year.That was a real pain as i had to wait hours.

An unforseen benefit of the Thai licence is that it can be used as id for banks and insurance companies and so i never have to carry a passport around for id.

Post by **kris** » October 1, 2006, 11:48 pm

i have a one year THA license and have been told that I can only renew for 1yr at a time...was told i can`t get a 5yr license...glad to here this is incorrect..maybe i will go to Nongkhai for the extra 4 yrs when it is due

Post by **arjay** » October 2, 2006, 6:20 pm

BKKSTAN wrote:Did you get your last 5 year license from the NK land transport office?I went there to renew 2 years ago and they told me I had to go to Bangkok!My friend from immigration said that wasn't true.So,I went back and they said OK,but it would take 3 months.I left and went to Bangkok!

Just now,I had the thought that my Bangkok address on the old licence might have made them think that I was just visiting NK.

Stan, Could that be because your original 1 year license was issued in Bangkok, when you were living in Bangkok? Perhaps it can only be renewed at the place where you got it.

I have a 1 year one issued in Udon, and they said I could renew it there for a 5 year one, if I go back there when it expires.

(Incidentally, it got me Thai prices yesterday at Phu Ruea National Park, so that was down from 400 to 40 baht. Though I thought the introduction of the 400 baht entrance fee had been postponed from Nov 2006 until Nov 2007. So why they would try and charge 400 baht yesterday on 1st Oct 2006, I don't know)

Post by **BKKSTAN** » October 2, 2006, 6:25 pm

I thought that was their point ,Arjay.So,I told them that if I wanted to apply for a new licence,I could get one,right.No,have to go to Bangkok.I think once someone made a decision,even if it was a mistake,they were not going to change their mind!