Anyone know what you need to show if your renting a property? i.e. would the contract be enough to show or do you need to take the contract to immigration to get a letter from them?.

If you don't have a yellow housebook (getting one is highly recommended if you plan to live in the same house for a long time) you will have to get a letter from immigration and they will tell you what documentation they need. What was posted in earlier in this thread can give you some guidance and if you are lucky, you won't have to go to immigration a second time.

At one time, immigration required a letter from the Land Transportation Department stating that you needed a letter from the Immigration Bureau. Perhaps somebody has recent experience with that.

BTW, I renewed my five year licenses in 2006 and they expire in 2017. A 10 year + term.

how was you giving a 10 year on a 5 year license

My initial licenses expired after 1 year.
My first renewals expired after 5 years.
My second renewal expires after nearly 11 years.

Perhaps that is common now.

I renewed my 5year license for another 5 years today at AEK. Here's what I needed:
1 copy of my yellow house registration (both pages)
1 copy of my passport photo page
(you can bring your own photos or walk 20meters and make copies....near the pizza shop....2 baht each).
Before you watch the film, a clerk will check you for color blindness.....she'll flash red/green/yellow lights arbitrarily and you tell what you see.
Everyone (falang/Thai) had to watch a 1 hour (almost exactly) movie. The movie is shown only at 10:30 and 1:30. Unlike the last movie I watched at Noonsoon, this one is fully animated........my guess is it was animated based on landscaping and amounts of traffic in Pyongyang. I could be wrong on that count......in any case, the film is one hour....everyone renewing has to watch it.
After the film, the clerk will have you sign a form, take your money, and then another clerk takes your photo and gives you the license.
I walked in about 10:15 and walked out about 11:45.
You DO NOT NEED a doctor's certificate (at least for renewal).
You CAN renew your license up to 3 months before your current license expires. New expiry date is based on your birthday, not on the day you renew.

Total charge: 655 baht.
5 baht ค่าคำขอ, 50 baht ค่าแก้ไขรายการ, 500 baht ค่าใบอนุญาตขัยรถยนต์ส่วนบุคคล, 100 baht ค่าบริการถ่ายรูปแลำพิมพ์ใบอนุญาตขับรถ (I'd guess popcorn would be extra).

All in all a smooth process....all smiles, proper queues, and no civil disobedience.

a small update here, changed both driver licenses today
nothing has really changed ...
copy yellow house book , copy front page passport, copy page visa extension,(2 sets ) no doctor's certificate for renewal 5 years license they told me , ( i did have one from local doctor , 50 baht)
was in at 10.10 , colorblind test ,look movie 1 hour , taking picture and wait drivers licenses ready
cost ..car 505 baht /+50 baht address change (in my case) , +100 baht photo ...655 baht
motorbike 250 baht/+50 baht address change / + 100 photo ...405 baht
out just before noon ....

Need update on DL renewal. What is required? Is an eye exam required, doctor's cert., hour long movie, costs (vehicle and motorbike), is it still at AEK?

Thanks

I renewed my car and motor bike licences last week at AEK transport office .
I went to immigration with my lease two photos , i was told at immigration i needed two letters
from them as car and motor bike were being renewed .They are headed motor bike or car .
I went to AEK with my two letters from immigration and my lease NO doctors certificate needed.
Immigration charged me 1000 baht (i know they are supposed to be free) Aek Transport charged me
1060 baht for both ny five year licences .
The office opens at ten but get there early as large queue begins to form and they only let about twenty five in at a time ,
You watch a safety film for one hour and a quick colour blindness test .Two sessions per day one at ten thirty the other i think one thirty.
I know people are going to say you only need one letter from immigration BUT the letter states if a car or motor bike
i did not want to take the chance of AEK saying you can only renew motor bike because you only have letter for motor bike .All in all quite painless , get in the queue about nine fifteen and wait as near as the entrance you can so you can get you ticket issued at the door about nine forty .
Ps you need two copies of your main page of your passport at AEK transport.

two passport copies.
letter or letters from immigration.(car motor bike)
Your lease or house book.

Thanks. Neither car nor motorbike are in my name, but I need letters from immigration? I did need for the first issue, but not last time I renewed. I, opps, wife owns our house, I'm not in blue book, been told farang can't be????? Copies with her signature OK? Copy of passport page is no problem nor is copy of blue book, I have here. Bring pic or do they do there?

The help is appreciated.

i went to AEK few days before i needed to renew my 5 year car and motorbike licence i asked the question regarding the 2 letters from immigration the lady said ask for either a car or motorbike no need for the 2 letters so off i went to immo got the 1 letter can,t remember if i asked for bike or car,didn,t matter my understanding is its a letter of residency nothing more,just another way of immigration pulling your pants down and getting extra money,anyway i turned up at AEK and handed the 1 letter in watched the video got my 2 licences and off i went,your experience might be different,TIT

Thanks, looks like I'll have to that letter of residence thing all over again. Needless to say it will be after the Songkran madness and wife will have to close her noodle shop once again.

7 years ago, got my license in Phuket. Yes, child like flash cards. The old guy next to me could even figure out any letter, so they helped him..."Come on, sounds like...looks like...until filnally, "OK, what is the 1st letter of "banana", ect. B, he said. For me, No problem, got my pics, she told me 280tb, then presented me with 1 motorbike and car license. I asked her "why"? She said "No reason, maybe you will need them. Five years later...have to go to Immagration and get 2 "permission letters" ome for car, i for motor bike, total, (I think) 2000tb. Then she asked me to pay the boy who took my pics, 100tb. I told her, I will not, I could have made my own pics on my PC for free. He took the pics with a cheap hand held camera. back to AEK, sit through a 1 hr movie, that says nothing about using "turn signals", while 1/2 the Thais slept through the whole movie. Then coming out, I kept hearing 250tb for each Thais licenses. But when he "lastly" got to me, it was something like 1,800tb. My total : about 4000tb. If you know the fees, bring enough for "the fees". If they ask for more, you can just say "no".

i do not understand falang long staying here still not having yellow house book (tabien baan) ...
the new pink id card is ridiculous to me and has no use of all ...having a yellow book does have some advantages ...
one being you do not have to whine about any illegal tips at any government institution ...

Thanks for all the info. RE: yellow book, a couple of years ago my wife went down to start the yellow book procedure, was told no problem that will be x amount of Baht, plus x amount under the table. I'm guessing what she told them was the Thai equivalent of F*** Off! I believe that would be an illegal tip, right? She takes no crap from anybody. No yellow book and I'm happy with that. I like her attitude, fits mine.

Been here about 20 years and decided to go for yellow book and id card about two month ago. No mention of under table money and the all the staff were very nice. However, a small token of appreciation for their work was given. Not asked for!!

kopkei wrote:i do not understand falang long staying here still not having yellow house book (tabien baan) ...
the new pink id card is ridiculous to me and has no use of all ...having a yellow book does have some advantages ...
one being you do not have to whine about any illegal tips at any government institution ...

Yes, indeed it does have advantages. It cuts through the red tape nicely and eliminates the bothersome runs to Immigration for a letter verifying your residence status. Sometimes, just seeing the book in my hand has given the official some relief in completing the service. =D>

Yes, I agree with all you guys, and you can take your pot shots at me anytime you wish. It does not bother me.
But for you who have a brain, please don't forget, you don't "own" anything in this country. And Thai's don't own anything..
If you look at the contracts, that I am well verse in. Us, or Thailand, or Kilimangero, ,WE are called the Lessor. This means we only make payment on land we do not own. This is is why I will only rent and we are blessed to have a wonderful landlord who will fix anything, because we have made the house worth more than its worth. Also his wife works in the Police Station. We started out at 6000 per month, then they were giving hints it was too cheap. I told my wife to call them and say we want you to charge us 7000 per month.
Well, they were floored, and have become great friends. They want this house to go to there young boy, we will have a better house than when his parents lived in it.
Don't believe you own anything, even if its in your Thai wife name, e-mail me at [email protected]
Thanks again for helper the 1st poster, I hope he feels better.

Well perhaps I shall endeavor to persevere and try again. I worked for various US government agencies for years, illegal for us to even take a free cup of coffee and rightly so. I don't take kindly to bribery or gratuities.

Wife will go check with AEK after the water madness is finished. She has to renew soon also. I find it mostly advantages for her to do most of market shopping, buying and dealing with any government agency and stay out of sight, out of mind.

oops, advantageous.

I've found the pink I.D. Card to be most useful when I'm travelling, I use it in hotels, I've never liked leaving my passport and most will take the card instead. Also, the wife always takes it to the ticket sellers and most of the time I pay the same as Thai.