Thai Driving Licence Upper Age Limit

[Brian Yates]

Does any elderly gentleman know the upper age limit to be able to renew a Thai driving licence?
I am now 71 years of age and renewed my licence last week after 5 or 6 years and was given a 2 year licence. By then I will be 73.
My wife tells me that after that I will not be able to renew. I cannot believe that. Or does it simply mean that I must renew every 2 years instead of 5 ?
I have scoured the internet for the answer but get minimum age for driving; motorcycle laws; drink driving limits, and anything and everything about Thai driving regulations, but nothing that answers my question.
Does anybody know?

[Old Grumpy]

Does any elderly gentleman know the upper age limit to be able to renew a Thai driving licence?
I am now 71 years of age and renewed my licence last week after 5 or 6 years and was given a 2 year licence. By then I will be 73.
My wife tells me that after that I will not be able to renew. I cannot believe that. Or does it simply mean that I must renew every 2 years instead of 5 ?
I have scoured the internet for the answer but get minimum age for driving; motorcycle laws; drink driving limits, and anything and everything about Thai driving regulations, but nothing that answers my question.
Does anybody know?

As one of the elderly gentlemen I can assure you strange as it may seem there is no upper age limit on the Thai driving license. I am 84 and renewed my 5 year license just last year at AEk office. There was no special requirement, not even a medical certificate required I merely went through the same rigmarole as everyone else in there renewing license, a boring video ,a red light reaction test and came out after two hours licensed to drive until either the good lord calls me or until my 89th birthday.Now I am aware of the possible reaction of some younger members to this and fully realise the limitations, although not immediately apparent, of my age and ability to drive safely, but I am not stupid and have adjusted my driving habits accordingly, for example I do not drive in poor lighting or any sort of poor visibility, but subject to this I consider myself to be a safe driver with nearly 70 years experience driving all over the world, why shouldn't I be.?

[Giggle]

It's why they have a renewal process. To check your eyes and reactions. If you fail at age 30, you fail. If you pass at age 100, you pass. Why should age alone be a disqualifying factor?

[fantom]

My first Thailand driving licence was issued at age 73, valid for 1 year, renewed at age 74 for 5 years, renewed again at age 79, valid until my 84th birthday.

[Bonanza]

It may be that your licence has been renewed up to the date that your present passport expires? Check the dates.

[fantom]

No, passport expires 3 years later than driving licence.

[sometimewoodworker]

Does any elderly gentleman know the upper age limit to be able to renew a Thai driving licence?
I am now 71 years of age and renewed my licence last week after 5 or 6 years and was given a 2 year licence.

What Visa or extension of stay do you have?

This could be why, tourist visas including the TEV can only get a 2 year licence.

Mistakes are also possible.

[tamada]

The OP says he renewed his '5 or 6 year' license so maybe it had expired and hence being back on the 2-year provisional one? Otherwise, with no evidence of any recent changes to policy, if the OP is on a long-stay visa and/or extension and not tourist or visa exempt entries and he was within 12 months of the expiration of the old license, he should have received another 5-year license. Keeping in mind that some license offices make up local rules just like immigration offices, I think if you let the 5 year lapse more than 12 months, you have to re-do the 'theory' test. More than that and it's the whole enchilada and back to 2-year plastic.

As for mistakes, the OP doesn't say what license office he attended but the chap making them at the AEK Udon location once issued me a 5-year license that was missing an expiration date. We both missed it and car rental shops and some traffic cops thought it was handy but eventually after one MiB made a big, time-wasting deal out of it (no ticket issued but 45 minutes of my life wasted), I went and had it reissued with a proper expiration date.

[sometimewoodworker]

The OP says he renewed his '5 or 6 year' license so maybe it had expired and hence being back on the 2-year provisional one? Otherwise, with no evidence of any recent changes to policy, if the OP is on a long-stay visa and/or extension and not tourist or visa exempt entries and he was within 12 months of the expiration of the old license, he should have received another 5-year license. Keeping in mind that some license offices make up local rules just like immigration offices, I think if you let the 5 year lapse more than 12 months, you have to re-do the 'theory' test. More than that and it's the whole enchilada and back to 2-year plastic.

FYI
Over 1 under 3 it's the theory, over 3 its back to square 1