Thai Motorbike License: My Experience At Honda Safety Riding Park

Wondering how to get your Thai driving license? In this guide, we’ll talk about driving and motorbike Thai licenses. You’ll learn everything you need to know whether you already have a license or not.

As I didn’t have a motorbike license in my home country, I decided to do a driving course at Honda Safety Riding Park in Chiang Mai to get my motorbike license.

I had been driving for years in Bali and Thailand (yes,many foreigners drive without a license in Asia). After witnessing a pretty bad motorbike accident back in January 2023, I decided that I didn’t want to risk it anymore.

Without further ado, let’s see how it works in Thailand.

Driving License In Thailand

There are two types of driving licenses in Thailand. You can either get a motorbike or a car license (or both). The process is similar for both, but there are a few differences.

The driving licenses are given by DLT (Department of Land Transport). They have several offices around Thailand, so you can find one close to your home.

If you already have an International Driving Permit, you can usually convert it into a Thai driving license.

Keep reading to find out how. We have a whole section dedicated to this further on.

Police Checkpoints In Thailand

Police checkpoints are common in Thailand. They usually look for people driving without a license or helmet.

Usually, it goes like this: if you get stopped and asked for your license, you must have it with you.

This means that if you’re driving a motorbike, you should have a motorcycle license. That said, having an International Driving Permit, not including motorbike driving, is not good enough.

You’ll get a fine of up to THB 1000, and you’ll have 7 days to pay for it. In some instances, you’ll need to pay right away, but it seems like the police now ask for people to pay at their office.

Now, if you’re driving without a helmet, you can also get stopped. You’ll also get a fine. There’s no reason to drive without a helmet – unless you believe your brain and face aren’t worth protecting.

Accidents happen daily in Thailand, so be smart and wear a helmet.

Renting A Motorbike In Thailand

Most motorbike rental shops will rent you a motorbike even if you don’t have a license.

But, like I said before, driving without a license is illegal in Thailand, so it’s not something you should do.

While it’s tolerated and the fine isn’t expensive, you could also be imprisoned for up to one month.

Finally, if you decide to rent a scooter in Thailand without a proper license and have an accident, your insurance might not cover you. You’ll also be held responsible for the accident.

How To Get A Drivers License In Thailand

There are a few ways to get a driving license in Thailand.

If you already have an International Driving Permit, you can convert it into a Thai driving license.

Let’s look at the different scenarios.

How To Get A Drivers License If You Have The International Driving License

If you wish to get a Thai driving license and already have an International Driving License, it will be easy.

You’ll need the following documents:

• Passport
• Photocopy of your passport and visa page (you can do photocopies there)
• Residence Certificate
• Medical check
• International Driving License
• Photocopy of your International Driving License

To get the Thai license, you’ll need to do the following steps:

1. Go to a DLT office (you’ll need to book an appointment via the Smart Queue)
2. Check your documents
3. Fill out and sign the form
4. Pay the fee (THB 205 for a car license and THB 105 for a motorbike license)
5. Take a photo
6. Get your license for two years

You may need to watch the video training and take a physical, theory, and practical test.

If your International Driving Permit is only for cars, you’ll get a driving license for cars only.

Although, you could do all the tests and training required to get the motorbike license directly at the DLT.

How To Get A Drivers License If You Don’t Have The International Driving License

If you wish to get a Thai driving license and don’t have an International Driving License, you’ll need to do a bit more.

You’ll need the following documents:

• Passport
• Photocopy of your passport and visa page (you can do photocopies there)
• Residence Certificate
• Medical check
• Driving license (has to be translated into Thai or English language, and certified by your Embassy)
• Photocopy of your driving license

To get the Thai license, you’ll need to do the following steps:

1. Go to a DLT office (you’ll need to book an appointment via the Smart Queue)
2. Check your documents
3. Fill out and sign the form
4. Pay the fee (THB 205 for a car license and THB 105 for a motorbike license)
5. Take a photo
6. Get your license for two years

You may need to watch the video training and take a physical, theory, and practical test.

If your International Driving Permit is only for cars, you’ll get a driving license for cars only.

Although, you could do all the tests and training required to get the motorbike license directly at the DLT.

How To Get A Thai Driver’s License

If you wish to get a Thai driving license the easy way, and don’t have an international or motorbike license, you could simply join a driving school for a few days.

Once the course is completed, you won’t need to go through the tests and training at the DLT office because it will be done already.

Some driving schools don’t include tests, so you might want to check that when signing up.

I personally signed up for the Honda Safety Riding Park. They have a three-day course that includes all the basics and the tests so that you can go to the DLT office without having to do extra training or tests there.

Now, you may wonder why not do all the tests at the DLT office.

The DLT driving test questions are poorly translated into English, so it’s hard to understand them.

The driving school will prepare you for this, and you’ll have a few practice rounds, so you won’t need to study at home.

To get your Thai license after your driving school, you’ll need the following documents:

• Passport
• Photocopy of your passport and visa page (you can do photocopies there)
• Residence Certificate
• Medical check
• Documents from the driving school

To get the Thai license, you’ll need to do the following steps:

1. Go to a DLT office (you’ll need to book an appointment via the Smart Queue)
2. Check your documents
3. Fill out and sign the form
4. Pay the fee (THB 205 for a car license and THB 105 for a motorbike license)
5. Take a photo
6. Get your license for two years

My Experience At Honda Safety Riding Park In Chiang Mai

As my driving license is in French, and I don’t have the motorbike license required, I decided to dedicate three days to Honda Safety Riding Park.

I picked this driving school for a few reasons:

1. They have great ratings on Google Maps
2. I won’t need to do any tests at the DLT office, and the staff will prepare me for the tests required
3. It’s a fool-proof way to get the license

I reached out to the school via Messenger and inquired about their courses.

I picked the “Pre-Basic + Motorcycle’s License 3 Days” course. The next course was the following week, so I was quite lucky because most people had to book weeks in advance. Usually, these courses are fully booked.

They have three different options for getting a motorcycle license:

1. Automatic (with a Honda Scoopy or a Honda Click 160)
2. Manual (Honda Wave 110)
3. Clutch (Honda MSX or CB150)

I picked the Automatic course because I usually drive an automatic motorbike. This course costs THB 3,000.

You’ll need to be at the school between 8:00 and 16:00 (more or less).

You’ll need to wear long pants and shoes. If you’re joining the riding school during the burning season in Chiang Mai, you should know that it will be very hot. So, make sure to prepare yourself for the heat.

Day 1

On the first day, I was told to come at 8h00am to register. I paid cash and filled out a form.

They took my fingerprint because you need to complete a specific number of hours, and they scan your fingerprint to show the DLT you were present at all times during the training.

Then, I was told to order lunch before 10:00am at the café if I planned to have lunch on site. So, it was pretty convenient because the Riding Park is located in a remote area.

Then, we had to get changed and put on a lot of safety gear. Most people never touched a scooter before, so it is safer that way.

We had driving lessons, had lunch, and then after more riding, we had one hour of theory.

Day 2

On the next day, we started the day with more riding. We practiced some skills for the practical test. In the afternoon, we passed the test (we had 5 chances each).

A few people failed and had more attempts the next day.

At the end of the day, we completed physical tests (colors, vision, reaction, etc.). They also showed us how to book an appointment at the DLT office via the Smart Queue.

Day 3

On the last day, there was a lot of waiting and theory. We had a few practice rounds for the theory test, and we completed the theory test at the end of the day.

You must get at least 45 good answers (out of 50) to pass the test. You’ll have two chances to succeed.

The teachers can help if some questions don’t make sense (the translation are quite bad, so it can be confusing at times).

Finally, we got our documents and proofs like what we completed the driving course.

Everyone passed – even though some drivers were struggling.

Getting The Residence Certificate

The DLT office requires a residence certificate to apply for the license. It’s easy enough to get one at the immigration office or with an agent.

You’ll need a few documents, like your passport, a photo, and the TM30. You can read our guide to getting the residence certificate in Chiang Mai to learn more.

This certificate is valid for 30 days.

Getting The Health Check Document

You must visit a hospital or clinic to get the health check document. It’s required by the DLT and costs between THB 80 and 200, depending on the doctor.

I went to Artima Medical Clinic in Chiang Mai. I walked in and asked for the driver’s license health check. The doctor checked my blood pressure and asked me a few questions.

I paid THB 150 for the document (valid for 30 days).

My Experience At DLT In Chiang Mai

I had booked my appointment at the DLT office via the Smart Queue before my driving school because, in some locations, it can take weeks.

To give you an idea, in March 2023, I signed up for the end of April 2023. People in my driving school managed to get an appointment at the beginning of May.

But I was also told that getting the license without an appointment is possible, so I decided to try it. It didn’t work. I was told to return on the day of my appointment (on the Smart Queue).

Officially, the DLT office opens at 8:30. I arrived around 7:50.

On arrival, I was greeted by a security guard. He asked me what type of services I needed. I said I was there to get the motorbike license. He told me to sit outside.

There were seats under a tent for people who wanted the motorcycle license and a different section for the car license.

Surprisingly, there were a lot of people waiting already.

At 8:00, everyone stood up and bowed. I guessed it was related to the king or the government.

Then the office opened, so we didn’t need to wait until 8:30.

The guard called the people who needed the training.

Then, the people who had already done the tests and training were called. 

Finally, the people who needed to do the tests were called.

I was with the second group. I went to the second floor to counter number 27 for foreigners. There were just a few people, so the queue wasn’t long.

I had to put my documents and passport in a tray so they could check them.

They called me, and I had to sign a form and verify my name.

They gave me a number, and I had to wait about 5 minutes to pay the license fee.

Finally, they took my photo, and at 9h00am, I had my license in my hands. The process was pretty efficient.

Renewal

You can renew a driving license three months before it expires.

You can renew your license, but you may need to do tests again if your license is expired. You might also need to provide documents again.

Final Thoughts On Thai Driving License

Getting a Thai driving license is a relatively straightforward process.

It can take time, but with the right documents and training, you should be able to get your license within a few weeks. (Getting an appointment at the DLT impacts the delay in getting a license).

The DLT office can be confusing, but if you show up early and follow their instructions, you should have no problem getting your license.

Want more tips about living in Thailand? Read one of the following guides:

• Opening a bank account in Thailand
• Best SIM card Thailand
• Revolut Thailand