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What Is the 5-Year Thai Driving License?
The 5-year license is the full Thai driving license. A new applicant first receives a 2-year temporary card and moves up to the 5-year card at the next DLT visit. From then on, the 5-year card is renewed for another 5 years each time. There is no third card type to work towards.
| 2-year temporary | 5-year license | |
|---|---|---|
| When you get it | As a new applicant, when your visa does not qualify you for the 5-year card, or after a lapse of more than 3 years | When the 2-year card is replaced, and at every renewal after that |
| DLT fee | 205 THB car, 105 THB motorcycle | 505 THB car, 255 THB motorcycle |
| Valid for | 2 years | 5 years, renewable |
To move from the 2-year card to the 5-year card you need a non-immigrant visa or extension; on a tourist visa the DLT issues another 2-year card. If you are 55 or under and the 2-year card is valid or expired less than a year, the upgrade takes the e-learning and two eye tests (peripheral vision and depth perception). There is no written or driving test.
Car and motorcycle are separate licenses. Each one goes through its own 2-year to 5-year step, and you can do both in one visit for 760 THB.
Already on a 5-year card that is about to expire? That is a renewal, not an upgrade. See how to renew a Thai driving license for 5 years. The upgrade itself is covered step by step below.
Eligibility for the 5-Year License
To upgrade from a 2-year temporary license to a 5-year Thai driving license, you must meet the following criteria. Your current 2-year license must be valid or have expired within the last 1 year. If your license has been expired for more than 1 year but less than 3 years, you must retake the written theory test. If expired for more than 3 years, you must retake both the written and practical tests — essentially starting from scratch. Your visa must still be valid — you need a non-immigrant visa or work permit, the same as when you first obtained your license. You will need a current residence certificate from Immigration (not older than 30 days) and a fresh medical certificate. The good news is that no practical driving test is required for the 2-year to 5-year upgrade. You are simply extending the validity of your existing license. The upgrade can be done at any DLT office in Thailand, not necessarily the office where you originally obtained your 2-year license.
Step-by-Step Upgrade Process
Step 1: Complete the mandatory DLT e-Learning training at www.dlt-elearning.com. Watch the full training video (about 1 hour for a car or motorcycle license, 2 hours if it expired more than a year ago) and pass the post-test. Save the certificate with QR code — it is valid for 180 days. Step 2: Book your DLT appointment through the DLT Smart Queue system. Foreigners use the portal at gecc.dlt.go.th/dltsmartqueue/foreignerlogin. Select the 'License Renewal/Upgrade' service at your preferred DLT office and choose a date. Step 3: Gather your documents — original passport with valid visa, residence certificate from Immigration (issued within 30 days), medical certificate from a Thai clinic (issued within 30 days), your current 2-year driving license, e-learning completion certificate (screenshot or printout). Step 4: Visit the DLT on your appointment date. Present all documents at the foreign applicant counter. Step 5: Take the aptitude tests. Since June 2026 this is shorter than for your original license: if you are 55 or under and your 2-year card is valid or expired less than a year, you take only peripheral vision and depth perception. The colour-vision test no longer applies to any renewal or upgrade, and the brake-reaction test is added only if you are over 55 or the card lapsed more than a year. Step 6: Have your photo taken for the new 5-year card. Step 7: Pay the government fee and receive your new 5-year license card with QR code. The entire process at the DLT typically takes 1–3 hours.
Costs for the 5-Year License
Government fees for the 5-year license upgrade are: 505 THB for a car license and 255 THB for a motorcycle license. These are the DLT fees only. Additional costs include: medical certificate at a local clinic (100–500 THB depending on the clinic), passport photos if needed (100–200 THB), and the residence certificate from Immigration (200-500 THB government fee depending on the office). If you use our service to handle the process, fees range from 2,500 THB (Basic) to 8,499 THB (VIP) for a single license, with all government fees included. The total out-of-pocket cost doing it yourself is approximately 1,200–1,700 THB for a car license upgrade. When your 5-year license expires, future renewals cost the same amount and follow the same process — e-learning, an optional Smart Queue booking, and a DLT visit for the (now shorter) fitness checks and new photo. A fully online renewal has been announced but has not opened yet (postponed past its March and June 2026 targets), so everyone — Thai or foreign — still renews in person for now.
Online Renewal: Announced for 2026, Still Not Open
Thailand's fully online license renewal — training, application, payment, and card delivery by post or kiosk, all without a DLT visit — was expected when its enabling regulation took effect on 4 March 2026, but the DLT postponed the e-service (the digital medical-certificate link with the Ministry of Public Health was not ready) and the revised June 2026 target also passed without a launch. As of 26 October 2026 it is still not open to anyone, despite many guides saying otherwise. The latest reported target is December 2026, from a senior DLT source quoted by Thairath on 15 October 2026. The DLT has published no launch notice. The legal groundwork is real: drivers aged 55 or under whose license is valid or expired less than 1 year now take only two eye checks (peripheral vision and depth perception) and no brake-reaction test. When it opens, identity verification will run through the ThaID app (Thai national ID required) and the DLT has said nothing about foreigner access. The consolation for foreigners is that the in-person renewal got faster: since June 2026 the colour-vision test is gone for all renewals, and most renewals involve only two quick checks. Drivers aged over 55, and anyone whose license lapsed more than a year, still take the fuller in-person assessment.
Tips for a Smooth Upgrade
Complete the e-learning training well before your license expires — the certificate is valid for 180 days, giving you a generous window. Book your DLT Smart Queue appointment as early as possible, especially at popular offices like Bangkok Chatuchak — slots fill up quickly. Get your residence certificate from Immigration first, as it can take 1–3 business days and requires a TM30 on file. Get the medical certificate the day before or the morning of your DLT visit so it is fresh. Arrive at the DLT 15–30 minutes before your appointment time. Bring all original documents plus photocopies of your passport (data page, visa page, most recent entry stamp). The aptitude tests are fewer than when you first got your license: since June 2026 most people upgrading take only peripheral vision and depth perception, with brake reaction added over 55. Most people pass without difficulty. If you wear glasses or contacts, bring them — you will need them for the vision test. The entire process is usually complete in 1–3 hours, and you walk out with your new 5-year smart card with QR code.
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