Lost Your Thai Driving License? How to Get a Replacement
A lost, stolen or damaged Thai license is replaced with a duplicate card at the DLT. You do not retake any tests, and the new card keeps the expiry date of the old one. What you need first is a police loss report.
Replacing Your License in 3 Steps
1. Get a police loss report
Go to a police station in Phuket and report the license as lost or stolen. Bring your passport. The officer writes a short loss report with your name and the license details, which DLT Krabi asks for before it prints a duplicate. If you hold both a car and a motorbike license, make sure both cards are listed on the report.
2. Send us your papers on WhatsApp
Send a photo of the police report, your passport and your visa stamp. We check that everything matches and tell you if anything else is needed for your case, for example a current Certificate of Residence.
3. Come along to DLT Krabi on your first visit
We take you to DLT Krabi with your trip. At the counter you hand in the papers, have a new photo taken and receive the duplicate. There is no theory test and no practical test.
What to Bring
- Police loss report from a Phuket police station (for a lost or stolen card)
- The damaged card instead of the report, if the card is only broken or faded
- Passport with your current visa or entry stamp
- Certificate of Residence or work permit if the DLT asks for it in your case. We tell you beforehand. See the residence certificate guide.
Lost, Stolen or Damaged: What Changes
Lost
The most common case. Wallets go missing on scooters, at the beach and in Grab cars. The police report is the document that matters; without it DLT Krabi does not issue the duplicate.
Stolen
Same procedure, but report it as a theft. If your passport was stolen as well, you first need a new passport from your embassy, because the DLT checks your identity against it.
Damaged or faded
A cracked card or a photo you can no longer see is also replaced with a duplicate. Bring the old card along; a police report is not needed here.
Check the Expiry Date First
The duplicate keeps the old expiry date. Two cases where a replacement is not the right move:
- Your license expires within the next 3 months. Renew it instead and get a card with a new validity in one go. See the renewal guide.
- Your license has already expired. Then the expired-license rules apply, with training and sometimes a theory test. See Thai license expired.
Questions About a Lost Thai License
No. A lost, stolen or damaged license is replaced with a duplicate card. There is no theory test and no practical test, as long as your license has not expired.
No. The duplicate keeps the expiry date of the card you lost. If your license is close to expiring, it often makes more sense to renew it instead.
Yes. DLT Krabi asks for a police loss report before it issues a duplicate. You get it from a police station in Phuket. If the card is only damaged, bring the damaged card instead.
Then the rules for expired licenses apply. Depending on how long it has been expired, the DLT adds training and a theory test, or treats you as a new applicant after more than 3 years. Details in Thai license expired.
Lost Your License? Send Us the Police Report
Send a photo of the police report, your passport and your visa on WhatsApp. We check the papers and reserve your appointment for the trip to DLT Krabi.