The start of the new year is a great time to check all your important documents and schedule reminders so that you don’t get caught out. I had originally used Mots’ Services to help me obtain my bike licence and a recent Google Calendar alert warned me that it was due to expire. So a trip back to Soi Khao Talo to see Duncan was in order. It’s a good idea not to leave things to the last minute as I did though, because I hadn’t realised that you have to make two trips to the centre to renew a motorbike licence. The first trip is just to make your appointment in person and the test centre is quite a way off (near Regents School). You also need Mots’ help to ensure that you have all the correct information otherwise you might find yourself having to take more than two trips.

Necessary documentation includes your passport with up to date TM30, your driving licence and 2 passport photos. After reviewing these, Duncan noticed that my licence didn’t match my passport number. This was because I had recently obtained a new passport. However, it wasn’t a big problem, all I had to do was provide a copy of my old passport along with all my other paperwork.

Documents checked and in order, the team at Mots then arranged a date for me to go with them to get my test appointment at the centre. This first trip only took an hour and a half from pick up at my condo to drop off back again. I noticed many people waiting at the centre but there is definitely less waiting time if you use Mots. On the second trip, I was again picked up from home and taken to the centre where I had to take a colour blindness test, a reaction time test, my photo was taken, and there was then just a short wait for the new licence to be issued.

The colour blindness test is easy; you just call out the colours that the examiner randomly displays on a test traffic light. By the time it got to my turn, I think he was bored as he shot through my colours at a really fast pace! The reaction time test was also fairly straightforward. You use two fake control pedals on the floor, one represents the accelerator, the other the brake. You press the accelerator when the light is green and then need to brake within the allocated time when the light goes to red.

I had no problem with this and did it easily on the first go. However, there was a guy after me who had big, clumpy shoes and needed several attempts because even though his reaction time was good, his big foot kept pressing down on both pedals at the same time. So you may wish to consider what footwear you wear on the day of the test and I would also recommend not wearing flip-flops as these could slip when you press the pedals.

After passing the tests, there was just a short time to wait to get my photo taken for my new license (they keep your old one). After that, you have to go to another window and pay an admin fee. Even though this is a small amount, I was grateful that Mot’s had already thought about this and had money ready. Not only is this covered by your fee for their service it also means that you don’t have to run off and look for an ATM if you forget to have cash on hand like me.

After just a short while, I had my new licence, which I’m delighted to say lasts until 2030, when I will choose to return to Mots again. You are in experienced hands when you use their service as they’ve been doing this for a long time. They have thought of everything that is likely to come up. Some of their customers require special attention, like one I heard about who was hard of hearing and another who barely spoke any English. The agent in both cases took the time to thoroughly explain the process beforehand.

I guess I’m getting on in years now and needed a little help checking over the forms to sign and making sure everything is correct. It’s very reassuring to have someone with you through the entire process to help everything go smoothly. I did overhear a fellow farang with a Thai lady whose English wasn’t great, and he was confused and frustrated – the air turned blue for a short while! No frustration for me though as both the Mots agents who escorted me whilst I was at the centre showed where to go and what to do. They were calm,friendly,had great English-speaking skills and understood and answered every question I had. You also enjoy VIP treatment when escorted through the centre with a Mots agent which is extremely helpful, especially when it’s really busy.

When you are dropped back home with your new licence, you have peace of mind that everything has been done correctly and legally. Thinking back on this whole process, it’s not just about how smoothly everything went; I also thought about how thoroughly nice everyone is who works for Mots. They actually managed to make all this enjoyable and we shared a few laughs along the way. I like to use people that I really like, and it’s a pleasure to give them my business; it’s worth every baht. Once you’ve used them, you won’t want to go with anyone else.

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https://www.mots-services.com/