Land Transport Department goes online

The Land Transport Department is extending its online services around the country in a bid to make payment of taxes and fees more convenient.

By the end of this year, vehicle-checking stations will be able to send information and results of vehicle checks directly to the department and vehicle owners will be able to pay taxes at the vehicle checking stations, without the need to visit a department office.

A Land Transport Department senior expert on vehicle registration and driver licensing, Anan Wongbenjarat, said the department was currently studying a move to allow 1,000 vehicle-checking stations around the country to receive vehicle taxes directly from vehicle owners.

Checking stations that want to be part of the scheme and outsource the job for the department will need to invest in a computer system to transfer information to the department's computer centre, creating a network for transferring this information in real time.

He said the department would also allow certified driving schools to provide e-examinations or driving-licence tests for new drivers without their need to undergo testing by the department. The e-exam driving-licence tests are now available in English, Chinese, Japanese and Malay dialect as well as Thai.

Meanwhile, the department is planning to equip 20 mobile units to provide training and to conduct e-exam driving-licence tests for people living in remote areas, so that they will have the opportunity to become properly licensed drivers. 

Moreover, the department will allow vehicle and motorcycle owners to pay taxes via the Internet at www.dlte-serv.in.th. However, this service is limited to vehicles less than seven years old and motorcycles less than five years old. Fees can be transferred via credit card, ATM or counter services. Customers can also pay for other transactions, such as Bt50 after-sale service fees.

Vehicle or motorcycle owners who want to pay Land Transport Department taxes over the Internet must register their membership on the department's website by using their ID number and entering a password. The system will then create membership so that they are able to input vehicle information and pay taxes in real time. The system will also allow vehicle owners to pay taxes three months in advance.

Anan said there were now 5 million drivers' licences and 8 million vehicles in Thailand.

"We are trying to make [the system] more convenient and make it easier for customers and vehicle owners, so they are able to save time by not having to come to a department office. We also want to provide an alternative means by which people can contact the department without the need to visit an office," he said.