Thailand should recognise tourists’ driver’s licences, says poll

[robblok]

44 minutes ago, Thian said:

How do you know it's not hard to bring my wife? She has an important job mate and not many holidays. She uses all her holidays to go to Holland/Europe with me.

 

It's just a big joke that i even need her for the immigration cause they can't spea inlit there...Would you also say they all have to speak Thai there?

 

In Holland everything is in several languages now, i don't agree with that but that's how it is.

 

Also i don't see why i need a Thai driverslicense since there are no rules at all on the road.

Not saying its easy, but that is how it is had the my partner having to take days off too to be with me for stuff like that. Yes also for immigration as my Thai certainly is not sufficient. Though now with the elite card its not a problem to do it alone, but the marriage one was always a problem. Its just how life is and we just have to accept it.

 

As for you don't see why.. that is up to you, your insurance is invalid in case of an accident (if you were longer than 90 days in country). For me that is a problem so got my licences. 

[Tilacme]

I take the trouble to get an international driving permit from UK which is good for 12months.  I have presented it more times that I can remember at road blocks and have never had a problem.  It is officially recognised in Thailand. If people plan to drive on their holiday here then pop down to the authorised uk post office with a photo and get one. It costs a tenner and you will be legit. 

Edited January 3, 2018 by Tilacme

[Thian]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Not saying its easy, but that is how it is had the my partner having to take days off too to be with me for stuff like that. Yes also for immigration as my Thai certainly is not sufficient. Though now with the elite card its not a problem to do it alone, but the marriage one was always a problem. Its just how life is and we just have to accept it.

 

As for you don't see why.. that is up to you, your insurance is invalid in case of an accident (if you were longer than 90 days in country). For me that is a problem so got my licences. 

I don't stay longer than 90 days in thailand, and i'm always happy to do a visarun and see more educated countries like singapore or japan. Also my wife joins me sometimes so we go there for a while.

But the ANWB told me i can drive a whole year nonstop in thailand with international license.

That's how dumb they are, i wanted to film her saying that but then she got uncomfortable and asked me why, i told her because she gave me wrong info.

 

I still think my international license is valid 60 days only, and now i wonder why the French don't have to do exam at all in thailand, dutch don't get that.

[Thian]

1 hour ago, FolkGuitar said:

If the police were to enforce the traffic rules, there might actually be a reduction in road fatalities.

 

5555555555555555....the police doinng their work? 5555555555, why would they?

[robblok]

23 minutes ago, Thian said:

I don't stay longer than 90 days in thailand, and i'm always happy to do a visarun and see more educated countries like singapore or japan. Also my wife joins me sometimes so we go there for a while.

But the ANWB told me i can drive a whole year nonstop in thailand with international license.

That's how dumb they are, i wanted to film her saying that but then she got uncomfortable and asked me why, i told her because she gave me wrong info.

 

I still think my international license is valid 60 days only, and now i wonder why the French don't have to do exam at all in thailand, dutch don't get that.

As long as you don't stay longer than 90 days I would not worry one bit for me its only the insurance that worries me. I could not care less about getting fined or something like that if i show my Dutch license (though it would not be valid for a motorcycle so I really had to get the Thai one)

 

Its really not that hard to get one but I did all the exams (did not have my dutch license renewed at that time). But if you got one it can be changed over (believe you do need to go embassy or something. Not sure for the exact requirements). But for me getting my license renewed is not a major hassle because I have done it a few times so i can do it alone now. Its a bit chaotic there at times though.

[mracon]

According to the AA you do need an IDP. However, I have been stopped driving on my UK licence several times and no questions asked, ever.
I was led to believe that an IDP is merely a translation into English, of your UK license. It costs about 30 quid at a Post Office, AA or RAC.
 
https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/driving-abroad/idp-country-list

£5.50 I get mine from the post office.


Sent from my MI MAX 2 using Tapatalk

[PAIBKK]

I know several stories about tourists in Singapore without a valid International Driver's License. A friend got arrested in 2005 for a minor traffic violation (stopping in a no-stopping zone, while he needed to take a look at the map), didn't have an International Driver's License, only a valid European one what's not recognized in Singapore. Went to jail for 8 days until a judge decided that he could walk after paying a 10,000 Singapore Dollar fine for not having a valid (International) Driver's License and a 100 Singapore Dollar fine for stopping in a no-stopping zone. Yes, he missed his flight. 

 

Just do the same thing with the tourists that don't have a valid International Driver's License and the Thai that don't have a valid Thai Driver's License here in Thailand. It will be known around the world in no time... But corruption says/blows it all !!!

Edited January 3, 2018 by PAIBKK

[Jonah Tenner]

9 hours ago, wabothai said:

It's much cheaper to get a few tickets than to get an international DL.

No, it isn't. Here I pay about 700 Bt for an IDL.

Reminds me that I have to get on before I leave...

[dcnx]

4 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

If you have a valid foreign driver's license AND a valid IDP, and you haven't been in Thailand for more than 90 days, the police will do absolutely nothing. You are not in violation of any Thai law. There is no cash grab going on.

 

However, IF you have been inside Thailand for more than 90 days, you are required to have a valid Thai driver's license, even though the IDP is valid for one year. That simply means you can continue to use it while driving in other countries, just not in Thailand.

 

You should spend some time hanging out at one of the daytime stops when they stop you. Your experience, someone who probably shows them a Thai license and speaks Thai with them, will vary greatly from Xi or Joe who are just passing through and are obvious tourists. To think everyone has the same experience as you do is foolish. In fact, just the opposite of what you believe is happening, daily. Some spots are worse than others. I assume it's due to different districts having their own rules in regards to what is acceptable scum-baggery.

 

Unfortunately, I am not permitted to link to many of the news sites citing Thai police corruption, but take a moment and type "thai police corruption" into Google. You can read various reports until you fall asleep. One report via a organization we can not link to says 4 out of 5 Thais believe the police are corrupt. Those are people who have spent their entire life here, are Thai, speak the language, and know the real deal much better than you and I combined. Yet, you think everything is above board and literally are always in here defending the police. 4 out of 5! That's a staggering number. YouTube and Facebook are FULL of videos with corrupt traffic police taking bribes, setting up rogue stops, hitting people, yanking them off bikes, asking for money for no reason at all, and trying to extract money from people in other ways, all illegally. Yet, you say if you follow the law, nothing will happen to you. Thais are uploading these, almost daily. They must all be uploading fake videos according to you, right? Because the Thai police wouldn't do such things, especially lowly traffic police.

 

Wikipedia has its own large section on Thai police corruption. Time, Reuters, The Guardian, Bangkok Post, and countless others all report on Thai police corruption. The corruption index has historical and forecast corruption for Thailand, and the trend is up, up, and up. Travel websites are riddled with stories of tourists getting ripped off in various places by police. I guess they are all wrong and you're right. It's all make-believe.

 

 

Quote

As far as I can see, those agreements are being followed by Thai police.

 

This is the problem. As far as you can see, is exactly that. Read the news and travel sights, watch videos, hang around the police stops for a while, talk to tourists at Starbucks, and you'll quickly find that the distance of your vision is not even remotely close to the scope of the problem.

 

Quote

Right.....  You heard this from a friend whose brother-in-law told him.

 

Nope, first hand. A group of us went to the Canyon water park and they tried that on all of us. Got us going and coming back, same scam. I've been out there twice since and saw them but wasn't stopped due to the number they already had pulled over. Head out and check it out for yourself, no need to take my word for it.

 

Quote

As long as you are following Thai law, you'll never have a problem.

 

Jesus H. Christ. I don't know if I should laugh, cry, or hug you while gently patting the back of your head.

 

I know you've been here a while, and I mean no offense because you seem like a cool guy, but do you honestly believe this?  In the face of all the data and information out there that says the exact opposite, you seriously believe this to be true? I'm stunned at the naivety of this comment.

 

You usually come to the defense of the Thai police in every thread I peek into. Do you work with the tourist police perhaps, or are you an ex-policeman? I've just never seen anyone in the entire country appear to be so blind to their wrongdoings. These guys are on the take, big-time. It's well documented with countless videos and it's written about on multiple respectable and domestic news organizations. Even the PM has commented about it. Such polls, comments, and media attention wouldn't exist if there wasn't an enormous problem.

[MyFriend You]

3 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Rubbish. An IDP costs 5.50

 quid at a Post office, RAC or AA. Bht 1500. Then your insurance is valid as well

In Honolulu Hawaii I got mine 2 months ago, cost $50.00 and is only good for a year, think I got ripped off.

[isaanpaul]

The problem is not they dont recognise the driving licence the bib can,t read them!

[William C F Pierce]

13 hours ago, wgdanson said:

According to the AA you do need an IDP. However, I have been stopped driving on my UK licence several times and no questions asked, ever.

I was led to believe that an IDP is merely a translation into English, of your UK license. It costs about 30 quid at a Post Office, AA or RAC.

 

https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/driving-abroad/idp-country-list

Where do you get 30 quid from I only pay 5 quid each time for mine at Heathrow Airport Post office.

[Ruffian Dick]

Does this poll tell us how we will train Thai cops to read 1,000,000 different languages?

[Thian]

7 hours ago, isaanpaul said:

The problem is not they dont recognise the driving licence the bib can,t read them!

They have always accepted my dutch driverslicense without the international one (which i have but am lazy to get it out and show them).

 

2 times i almost got killed at their checkpoints from bypassing trucks which drive very close to the police. Once i didn't stop at all since i thought the police were securityguards, nothing happened.

[Sydebolle]

I've been sitting on a local driving license (based on an European license I obtained 30+ years ago) for more than 20 years and am not granted a pink lifelong driving license. My wife made her license a year later and was granted a lifelong license. 

Keeps me doing the tedious extension every five years to the DLT as now these licenses are limited to five years. I would go a long way for a lifelong license as these reruns at the DLT are the most idiotic stupidity time wasters. 

[wgdanson]

£5.50 when I last looked.

[wgdanson]

7 hours ago, William C F Pierce said:

Where do you get 30 quid from I only pay 5 quid each time for mine at Heathrow Airport Post office.

My mistake, sorry

 

[FolkGuitar]

9 hours ago, dcnx said:

Unfortunately, I am not permitted to link to many of the news sites citing Thai police corruption, but take a moment and type "thai police corruption" into Google. You can read various reports until you fall asleep. One report via a organization we can not link to says 4 out of 5 Thais believe the police are corrupt. Those are people who have spent their entire life here, are Thai, speak the language, and know the real deal much better than you and I combined. Yet, you think everything is above board and literally are always in here defending the police. 4 out of 5! That's a staggering number.

 

I'm not suggesting that there is 'no' police corruption. That would be absurd. But I AM saying that numbers such as 4 out of 5 are absurd.

 

YouTube and Facebook are FULL of videos with corrupt traffic police

 

Yes, they are. They are also FULL of videos show how all of Thailand is filled with bar girls and ladyboys on the prowl. Based on the videos and blogs on the internet, you can't walk down a street without finding a fishbowl or being propositioned. But you and I know that this is true. Yes, they exist. But as a very small section of the population.

 

Wikipedia has its own large section on Thai police corruption. Time, Reuters, The Guardian, Bangkok Post, and countless others all report on Thai police corruption..........SNIP for brevity...... I guess they are all wrong and you're right. It's all make-believe.

 

Not at all. But when you take them out of context, you make them appear larger than life.

 

Read the news and travel sights, watch videos, hang around the police stops for a while, talk to tourists at Starbucks, and you'll quickly find that the distance of your vision is not even remotely close to the scope of the problem.

 

You must think I live in some sort of bubble...  For the past 15 years I've interacted within the Thai community, for 10 of those years ran a business that dealt primarily with foreign tourists in Chiang Mai, spending 8-hour days talking together with them. Yet my view appears different from yours.  I wonder why that is.   Do we see what is? Or do we see what we want to see?

 

Nope, first hand. A group of us went to the Canyon water park and they tried that on all of us. Got us going and coming back, same scam.

 

That's interesting... I've been stopped a couple of times out in that area. No words spoken, either in Thai or English. I just showed my license and was waved on.

 

You usually come to the defense of the Thai police in every thread I peek into. Do you work with the tourist police perhaps, or are you an ex-policeman? I've just never seen anyone in the entire country appear to be so blind to their wrongdoings.

 

Neither. I've just lived and worked here for fifteen years. I'm not blind to the corruption. I'm aware it exists. I just sincerely doubt that 4 out of 5 people a corrupt. What I don't doubt, and have seen validated here, however, is that people who think they can break the laws tend to believe that the laws are picking on them, i.e. that the police are targeting farang.

 

 

[tifino]

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

I've been sitting on a local driving license (based on an European license I obtained 30+ years ago) for more than 20 years and am not granted a pink lifelong driving license. My wife made her license a year later and was granted a lifelong license. 

Keeps me doing the tedious extension every five years to the DLT as now these licenses are limited to five years. I would go a long way for a lifelong license as these reruns at the DLT are the most idiotic stupidity time wasters. 

by the numbers, I'd assume you're now over 70 years?

 

Any 'other' developed country recalls their drivers, above some whatever advanced age, for re-testing on a ~5 yearly basis; namely so there can be a Doctor's Clearance stating the driver is still safe to drive 

 

Does this really really mean your missus never has to be tested - ever?

[bluesofa]

19 hours ago, arithai12 said:

The real poll should have been "Should shops rent without checking?"

Yes, at present that means: business opportunity without responsibility.

Edited January 4, 2018 by bluesofa

[SupermarineS6B]

Damn right it should.... Most western licences you have to actually pass a driving test..... Thailand on the other hand usually boils down to "Vitamin M"   MONEY ! 

[Maybole]

Many years ago I produced my Bahraini DL at a check point in Chiangmai. It was written in Arabic on one side and English on the other. The constable turned it every way round until I showed him the reverse. He could not read that either and I pointed out the Motorcycle and Car symbols on it. He almost threw it back and ordered me away.

[The manic]

On 03/01/2018 at 10:27 AM, Lite Beer said:

Traffic laws are enforced?

News to me.

Very  much so. For Thai and Foreigner alike.

[The manic]

The problem is many countries there are no valid driving tests but bribery and corruption are used to get driving licences so the licences are not legal or valid.  Anyway- people coming on holiday can get an international  DL?

My UK license has no photo ID just a signature

 

[Sydebolle]

7 hours ago, tifino said:

by the numbers, I'd assume you're now over 70 years?

 

Any 'other' developed country recalls their drivers, above some whatever advanced age, for re-testing on a ~5 yearly basis; namely so there can be a Doctor's Clearance stating the driver is still safe to drive 

 

Does this really really mean your missus never has to be tested - ever?

Well, I'm 59 and made my license with 18 - my wife is a year younger and no, she does not need to go for re-testing. The health check after 70 is more than OK though ........ anything else? 

[Dionigi]

strange thing, last time back in uk I hired a car with my Thai driving license and it was also accepted by the police. I have als used a Sudi license and a Kuwait license in the UK.

[tifino]

6 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Well, I'm 59 and made my license with 18 - my wife is a year younger and no, she does not need to go for re-testing. The health check after 70 is more than OK though ........ anything else? 

heh heh - I'm a duffer eh wot!... added the ~18 + 30 + 20 ... when some of it is concurrently served 

[wabothai]

On 1/3/2018 at 1:52 PM, wgdanson said:

Half a year, or 90 days.....quite a difference.

 

what makes you think I live on that island in front of the dutch coast?

[srchino]

If there’s any drivers license that should not be recognized, it’s the Thai one.

[Xaos]

My bro just got fine on uk dl.

So what about this laws?

To drive or lease a car in Thailand as a tourist or visitor it is necessary to have either a Thai driving licence or a valid foreign driving licence with a photograph. The foreign licence must either be in English, or be accompanied by an official translation into English or Thai. The licence needs to have been issued by a country that has a treaty with the Thai government allowing the mutual acceptance of driving licences.  Most countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA have this agreement with Thailand under the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic or the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.  

https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/thailand/transport/driving-licences

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk