Live in UK - Renew Thai driving licence on holiday in Thailand

[mattk1]

Hi everyone,

 

Apologies if this has been asked before;

 

I no longer live in Thailand but do holiday there every year. Next year my Thai driving licence is due to expire in May which will be before I go. So I was wondering could I renew it this year, 1 year before it expires when I’m on holiday there?

 

Obviously I won’t have any visa so will that be an issue?

 

Appreciate any advice here, thanks in advance :)

[transam]

You need a Visa of some sort, tourist will get you a 2 year license, long stay 5 year, plus proof of address in LOS. You can renew up to a year after expiry, that's if things don't change..

[stevenl]

50 minutes ago, transam said:

You need a Visa of some sort, tourist will get you a 2 year license, long stay 5 year, plus proof of address in LOS. You can renew up to a year after expiry, that's if things don't change..

Also with visa exempt a certificate of residence can be obtained, and that is required to renew. Once that is obtained normally the DLT will simply renew (yes, for 2 years).

 

AFAIK 1 year in advance can not be done, but as TA indicated, you could renew up until one year after expiry. Just be aware that in the mean time you'll be driving without valid Thai DL, but I presume you'll still have your UK license?

[jay1980]

10 hours ago, transam said:

You need a Visa of some sort, tourist will get you a 2 year license, long stay 5 year, plus proof of address in LOS. You can renew up to a year after expiry, that's if things don't change..

went to renew my Thai licenses today as they will expire in a couple of weeks so wanted to renew it in good time and was told i could not renew until the day it expires, not even a couple of days early which in my case is a sunday so i will have to drive to the land transport office with an expired thai license TiT

 

previously you could renew ahead of time, the staff told me this was a new rule this year

 

at least I will have a valid UK license 555

 

 

Edited February 20, 2018 by jay1980

[mattk1]

Thanks for the replies everyone, much appreciated!  :)

 

Look like I'm going to have to just leave renewing my Thai driving licence until a future visit. I do have my UK one still, is that ok for driving when on holiday for 3 weeks?

[transam]

6 hours ago, mattk1 said:

Thanks for the replies everyone, much appreciated!  :)

 

Look like I'm going to have to just leave renewing my Thai driving licence until a future visit. I do have my UK one still, is that ok for driving when on holiday for 3 weeks?

As far as I am aware you can use your UK license for 90 days, but I would back it up with an international driving permit. If you are going to hire a car and their insurance is happy with your UK stuff then OK, but if you are going to borrow a car l would get them to ask their insurance company if it is OK for you to drive on your UK stuff..

 

https://www.postoffice.co.uk/international-driving-permit

Edited February 21, 2018 by transam

[stevenl]

9 hours ago, mattk1 said:

Thanks for the replies everyone, much appreciated!  :)

 

Look like I'm going to have to just leave renewing my Thai driving licence until a future visit. I do have my UK one still, is that ok for driving when on holiday for 3 weeks?

Yes, perefectly ok and legal.

 

The only issue can be police checks, who sometimes claim an IDP is required, just so they get some more money in. But also check your travel insurance, sometimes it will also require an IDP.

[thescot]

International DL from UK post office. Cheap (maybe £5.50)  , no hassle and lasts for a year. ID and some photograph proof required with application.

 

[thaikahuna]

Maximum of 60 days ahead of expiration. I had to renew mine just ahead of a trip back to the US as it would have expired while I was there. I tried to do 90 days but no go.

[NoshowJones]

19 hours ago, jay1980 said:

went to renew my Thai licenses today as they will expire in a couple of weeks so wanted to renew it in good time and was told i could not renew until the day it expires, not even a couple of days early which in my case is a sunday so i will have to drive to the land transport office with an expired thai license TiT

 

previously you could renew ahead of time, the staff told me this was a new rule this year

 

at least I will have a valid UK license 555

 

 

In Pattaya you can renew two months before expiry. This being Thailand, all the driving licence places will make up their own rules.

[StevieAus]

4 hours ago, stevenl said:

Yes, perefectly ok and legal.

 

The only issue can be police checks, who sometimes claim an IDP is required, just so they get some more money in. But also check your travel insurance, sometimes it will also require an IDP.

My understanding is that legally an IDP is ( or certainly used to

be) required if driving on an overseas licence, although I accept that as with many other pieces of legislation it wasn’t always enforced.

 

[jay1980]

8 hours ago, possum1931 said:

In Pattaya you can renew two months before expiry. This being Thailand, all the driving licence places will make up their own rules.

I agree this was previously the case but not any more, this was at the Land transport office near Regents international school on Highway 36.

 

The lady on the desk on the first floor in the license section was adamant you could only renew the day the license expires or afterwards. I told her before you could renew 2 months before it expired before, she told me that was correct before but they had a new system and this is no longer possible.

 

Frustrating but hopefully this will save you and others a wasted trip

 

 

[mattk1]

Thanks again everyone for the helpful replies on here :D

 

I think to be on the safe side next year I'll just get an IDP before I leave and renew my expired Thai licence on a tourist visa, that seems to be the most logical way to do it :)

 

Thanks again! 

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, jay1980 said:

I agree this was previously the case but not any more, this was at the Land transport office near Regents international school on Highway 36.

 

The lady on the desk on the first floor in the license section was adamant you could only renew the day the license expires or afterwards. I told her before you could renew 2 months before it expired before, she told me that was correct before but they had a new system and this is no longer possible.

 

Frustrating but hopefully this will save you and others a wasted trip

 

 

I am going with an agent today, and he told me it was two months, and he deals with them all the time. But as you said, it could have changed maybe yesterday, but always remember, this is Thailand and sometimes even in the same office, one rank will tell you different from the other.

[NoshowJones]

1 minute ago, possum1931 said:

I am going with an agent today, and he told me it was two months, and he deals with them all the time. But as you said, it could have changed maybe yesterday, but always remember, this is Thailand and sometimes even in the same office, one rank will tell you different from the other.

 

[stevenl]

15 hours ago, StevieAus said:

My understanding is that legally an IDP is ( or certainly used to

be) required if driving on an overseas licence, although I accept that as with many other pieces of legislation it wasn’t always enforced.

 

That is what many people thi9nk, but not true.

 

IDP is legally not required, provided the license is in English and has a photo.

[StevieAus]

2 hours ago, stevenl said:

That is what many people thi9nk, but not true.

 

IDP is legally not required, provided the license is in English and has a photo.

Suggest you check out what you are saying as several web sites contradict what you are saying

One in particular quotes from I think the Motor Vehicle Act which states that as a tourist  you can only use a licence without an IDP from a country that has a treaty with Thailand to that effect  and those are only the Asian countries

The advice given by the motoring organizations in Australia is that you need an an IDP if visiting Thailand as a tourist.

The problem is that there is a difference between what may happen at hire companies and police checks etc and what may happen if you are involved in an accident or a person is injured or killed.

I would imagine that the first call would be that you are not “ Legally” entitled to drive and the repercussions that flow from there.

All this to avoid purchasing a relatively inexpensive document.

 

[transam]

12 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

Suggest you check out what you are saying as several web sites contradict what you are saying

One in particular quotes from I think the Motor Vehicle Act which states that as a tourist  you can only use a licence without an IDP from a country that has a treaty with Thailand to that effect  and those are only the Asian countries

The advice given by the motoring organizations in Australia is that you need an an IDP if visiting Thailand as a tourist.

The problem is that there is a difference between what may happen at hire companies and police checks etc and what may happen if you are involved in an accident or a person is injured or killed.

I would imagine that the first call would be that you are not “ Legally” entitled to drive and the repercussions that flow from there.

All this to avoid purchasing a relatively inexpensive document.

 

Yep, I would "remove" a possible problem when driving in LOS..

[jay1980]

4 hours ago, possum1931 said:

I am going with an agent today, and he told me it was two months, and he deals with them all the time. But as you said, it could have changed maybe yesterday, but always remember, this is Thailand and sometimes even in the same office, one rank will tell you different from the other.

 

I understand what you mean, this is what I was told on Tuesday morning just gone, (20/02/18). I went there fully expecting to be able to renew as I was within the 60 days to when my current licenses expire. I asked the admin Lady who speaks English and double checked in my best polite Thai with one of the uniformed officers. Both said the same thing and both said this is a new rule due to a new computer system they recently introduced.

 

Would be interested if your agent manages to get your license renewal processed though!

 

best of luck :)

 

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, jay1980 said:

 

I understand what you mean, this is what I was told on Tuesday morning just gone, (20/02/18). I went there fully expecting to be able to renew as I was within the 60 days to when my current licenses expire. I asked the admin Lady who speaks English and double checked in my best polite Thai with one of the uniformed officers. Both said the same thing and both said this is a new rule due to a new computer system they recently introduced.

 

Would be interested if your agent manages to get your license renewal processed though!

 

best of luck :)

 

Thanks. Read my post in the car forum.

[stevenl]

4 hours ago, StevieAus said:

Suggest you check out what you are saying as several web sites contradict what you are saying

One in particular quotes from I think the Motor Vehicle Act which states that as a tourist  you can only use a licence without an IDP from a country that has a treaty with Thailand to that effect  and those are only the Asian countries

The advice given by the motoring organizations in Australia is that you need an an IDP if visiting Thailand as a tourist.

The problem is that there is a difference between what may happen at hire companies and police checks etc and what may happen if you are involved in an accident or a person is injured or killed.

I would imagine that the first call would be that you are not “ Legally” entitled to drive and the repercussions that flow from there.

All this to avoid purchasing a relatively inexpensive document.

 

I checked this out many times, thanks for the suggestion.

 

"The advice given by the motoring organizations in Australia is that you need an an IDP if visiting Thailand as a tourist.", correct, source for that is Thai consul;ate/embassy. And guess what, Thai consulate/embassy advice an IDP is needed, based on source motoring organisation. And that is the same with many countries.

 

Legally it is not required, but I agree, obtaining an IDP is easy and quite often cheap as well.

[Lokie]

OP just get yourself an IDP from any crown post office (take your pport & recent Utility bill or bank statement showing address and £5.50 as mentioned already) if you also have motorcycle make sure they stamp same on IDP endorsement.

 

UK AA advice is you do need it to drive along with your UK licence as a Tourist in Thailand, then you are covered, and as you said just renew your Thai licence at next opportunity.