Umm.  1000 baht fine?  Not too tough.  10,000 baht would be a bit better but still not a lot of sting.  But taking away the bike is a plus. Now, let's keep at it all year and not just for a few days.

7 minutes ago, Denim said:

Not to mention doing the ' tests ' ,

Colour blind

Braking

Peripheral vision

Perspective

 

The OP has made it sound like a mere in out formality....somewhat misleading.

 

Some unlucky souls have to suffer the safety video too.

Even on renewal we have to sit and watch the vid then sign a book that you watched it...I did tell them I had been driving for 50 years, even heavy goods vehicles, they said sorry, new gov directive...

Ban bike renting with no Thai driving license and be done with it.  Will save a lot of injured tourists the grief of a facked up holiday and broke in hospital with no insurance no money stories

12 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Some nice new opportunities here !!....for 500 THB the impounded vehicle can get recovered, but with no receipt !!

 

As for the stupid farangs renting and driving without licences, the law should plainly call them to be jailed for a week and the law should be largely visible at the rental agencies. It will immediately dissuade the stupid and the issue will be solved. No big deal ?

 

This will obviously dissuade the renegade bikers with no permits to drive and with only a licence  to Kill or get killed !!

I get this, but the over officious International driving licence is just bullshit. The police should accept valid driving licenses from the Countries that have solid driving regulations and tests, just like any other civilised Country.

Another thing, to get and International licence all you have to do is show your Countries driving licence to someone behind a counter and pay some money - thats it! 

I have a Thai bike and car license and the difficulty in getting those was getting to the licensing Authority for the test.

In my experience, the loan shop keeps the passport until the vehicle is returned, therefore it is impossible, if stopped, to show it to the police. 

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

many tourists don't know the highway code and have not had any training leading to accidents.

And almost ALL Thais.

4 minutes ago, stephenterry said:

In my experience, the loan shop keeps the passport until the vehicle is returned, therefore it is impossible, if stopped, to show it to the police. 

Which is illegal..

1,000 Baht fine? chump change! try driving in the United States without a valid License!  minimum $350.00 fine plus auto confiscated.

As a foreigner living in thailand when I rent a car in the U.S. (i am an American citizen) I have to have an international drivers license, and a Thai drivers license in order to rent a car.

 

12 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Not nearly as many times as I see Thai guys to dangerously idiotic stuff on their motorcycles....   the only outstanding question is whether they are licensed or not.

 

Of course, being licensed won't stop these guys from doing dangerous and idiotic stuff on their motorcycles, but the heavy fines might.

 

Stringent and consistent enforcement of the regulations with impacting and consistent penalties for all who use Thailands roads is the primary solution to many of Thailands traffic woes.

 

In targeting foreigners the intelligent and common sense approach to road safety has been kneecapped by greed.

Would you rather drive [or try to] in London.?Impossible there to drive 10 miles without committing some driving 'offense' with attending court huge fines and the loss of you licence .Prison sentence for drink driving and then almost impossible to get insurance.

 as for parking in London,,,,forget about it unless you are a millionaire,,Car ,Insurance in London???

1 hour ago, transam said:

this law is for tourist protection

 

Is it really ?? Do you think they really care about tourists welfare, or just maintaining the image of a safe holiday destination ??

I would guess that every month, at the end when money is tight, the cops will be out fining people 1000 baht.. 

Nothing more than a money grab..

 

Just my opinion though... 

Do you really give your passport to someone with a third grade education, standing on the corner and renting bikes? If you do, then you are an idiot also.

"... many tourists don't know the highway code and have not had any training leading to accidents. "

 

Right, so just like all the locals then.

You know you've been in Thailand too long when;

 

when you realize that there is two laws  ,

one for native and one the farangs

 

When the foot prints on the toilet seat are your own

You think it’s normal to have a beer at 9:00 a.m
You begin to enjoy Thai TV programs
You look four ways before crossing a one way street
You realize that ALL your problems are caused by Thai girls or cranky ATM's

You put salt and chilli on your fruit
A Thai cop stops you for a minor infraction and you automatically reach for your wallet
You think that a Honda Civic is a prestigious car
All your tee-shirts are emblazoned with the name of some bar

You can’t remember the last time you wore a suit and tie
You think a polo shirt and jeans are formal attire
Someone tells you that watching Thai politics is like watching two chameleons making love, and you understand the analogy
You aren’t upset when the bar girl next to you eats beetles as a snack
Later the same night, you actually kiss the bar girl who earlier dined on the beetles

You haven’t had a solid stool for five years
You wake up in the morning and realize that you have nowhere to go and all day to get there

You think white wine goes well with Som Tam

You understand when your Thai wife says, ‘My friend you’ or ‘Same, same, but different’
A Thai bar girl you’ve just met tells you that her mother is deathly ill and you just laugh and walk away

You believe that Phuket being named the crime capital of Asia is quirky!! 

You realize that your Thai wife’s loyalties belong to;

1. Her parents
2. Her brats from a previous marriage to a Thai scoundrel who deserted her
3. Any remaining blood relatives
4. The family buffalo
5. The family’s goldfish
6. You

 

The Thai Navy buys a new submarine and you’re not surprised when the first thingthey do is remove the mufflers and hang a garland from the rear view mirror

You consider you mobile phone a fashion accessory

You start wearing slippers everywhere

You start driving cars with bare feet

You no longer enjoy Songkran. Instead, you stay home with a stack of DVD’s
You become an expert on buying and selling gold jewelry

Dogs become animals you'd rather kick than pet
When driving a car you'll start using every free inch of the road

You flash your 4 indicator lights when driving straight on at an intersection
It’s two days before payday, so you only go to bars with balloons strung outside

You realize that all the important words in Thai begin with the letter ‘S’. Sanuk (Fun)

You believe that buying a gold chain is an acceptable courtship ritual, or at least a form of foreplay

You think a calendar more useful than a watch
You go to a Thai Boxing match and a soccer game breaks out
You stand in the shadow of a telephone pole while waiting for a bus

You can't remember the last time you had a dry fart

You think putting ice in red wine is normal

You phone home and  talk like a retard
You don't care or know what day of the week it is

You think 15kb's of upload speed is quite fast

You begin to think you actually are a 'Hansum Man'

You automatically without thinking swear in Thai

You have a Thai nickname

Lao Khao just doesn’t do it for you any more, neither does Viagra
You own a CD compilation with Crazy Frog on
You don’t have a problem kissing a ladyboy on the cheek

You sit in a bar in Bangkok surrounded by naked girls and porn on the big screen and you just want to watch the golf on the small screen in the corner

You avoid walking under fruit laden coconut palms
You avoid looking into a girls eyes longer than 3 seconds
Your hotel lets you in accompanied by 2 or 3 girls
You know where to buy booze on officially shut holidays
You realize your whisky and soda is rum based
You accept 5 on a motorbike when shopping is normal
You accept builders clambering up bamboo scaffolding with no boots or helmets
You count the number of passengers embarking on a ferry
You automatically get Chinese tea to accompany your coffee
Pedestrian crossings mean nothing
Nothing surprises you and things are not always what they seem
You realize Thai logic does not tally with Western logic

Many farang May not know the highway code but many Thais don't know it either! This should go both ways not just farang riding rental motorcycles.

and you just know when renting a motorbike/scooter anybody without a licence will now be obliged to put down a security deposit of 2,000 so the rental company comes out smelling of roses. Thainess!

13 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Does ANY Thai know the highway code ?  I don't think so.

well yes many do, my wife went to a driveing school at udon thani, 10 days , i watched and she is a very compedent safe driver, as are the people who did the course , its just the few maniac minority that are causeing the trouble on the thai roads, i drive a lot and i see many good drivers, but when you see a bad one , they are real bad!

 

.....'A lot of crime commited by foreigners in Pattaya...'

 

It's all our fault and we should just turn ourselves in. I don't know about you lot on thaivisa but handing myself in to the Police will be a relief as I can't go on living a lie. 

 

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, stropper said:

well yes many do, my wife went to a driveing school at udon thani, 10 days , i watched and she is a very compedent safe driver, as are the people who did the course , its just the few maniac minority that are causeing the trouble on the thai roads, i drive a lot and i see many good drivers, but when you see a bad one , they are real bad!

 

Hard to take you post seriously, all things considered.

Anything that might reduce the huge number of rental bikes here must be a good thing. The unrented ones occupy hundreds of parking spaces, all over town.

I once took a friend to A&E - he tripped on one of our wonderful pavements. 

There were about ten young tourists- with legs/ ankles etc all bandaged up hobbling about - all obviously scooter accidents. 

Last night was following a couple of guys on scooters - driving down to Jomtien - they were weaving about - it was obvious they had not got a clue how to ride a bike. 

 

So have no idea why we have our illustrious TV members whinging about a bit of law inforcment- the only problem is often these campaigns only last a week or so- then back to the Wild West .

10 minutes ago, SpeakeasyThai said:

.....'A lot of crime commited by foreigners in Pattaya...'

 

It's all our fault and we should just turn ourselves in.  //

Depend which country "we" are from...

Just read the local news, and you will see that - yes -

many (small?) crimes are committed by foreigners,

mainly from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar...

this is a list of fines for motoring offences....note the fine for NO LICENCE.....seems like police can charge what ever they want....I would have thought an increase in a fine MUST be passed by law courts....BUT no I forgot we in thailand !!

 

No license plate – B400 
Running a red light – B300 
Reckless driving – B400 
Illegal U-turn – B400 
Blocking traffic – B200 
Operating an illegal vehicle – B1,000 
Parking in a non-parking area – B200 
No vehicle insurance – B600 
Driving against the flow of traffic – B200 
No helmet (Passenger & Driver) – B200 
No driver’s license – B400 
No owner’s registration – B400 
Overdue vehicle tax – B400 
Using a vehicle which makes noise louder than the prescribed limit – B1,000

 

The off-duty bureaucrats and officials must sit around at the local Karaoke clubs at night devising ways to drive tourists away.

And if Pattaya had a 21st century transport system, instead of a mafia-run shambles, there would be no need for so many people to rent motorcycles and clog up the roads.

13 hours ago, MunkyBoogar said:

But are they also going to fine Thai citizens 1000B for driving without a license? That would be a Negatory Ghostrider!

 

 

 

Well, no. You have to understand that the entire Thai police force was created to F$# farangs over. Why apply law to people who can't afford it ?

27 minutes ago, stropper said:

well yes many do, my wife went to a driveing school at udon thani, 10 days , i watched and she is a very compedent safe driver, as are the people who did the course , its just the few maniac minority that are causeing the trouble on the thai roads, i drive a lot and i see many good drivers, but when you see a bad one , they are real bad!

 

no woman is a good driver they cant even see over the steering wheel ....

1 hour ago, newnative said:

Umm.  1000 baht fine?  Not too tough.  10,000 baht would be a bit better but still not a lot of sting.  But taking away the bike is a plus. Now, let's keep at it all year and not just for a few days.

What about jail time? Is one year good for you? Lets get these criminals in prison yea.

Quote

Tourists must now have an international licence, their passport and home country driving licence when renting a vehicle in Pattaya. They must carry their documents with them to show to the police if stopped.

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.  Those in doubt should contact their embassy/consulate for advice.

 

So if this is the law how is it that Pattaya Police can change it to require a IDL?  It's all about the Baht

12 hours ago, darksidedog said:

I welcome this. If you don't have the right license, you can't rent a bike. That stops the tea money for the cops. It will also stop lots of foreigners uninsured through no license, having to crowd fund their hospital bill. And they are correct. Most visitors here do not have a clue how the locals drive, or how dangerous it is. Now just need to enforce it and then move on to the kiddies running around with absolutely no license, and in most cases a helmet either.

Your mention of kiddies without licences is only too true.  I cannot see how students at primary/grade school can have a licence, as he or she ferries her younger brother and sisters on a motorbike.

12 hours ago, nakhonandy said:

Interesting, I imagine the majority of tourists renting bikes have no valid motorbike license.

 

This will hit the hire companies hard, IF enforced.

 

depends the country. For small 125cc and under some countries don't require a motorbike endorsement/license.