International Driving Permit

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

But something like an IDL doesn't even exist

Porkies again. ?

https://www.idltravel.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwgr3ZBRAAEiwAGVssnfIhCPbyJWo9p6N4qn

CQkAoozwnHdyjhYrC0Lo9HLAapK7h31y3g2xoC4lIQAvD_BwE

Edited June 25, 2018 by Kwasaki

[jackdd]

30 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Porkies again. ?

https://www.idltravel.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwgr3ZBRAAEiwAGVssnfIhCPbyJWo9p6N4qn

CQkAoozwnHdyjhYrC0Lo9HLAapK7h31y3g2xoC4lIQAvD_BwE

I'm obviously talking about an official document and not something that you print by yourself or somebody else like the trustworthy people running this website or working at Kao San road print for you.

 

 

In this thread are two people who say their DLT (Bang Chak and Ubon) didn't accept the 1968 IDP, only accept 1949 IDP:

Same for Phuket

Pattay as well

 

 

Edited June 25, 2018 by jackdd

[Kwasaki]

7 hours ago, stevenl said:

Sad that despite your research you still don't know what you're talking about. Do a search for International Driving Licenses, and be astounded by the offers.

Your'll never convince someone who knows everything about Thai DL law,  I suspect quoting a court case he knows nothing of the law either. ?  

[transam]

Anyhooooo, something to take on board, if you have a ploblem with the BiB and end up in court they will be looking through your passport searching for long stay visa, stamps etc, if you have then l reckon the court would say you should have sorted a Thai license...

[jackdd]

16 minutes ago, transam said:

Anyhooooo, something to take on board, if you have a ploblem with the BiB and end up in court they will be looking through your passport searching for long stay visa, stamps etc, if you have then l reckon the court would say you should have sorted a Thai license...

They don't have any reason to say this, because according to the law everybody here on a temporary stay (that includes non-o and non-b visas) can use an IDP, i quoted the law in my first post in this thread.

 

 

Regarding 1949 / 1968 IDP:

https://www.dlt.go.th/en/renew-license/

Yes, this page has the wrong titel and they write "invalid" which probably should mean "valid"

"INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE (1949 CONVENTION)" they specifically mention 1949, which does at least mean that for converting a driving license officially only the 1949 IDP is valid and not the 1968 IDP.

If the 1968 IDP were valid in Thailand, why should it not officially be possible to use it to convert it to a Thai license?

Edited June 26, 2018 by jackdd

[transam]

1 minute ago, jackdd said:

They don't have any reason to say this, because according to the law everybody here on a temporary stay (that includes non-o and non-b visas) can use an IDP, i quoted the law in my first post in this thread.

 

 

Regarding 1949 / 1968 IDP:

https://www.dlt.go.th/en/renew-license/

Yes, this page has the wrong titel and they write "invalid" which probably should mean "valid"

"INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE (1949 CONVENTION)" they specifically mention 1949, which does at least mean that for converting a driving license officially only the 1949 IDP is valid and not the 1968 IDP.

Sunbeam, on this forum the aim is to keep members safe from the BiB..You are not in farangland you are in a country where anything can happen and does..

 

If you don't want to listen to what many long stayers have said here that is up to you.

[jackdd]

4 minutes ago, transam said:

Sunbeam, on this forum the aim is to keep members safe from the BiB..You are not in farangland you are in a country where anything can happen and does..

 

If you don't want to listen to what many long stayers have said here that is up to you.

We have hundreds threads about the BiB already, and a lot of wrong advice without any source as well, so i thought in this thread i simply stick to the facts (you said "end up in court", i'm quite sure a judge would follow what's written in the law)

I'm very well aware that the BiB might handle this differently, see the third sentence of my first post:

On 5/20/2018 at 5:25 PM, jackdd said:

This is only what the law and the treaties say. How a police officer handles this on the street may be totally different.

 

Edited June 26, 2018 by jackdd

[transam]

5 minutes ago, jackdd said:

We have hundreds threads about the BiB already, and a lot of wrong advice without any source as well, so i thought in this thread i simply stick to the facts (you said "end up in court", i'm quite sure a judge would follow what's written in the law)

I'm very well aware that the BiB might handle this differently, see the third sentence of my first post:

 

May I add..When I bought my ride, which obviously shows I am living here, the insurance co wanted a copy of my "Thai" license..I wonder why...?

[jackdd]

5 minutes ago, transam said:

May I add..When I bought my ride, which obviously shows I am living here, the insurance co wanted a copy of my "Thai" license..I wonder why...?

Buying a vehicle here doesn't mean that you are living here.

Your insurance company is a private company, so you and your insurance company can make a contract about nearly everything you want. If the insurance company agrees to do this you could also remove the license part from the contract, then anybody is insured even without license.

But in most contracts you will find a section which requires the driver to hold a valid license, and of course they can define a valid license as whatever they want, so it might be that according to your contract only a Thai license is a valid license for the insurance company, or the people there just don't know what an IDP is.

[transam]

3 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Buying a vehicle here doesn't mean that you are living here.

Your insurance company is a private company, so you and your insurance company can make a contract about nearly everything you want. If the insurance company agrees to do this you could also remove the license part from the contract, then anybody is insured even without license.

But in most contracts you will find a section which requires the driver to hold a valid license, and of course they can define a valid license as whatever they want, so it might be that according to your contract only a Thai license is a valid license for the insurance company, or the people there just don't know what an IDP is.

Oh well....

[stevenl]

53 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Buying a vehicle here doesn't mean that you are living here.

Your insurance company is a private company, so you and your insurance company can make a contract about nearly everything you want. If the insurance company agrees to do this you could also remove the license part from the contract, then anybody is insured even without license.

But in most contracts you will find a section which requires the driver to hold a valid license, and of course they can define a valid license as whatever they want, so it might be that according to your contract only a Thai license is a valid license for the insurance company, or the people there just don't know what an IDP is.

Driver and vehicle purchaser are not necessarily the same.

 

If I remember correctly Transam has a policy with named driver, but I would presume that when he bought the vehicle he had a general policy, without named driver?

[transam]

24 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Driver and vehicle purchaser are not necessarily the same.

 

If I remember correctly Transam has a policy with named driver, but I would presume that when he bought the vehicle he had a general policy, without named driver?

Correct, all in my name. Since then I renewed with named drivers.

 

I did read somewhere that some, maybe all, Thai insurance co's invalidate their policy at 3 months if the driver has not acquired a Thai license.

[stevenl]

2 hours ago, transam said:

Correct, all in my name. Since then I renewed with named drivers.

 

I did read somewhere that some, maybe all, Thai insurance co's invalidate their policy at 3 months if the driver has not acquired a Thai license.

Could be the case for named driver policies. But SOP is no named driver, so also having a Thai DL can not be a requirement since the driver is not known.

[Kwasaki]

22 hours ago, stevenl said:

Could be the case for named driver policies. But SOP is no named driver, so also having a Thai DL can not be a requirement since the driver is not known.

I asked Mrs about our truck, what does the 1st class voluntary insurance cover, she said anything that happens to the vehicle it's in her name and insured by her.

You have to have the CTPL cover as well.

 

My wife could choose to drive the truck, the truck is still insured even though my wife only has a m/c DL.

If she does not want to be fined for driving without a DL she should be accompanied by a person with a valid DL, 

 

Having a DL / IDP / IDL / HGV / PCV  ? is a separate matter and nothing to do with vehicle insurance in Thailand.

Arrangement can be made with the voluntary insurance company on DL preferences e.g. name driver only or maybe other things to increase cover or reduce it.

 

In my time here an insurance companies insisting on a driver having a DL to be fully covered is not something I've experienced.

I know of DL requirements for cover in the UK but also experienced DL requirements in other countries.

[stevenl]

17 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

I asked Mrs about our truck, what does the 1st class voluntary insurance cover, she said anything that happens to the vehicle it's in her name and insured by her.

You have to have the CTPL cover as well.

 

My wife could choose to drive the truck, the truck is still insured even though my wife only has a m/c DL.

If she does not want to be fined for driving without a DL she should be accompanied by a person with a valid DL, 

 

Having a DL / IDP / IDL / HGV / PCV  ? is a separate matter and nothing to do with vehicle insurance in Thailand.

Arrangement can be made with the voluntary insurance company on DL preferences e.g. name driver only or maybe other things to increase cover or reduce it.

 

In my time here an insurance companies insisting on a driver having a DL to be fully covered is not something I've experienced.

I know of DL requirements for cover in the UK but also experienced DL requirements in other countries.

Agree with you. Apparently transam has a different policy, where the Thai DL is required. But for Porobor it is never required, for other policies it can be a requirement as agreed by company and policyholder, and afaik only in named policies.

[Kwasaki]

9 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Agree with you. Apparently transam has a different policy, where the Thai DL is required. But for Porobor it is never required, for other policies it can be a requirement as agreed by company and policyholder, and AFAIK only in named policies.

My CRF bike is insured through APS Honda full refund value on Thief, 80% cover for a right off if my fault, the rest is claimable by CTPL Porobor.

No DL licence required shown or asked for from either. ?

My DL's run out Friday 29th am I worried no.

[jackdd]

The only insurance company with a Facebook chat (at least i didn't find another):

Edited June 27, 2018 by jackdd

[stevenl]

26 minutes ago, jackdd said:

The only insurance company with a Facebook chat (at least i didn't find another):

I presume you asked them about driving with foreign license with and without 1968 IDP?

[jackdd]

5 minutes ago, stevenl said:

I presume you asked them about driving with foreign license with and without 1968 IDP?

I'm quite sure that this exceeds the competancy of their Facebook chat, so i didn't ask

[Fruit Trader]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

The only insurance company with a Facebook chat (at least i didn't find another):

After the translation loss fuzzy logic, thats about as useful as chocolate teapot.

[poosmate]

I have just been stopped in Hua Hin and asked for my driving licence. I showed them my valid Uk licence (I am here only a few weeks). I also showed a picture of my IDP. The picture the police claim is not acceptable. I explained the permit is only a translation (not Thai) of my foriegn licence.

Although they agreed a picture of a passport would be accepted the permit must be carried and produced when stopped. I cannot see any rule backing up this claim. Can anyone clarify for me.

The permit is a flimsy card and not easily carried.

[johng]

3 minutes ago, poosmate said:

I cannot see any rule backing up this claim. Can anyone clarify for me.

They make the rules up as they go along..if you had the IDP  then they would have tried to find "something else"  that was wrong.

[Kwasaki]

29 minutes ago, poosmate said:

I cannot see any rule backing up this claim. Can anyone clarify for me.

The permit is a flimsy card and not easily carried.

Many of the bib don't know the licence laws they ask for IDP's because many other countries need them for driving Thailand.

It has always been the consensus to carry a copy of your passport and a good way is to have it on your phone.

 

In some extremes bib will try to find something to get money best to carry a copy of the vehicle book details you are driving too and a copy of Insurance even if it has a up to date road disc. 

You'll be pretty much covered then unless they can find something wrong with the vehicle.

 

[transam]

1 minute ago, Kwasaki said:

Many of the bib don't know the licence laws they ask for IDP's because many other countries need them for driving Thailand.

It has always been the consensus to carry a copy of your passport and a good way is to have it on your phone.

 

In some extremes bib will try to find something to get money best to carry a copy of the vehicle book details you are driving too and a copy of Insurance even if it has a up to date road disc. 

You'll be pretty much covered then unless they can find something wrong with the vehicle.

 

Or urine....????

[jackdd]

49 minutes ago, poosmate said:

I showed them my valid Uk licence (I am here only a few weeks). I also showed a picture of my IDP. The picture the police claim is not acceptable.

As explained in my opening post, the law is not 100% clear if you need an IDP or not. In case the law is interpreted so that an IDP is required, this does of course mean the original is required. So in this case you did not have a valid driving license with you and can be fined for it.

 

52 minutes ago, poosmate said:

Although they agreed a picture of a passport would be accepted the permit must be carried and produced when stopped.

Thailand doesn't have a law that you have to carry a passport arround with you, but they have a law that says you need to carry a driving license.

[johng]

24 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

You'll be pretty much covered then unless they can find something wrong with the vehicle.

If you are riding a motorcycle solo  they have been known to fine for driving with the passenger footpegs folded down !!!

 

Should also have a copy of blue/green book , tax disk displayed on the vehicle and insurance certificate at the ready.

Edited December 6, 2018 by johng

[Kwasaki]

1 minute ago, johng said:

If you are riding a motorcycle solo  they have been known to fine for driving with the passenger footpegs folded down !!!

Nothing would surprise me espesually being in the large popular tourist areas.

In my years I've never been bothered by police travelling all around Thailand, showing a DL occasionally is the only thing they have asked to see they have always been polite.

Even though I live in a tourist village the local police know all the locals.   

[transam]

15 minutes ago, johng said:

If you are riding a motorcycle solo  they have been known to fine for driving with the passenger footpegs folded down !!!

 

Should also have a copy of blue/green book , tax disk displayed on the vehicle and insurance certificate at the ready.

Just have wads of A4 paper on board...Multiple A4 copies of stuff causes confusion overload and so one is on their way in a mo or two......????

[poosmate]

3 hours ago, jackdd said:

As explained in my opening post, the law is not 100% clear if you need an IDP or not. In case the law is interpreted so that an IDP is required, this does of course mean the original is required. So in this case you did not have a valid driving license with you and can be fined for it.

 

Thailand doesn't have a law that you have to carry a passport arround with you, but they have a law that says you need to carry a driving license.

Of course I had a valid  UK Driving licence which I produced. The photo is of an International Driving Permit which is just a translation of my licence....in many languages not including Thai. An International Driving permit is not an entitlement to drive. The police however are convinced the permit is a licence and wrongly accept it without the driving licence it supports. The only point of a IDP is so local police can understand eligibility.

Edited December 6, 2018 by poosmate
Add

[jackdd]

42 minutes ago, poosmate said:

Of course I had a valid  UK Driving licence which I produced.

But your UK driving license is only valid in Thailand if it's accompanied by an original IDP (according to the interpretation of the law which the police is using). You didn't have the original IDP with you, so you did not have a driving license valid in Thailand.