International Driverslicence.

[off road pat]

Is a International Drivers licence legal or not in Thailand ?

I met somebody recently that told me he had a accident in Thailand and lost the court case.

The judge said that his international drivers licence was not valid in Thailand.

As far as I know his licence was not expired and was ok in all European country's.

I have been driving for some 30 years with one in Thailand, but never had a accident that lead to a court case.

[HampiK]

I ever heared, that after stay in Thailand (or many other countries) longer than 3-12 months the International driver License will not be valid anymore in that country. As the International driver license itself is still valid, but not for that country, because this person is not considered a tourist anymore.

 

But there was another thread where at the end it was not clear if allowed or not afterwards. The best and easiest is do the Thai License, if you stay here on retirement visa or anything else, which give you permission to stay here longer.

[stevenl]

Yes, if living here a Thai DL is required.

[Swiss1960]

international drivers licence or international driving permit together with the national drivers licence? That is a difference...

 

Many people think that the websites that offer international licences, translated in various languages and delivered worldwide, are valid documents... how can it be that an american private website can translate my Swiss drivers licence into chines and it then should be a valid document? How can the people behind the website know whether my Swiss drivers licence is still valid or not? My licence might be cancelled but I still own the plastic... so in my personal view, such drivers licences are all crap and authorities rightfully do not recognize them

 

international driving permits (IDP)are translations of the national drivers licence, done by the national authority of the issuing country. In Switzerland, IDP's are issued for maximum 3 years, depending on the validity of your driver licence. With your national licence and the IDP, you are allowed to drive in other countries for a certain amount of time, that depends on the country. In Switzerland, you can drive with your foreign driver licence and the IDP for a maximum of one year, then you have to convert it to a Swiss licence.

 

Not sure, how long you can drive in Thailand with your IDP. 

[stevenl]

6 minutes ago, Swiss1960 said:

international drivers licence or international driving permit together with the national drivers licence? That is a difference...

 

Many people think that the websites that offer international licences, translated in various languages and delivered worldwide, are valid documents... how can it be that an american private website can translate my Swiss drivers licence into chines and it then should be a valid document? How can the people behind the website know whether my Swiss drivers licence is still valid or not? My licence might be cancelled but I still own the plastic... so in my personal view, such drivers licences are all crap and authorities rightfully do not recognize them

 

international driving permits (IDP)are translations of the national drivers licence, done by the national authority of the issuing country. In Switzerland, IDP's are issued for maximum 3 years, depending on the validity of your driver licence. With your national licence and the IDP, you are allowed to drive in other countries for a certain amount of time, that depends on the country. In Switzerland, you can drive with your foreign driver licence and the IDP for a maximum of one year, then you have to convert it to a Swiss licence.

 

Not sure, how long you can drive in Thailand with your IDP. 

"Not sure, how long you can drive in Thailand with your IDP. "

3 months. Not required though, national license alone is sufficient (but IDP recommended to avoid issues with police).

[jvs]

This has been discussed a few times before and on forum member

even said he would hold a foreign organisation responsible if he had any trouble using his IDP because they told him over there it was valid for one year.no amount of reasoning could change his mind.

I do believe you need an IDP here as a tourist if your countries DL has no English language on it.You can use it up to 3 months and after that you are no longer considered a tourist and so you need a Thai DL.

Makes sense to me.

To the OP,if you live here fulltime i believe you need a Thai DL,it is not that hard to get.Where do you renew your IDL?

[Swiss1960]

7 minutes ago, stevenl said:

"Not sure, how long you can drive in Thailand with your IDP. "

3 months. Not required though, national license alone is sufficient (but IDP recommended to avoid issues with police).

 

above in bold might be true for people who have a national licence in English, mine is in German and needed translation from the Swiss Embassy in order to get my Thai driver licences (I have 5y licences now). My IDP was accepted in police checkpoints, but it was NOT accepted by the Banglamung / Chonburi Land transportation office for the conversion to a Thai drivers licence

[Peterw42]

OP, you probably need to clarify a couple of things. Was your friend driving on an international driving permit (IDP) issued in home country "and" home license, They go together.

As others have said, there is no such thing as an international drivers license, only an IDP, that accompanies your home license. You still cannot drive using only an IDP, its a document that accompanies your license.

Your friend would have been invalid for one of the following reasons

 

He had a bogus International driving license, from a bogus website etc, He had no license.

 

He was driving on only an IDP.  without the license it is supposed to accompany.

 

He was still driving on home license and IDP and not a tourist any-more (90 Days).

[stevenl]

21 minutes ago, Swiss1960 said:

 

above in bold might be true for people who have a national licence in English, mine is in German and needed translation from the Swiss Embassy in order to get my Thai driver licences (I have 5y licences now). My IDP was accepted in police checkpoints, but it was NOT accepted by the Banglamung / Chonburi Land transportation office for the conversion to a Thai drivers licence

Legally it most likely would have been accepted (can't say for sure since I don't know the Swiss license). Even if not English, but if following the bullet points and standarised pictogrammes that is ok (except by police who don't (want to) know better).

DLT has its own rules, or better, every DLT has its own rules.

[Peterw42]

34 minutes ago, stevenl said:

"Not sure, how long you can drive in Thailand with your IDP. "

3 months. Not required though, national license alone is sufficient (but IDP recommended to avoid issues with police).

Yes technically not required but advisable to have an IDP as there are police, insurance companies, DLTs and, if the OP can clarify, maybe even judges , who may say you need one .

[Peterw42]

48 minutes ago, Swiss1960 said:

Not sure, how long you can drive in Thailand with your IDP.

There is no definitive statement in the Thai traffic act, it mentions once you are on a long stay visa (not a tourist), a Thai license is required. But default that is 90 days (tourist visa and extension). 90 days is the figure quoted by travel sites, insurance companies etc.

[Kwasaki]

54 minutes ago, jvs said:

This has been discussed a few times before and on forum member.

More than a few times because nobody likes doing a TV search. ?

[jackdd]

Here i gathered the facts:

A general 90 days or 3 months limits does not exist, this is just something everybody copies from each other because somebody once said it.

 

Probably the friend of OP had an IDP according to the 1968 convention, for example from Germany, which is not legal in Thailand.

[Peterw42]

2 hours ago, jackdd said:

Here i gathered the facts:

A general 90 days or 3 months limits does not exist, this is just something everybody copies from each other because somebody once said it.

 

Probably the friend of OP had an IDP according to the 1968 convention, for example from Germany, which is not legal in Thailand.

You are the "only" person who has interpreted the Thai traffic act to mean this. Maybe mention that its "your" interpretation and basically disagrees with 100s of websites, insurance companies etc. I think the insurance companies who quote the 90 days got their lawyers to look into it.

[stevenl]

10 hours ago, jackdd said:

Here i gathered the facts:

A general 90 days or 3 months limits does not exist, this is just something everybody copies from each other because somebody once said it.

 

Probably the friend of OP had an IDP according to the 1968 convention, for example from Germany, which is not legal in Thailand.

"this is just something everybody copies from each other because somebody once said it."

No. I looked into it extensively in the past, look 3-4 years back and you'll find many posts on this as well, including references and law. So as Peter said, you come with your opinion, but you're wrong.

 

The friend of the OP was probably driving here long time, hence the requirement for a Thai DL. For tourists only the police sometimes worries about the year of the IDP convention, insurance etc. do not.

[jackdd]

22 minutes ago, stevenl said:

No. I looked into it extensively in the past, look 3-4 years back and you'll find many posts on this as well, including references and law. So as Peter said, you come with your opinion, but you're wrong. 

Nobody was able to provide a reference to a law which says there is a 90 day limit yet.

It's the same as people saying you have to carry your passport all the time, everybody copies this from each other, but nobody can provide a source for it. You are probably just wrong.

[stevenl]

3 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Nobody was able to provide a reference to a law which says there is a 90 day limit yet.

It's the same as people saying you have to carry your passport all the time, everybody copies this from each other, but nobody can provide a source for it. You are probably just wrong.

Yes, check 3-4 years ago.

 

I'm not doing this anymore, have done this many, many times already, and somebody like you who now comes and claims it has not been done, ...

 

Sorry.

[jackdd]

Just now, stevenl said:

Yes, check 3-4 years ago.

 

I'm not doing this anymore, have done this many, many times already, and somebody like you who now comes and claims it has not been done, ...

 

Sorry.

I can't prove something that doesn't exist.

[transam]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

Nobody was able to provide a reference to a law which says there is a 90 day limit yet.

It's the same as people saying you have to carry your passport all the time, everybody copies this from each other, but nobody can provide a source for it. You are probably just wrong.

We like to give information here to keep folk "safe" from the BiB and hassle with insurance claims.

You can use your home license for 90 days, after that a LOS license is required. The RAC advise to use an IDP backup..

In the UK you can use a LOS license for one year, different country different rules..

[jackdd]

7 minutes ago, transam said:

You can use your home license for 90 days

You can only use your home license (without IDP) if it matches the layout mentioned in the 1949 treatry. Probably no current license matches this layout, so effectively you can't. If you had a license which looks like this you could also use it indefinitely.

 

7 minutes ago, transam said:

We like to give information here to keep folk "safe" from the BiB and hassle with insurance claims.

If you want to keep people save from the BiB you should start by not giving wrong information.

[transam]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

You can only use your home license (without IDP) if it matches the layout mentioned in the 1949 treatry. Probably no current license matches this layout, so effectively you can't. If you had a license which looks like this you could also use it indefinitely.

 

If you want to keep people save from the BiB you should start by not giving wrong information.

Yeh, am sure I am going to follow your route eh....

[Fruit Trader]

59 minutes ago, transam said:

Yeh, am sure I am going to follow your route eh....

I would not follow that route either considering the 1949 layout refers to international driving permit that's valid only when accompanied by regular driving licence.

Your mention of driving for 90 days on a valid regular licence maybe correct but I cant find anything positive.

 

Found amongst all the internet confusion about driving in LOS.

Thailand vehicle act

 

Section 42
Anyone who wishes to drive a motor vehicle on public roads must possess an appropriate driver’s license. The driver must carry the driver’s license and a photocopy of the registration book and show them to competent officers upon request. This does not apply for those who are learning to drive a motor vehicle according to the provision of Section 57.

If the driver is an alien who doesn’t have an immigrant visa, he may drive a motor vehicle with a driver’s license specified in the Section 42-2. In such a case, he must carry documents specified by the treaty between the Thai government and the government which issued such driver’s license, and show them to competent officers upon request.

Section 42-2
In case there’s a treaty between the Thai government and a foreign government regarding mutual acceptance of driver’s license, an alien who doesn’t have an immigrant visa may drive a motor vehicle with a driver’s license issued by such a foreign government, or an automobile association authorized by such a foreign government.

 

[Kwasaki]

4 hours ago, jackdd said:

You can only use your home license (without IDP) if it matches the layout mentioned in the 1949 treatry. Probably no current license matches this layout, so effectively you can't. If you had a license which looks like this you could also use it indefinitely.

 

If you want to keep people save from the BiB you should start by not giving wrong information.

As said before this sort of topic has been beaten death many times on thaivisa, do a search.

 

Your rhetoric as in your other thread doesn't help much, never mine the interpretations of Thai law either.

 

People here on TV give info on what's best to do in their experience of being within Thailand from all over the country, people who've been here a long time. 

 

The main consensus is never mind laws / 1 year IDP's / 90 day reporting periods etc etc.

My advice is :-

Tourists who want to drive on holiday here can with a full driving licence from your own home country accompanied by a IDP up to 90 days & check that you are insured for any occurrence..  

 

If somebody comes back and forth to Thailand many times get a Thai driving licence by whatever means is the best thing to do.

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, Fruit Trader said:

I would not follow that route either considering the 1949 layout refers to international driving permit that's valid only when accompanied by regular driving licence.

Your mention of driving for 90 days on a valid regular licence maybe correct but I cant find anything positive.

 

Found amongst all the internet confusion about driving in LOS.

Thailand vehicle act

 

Section 42
Anyone who wishes to drive a motor vehicle on public roads must possess an appropriate driver’s license. The driver must carry the driver’s license and a photocopy of the registration book and show them to competent officers upon request. This does not apply for those who are learning to drive a motor vehicle according to the provision of Section 57.

If the driver is an alien who doesn’t have an immigrant visa, he may drive a motor vehicle with a driver’s license specified in the Section 42-2. In such a case, he must carry documents specified by the treaty between the Thai government and the government which issued such driver’s license, and show them to competent officers upon request.

Section 42-2
In case there’s a treaty between the Thai government and a foreign government regarding mutual acceptance of driver’s license, an alien who doesn’t have an immigrant visa may drive a motor vehicle with a driver’s license issued by such a foreign government, or an automobile association authorized by such a foreign government.

 

Yeah well l'll show that to the local police I know and also the highway police and get them to confirm it. ?

[trucking]

If you are living here just get a Thai licence. Better safe than sorry.

[jackdd]

2 hours ago, Fruit Trader said:

I would not follow that route either considering the 1949 layout refers to international driving permit that's valid only when accompanied by regular driving licence.

https://treaties.un.org/doc/Treaties/1952/03/19520326 03-36 PM/Ch_XI_B_1_2_3.pdf

Annex 9 defines domestic licenses

Annex 10 defines the IDP

If you have a license from your home country which matches the layout from Annex 9 you don't need an IDP.

 

 

If other than that an IDP is not required is not really clear, as i said in the other thread already:

The Thai law says "he must carry documents specified by the treaty"

And the treaty says "A Contracting State may however require ..." 

So you could argue now that you are not required to carry an IDP in Thailand (doesn't have to do anything with in which language it is). 

[Fruit Trader]

13 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Yeah well l'll show that to the local police I know and also the highway police and get them to confirm it. ?

To avoid lengthy lip dribble while talking to your local police I suggest you find the original Thai version the translation was taken from. Make sense ?

[Just Weird]

15 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

You are the "only" person who has interpreted the Thai traffic act to mean this. Maybe mention that its "your" interpretation and basically disagrees with 100s of websites, insurance companies etc. I think the insurance companies who quote the 90 days got their lawyers to look into it.

"I think the insurance companies who quote the 90 days got their lawyers to look into it"?

 

That does not explain why some (big) insurers here will pay on claims submitted by foreign licence holders without any question about how long they have been in the country.  I know, I've been paid out by Viriyah on 4 occasions showing only a UK licence.

[Kwasaki]

9 minutes ago, Fruit Trader said:

To avoid lengthy lip dribble while talking to your local police I suggest you find the original Thai version the translation was taken from. Make sense ?

It was a joke and the best advice whatever a persons situation is about driving in Thailand has been given. 

[transam]

5 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

"I think the insurance companies who quote the 90 days got their lawyers to look into it"?

 

That does not explain why some (big) insurers here will pay on claims submitted by foreign licence holders without any question about how long they have been in the country.  I know, I've been paid out by Viriyah on 4 occasions showing only a UK licence.

Hmmm, 4 occasions.....Did you ever pass a driving test...?