Can I drive in UK on my Thai license?

[CrossBones]

My British license expired 5 years ago.

I now have a Thai license

I need to go back to the UK for a few days, can I rent a car and drive on my Thai license? or an expired British license?

I am British and Australian (join citizenship)

What can I do?

[grollies]

Google.

 

https://www.justlanded.com/english/United-Kingdom/UK-Guide/Travel-Leisure/Driving-licences

 

Yes you can.

[CrossBones]

Im not really sure looking at that link. That link talks about foreigners. I am both a foreigner and not a foreigner, being British and Australian

And my driving license is Thai

 

hmm

[transam]

For one year ...

[dabhand]

Hired a car from Avis at Heathrow last year with my 5 year Thai licence. No problem.

 

Believe that using a UK licence, for those no longer considered as UK resident, could lead to a rather hefty fine as well as potential insurance issues if involved in an accident. Using an expired UK licence is unlikely to be accepted by any hire company and is not a good idea under any circumstances.

[Jip99]

4 minutes ago, grollies said:

Google.

 

https://www.justlanded.com/english/United-Kingdom/UK-Guide/Travel-Leisure/Driving-licences

 

Yes you can.

 

 

 

.... and no you can’t.

 

 

Yes to the Thai DL, no to the 3xpired UK one.

[CrossBones]

1 minute ago, dabhand said:

Hired a car from Avis at Heathrow last year with my 5 year Thai licence. No problem.

 

Believe that using a UK licence, for those no longer considered as UK resident, could lead to a rather hefty fine as well as potential insurance issues if involved in an accident. Using an expired UK licence is unlikely to be accepted by any hire company and is not a good idea under any circumstances.

you are British?

[CrossBones]

Just now, Jip99 said:

 

 

 

.... and no you can’t.

 

 

Yes to the Thai DL, no to the 3xpired UK one.

its talking about foreigners

[dabhand]

2 minutes ago, CrossBones said:

you are British?

Yes.

[Jip99]

Just now, CrossBones said:

its talking about foreigners

 

Whatever. You are not resident and in any event hold a Thai license.

 

 

i have rented a car on  Thai licence before, because it was easier for the rental company.

 

No to the expired licence.....Yes to the Thai.

[baansgr]

Yes you can which I did many times. However the excess now is at least 1,000 pounds and car hire companies are expensive for insurance. You can get for as little as a pound a day with independent insurance that covers the excess but you do need a UK licence. I renewed mine online, they already use my passport photo which suprised me and only took 2 days to arrive

[Kwasaki]

Bloody ell here we go again, you can drive in Uk on a 5 year Thai DL up to 1 year just let the hire company know your DL is a Thai DL.

[MrBanks]

I have recently rented cars in the UK both from Avis and Enterprise using my 2 year Thai license. I experienced no problems at all, except I had to use our years instead of the Thai years on the Thai license (I mean the valid from to dates). Regarding the excess again I had no problem when I said that I wanted to pay the insurance with the minimum excess. Incidentally I still have a valid UK license which one of the check in people saw and asked me why I was using my Thai one instead, I said because there are too many speed cameras and traps now, so if they want to send me a speeding ticket they can send it to Thailand. He laughed  and that was it, no problems!

[Nemo.]

I rented a car on my Malaysian licence from Heathrow. I have a valid UK one as well. I tried both and 35% less on Malaysian license (same excess). Go figure that!

 

For excess cover I use private insurance that is super cheap. The car hire companies insurance works out as 1-3rd of cost of excess so you can also "self insure" by saving that each trip. Hired in London 20  times never a scratch.

[alant]

You can use your full Thai licence that has English on it.

Please note, if you use a 3rd party to insure your excess when hiring a car this is no longer possible if you are resident overseas. I can't find out why this has happened. Hope the info helps

 

[CNXYONG]

yes you can, I did this to hire a car at heathrow, the only other thing is you will need a credit card, I did this to book it online, then show the hire company when you arrive, then when you return the car you can pay by the card or cash, same as hotels, note if you need to apply for a Thai credit card it can take 2/4months, & you will need a fixed account with the 1,000 gbp min as forthat is what the hire company state. 

  You can actually book the car with any card, but has to be a credit card when you arrive with the raised lettering format.

I was going to renew my UK licence while in the UK, but you have to be there for 185 day's of the year.

 

                                                          hope this helps.

[Andyfez]

I always use my Thai licence in UK and other places.

That way I can't get points on my UK one ?

[Muhendis]

17 hours ago, baansgr said:

Yes you can which I did many times. However the excess now is at least 1,000 pounds and car hire companies are expensive for insurance. You can get for as little as a pound a day with independent insurance that covers the excess but you do need a UK licence. I renewed mine online, they already use my passport photo which suprised me and only took 2 days to arrive

Presumably you have a UK address which you used. Is that the case?

[AhFarangJa]

Maybe the same, but when I lived in Saudi I always hired a car at Heathrow using my Saudi License, Saudi address, with my British Passport. Never a problem. Hope it helps.

[Deli]

Just Yes, you can.

[jimster]

19 hours ago, dabhand said:

Hired a car from Avis at Heathrow last year with my 5 year Thai licence. No problem.

 

Believe that using a UK licence, for those no longer considered as UK resident, could lead to a rather hefty fine as well as potential insurance issues if involved in an accident. Using an expired UK licence is unlikely to be accepted by any hire company and is not a good idea under any circumstances.

That sounds bizarre. If you're a UK citizen how does anyone prove you're not a resident? If you have a valid UK licence, irrespective of where you live use that. If you have a Thai one but no UK one (or an expired UK one) use that one. The key point is the licence must be valid, that's all.

[dabhand]

59 minutes ago, jimster said:

That sounds bizarre. If you're a UK citizen how does anyone prove you're not a resident? If you have a valid UK licence, irrespective of where you live use that. If you have a Thai one but no UK one (or an expired UK one) use that one. The key point is the licence must be valid, that's all.

Using a UK driving licence but not being resident could mean a fine of up to £1,000. Maybe insurance issues as well, but I would prefer not to take the chance.

https://www.gov.uk/change-address-driving-licence

[robertson468]

21 hours ago, CrossBones said:

Im not really sure looking at that link. That link talks about foreigners. I am both a foreigner and not a foreigner, being British and Australian

And my driving license is Thai

hmm

It also talks about Visitors, which you probably come under if you have no residence in the UK.  Why not contact one of the big rental companies by email and ask them?  Then let everyone know the answer.  Job done.

[baansgr]

2 hours ago, Muhendis said:

Presumably you have a UK address which you used. Is that the case?

Yes

[baansgr]

18 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Bloody ell here we go again, you can drive in Uk on a 5 year Thai DL up to 1 year just let the hire company know your DL is a Thai DL.

Enterprise always asked to see my return ticket

[Jonmarleesco]

Yes ... unfortunately, given the number of morons who hold a Thai licence.  

[Jonmarleesco]

53 minutes ago, dabhand said:

Using a UK driving licence but not being resident could mean a fine of up to £1,000. Maybe insurance issues as well, but I would prefer not to take the chance.

https://www.gov.uk/change-address-driving-licence

Not a question that arises. But given the Thai licence is valid, irrelevant.

[Jonmarleesco]

2 hours ago, Andyfez said:

I always use my Thai licence in UK and other places.

That way I can't get points on my UK one ?

The police wouldn't concern themselves with which licence you used for the hire, if you hold a British one. That said, they would need the licence in order to impose the points. 

[Jonmarleesco]

2 hours ago, CNXYONG said:

yes you can, I did this to hire a car at heathrow, the only other thing is you will need a credit card, I did this to book it online, then show the hire company when you arrive, then when you return the car you can pay by the card or cash, same as hotels, note if you need to apply for a Thai credit card it can take 2/4months, & you will need a fixed account with the 1,000 gbp min as forthat is what the hire company state. 

  You can actually book the car with any card, but has to be a credit card when you arrive with the raised lettering format.

I was going to renew my UK licence while in the UK, but you have to be there for 185 day's of the year.

 

                                                          hope this helps.

183 days. But then, if you live overseas, your British licence becomes (technically) invalid. 

[Jonmarleesco]

2 hours ago, jimster said:

That sounds bizarre. If you're a UK citizen how does anyone prove you're not a resident? ... The key point is the licence must be valid, that's all.

Not correct. Amazingly - and it might have changed, but the information is online - whilst, for example, a US licence is acceptable, a Canadian one, for some inexplicable reason, isn't.

Edited July 29, 2018 by Jonmarleesco