Can I drive in UK on my Thai license?

[malco]

yes one can drive on a thai driving licence in uk for twelve months.

[grollies]

6 hours ago, MrBanks said:

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!

My missus sent DVLA her Thai licence, never heard from them again.....and it was me driving her car.

[Poppin]

If worried then get an international driving permit in Thailand. I have just hired a car at Heathrow and Enterprise accepted the permit. I have not used my UK license as it does not have the correct address on it and may cause problems with your insurance company should you need to claim. Go to transport office in your local town and obtain a international driving permit. Cost approx 500 Baht.

[GinBoy2]

Isn't the rather simple answer, give you Australian passport and thai license.

I've used my US passport and Thai license to get a rental car in the UK before. Now I've been stopped by the cops, obviously not British which may complicate things if you are, but wasn't a problem

[thailand49]

How about the U.S.,  My license expires in November usually I get an auto-renewal automatically but this time I read locally in California everyone has to pay a new fee for a new license that is used for domestic flights I.D.?

I heard even with appointments the Lines are hours long some parking themselves outside the motor vehicle office hours before the open.

I have a trip planned end of September for a 10 day stay if I can't get it done then was going to let it expired, I don't rent cars usually use my daugther vehicle for one or two days?  is my Thai license good?

Thanks

[ubonjoe]

38 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

How about the U.S.,  My license expires in November usually I get an auto-renewal automatically but this time I read locally in California everyone has to pay a new fee for a new license that is used for domestic flights I.D.?

I heard even with appointments the Lines are hours long some parking themselves outside the motor vehicle office hours before the open.

I have a trip planned end of September for a 10 day stay if I can't get it done then was going to let it expired, I don't rent cars usually use my daugther vehicle for one or two days?  is my Thai license good?

Thanks

You can use your passport for checking in for and boarding flights.

You Thai drivers license can be use. How long depends upon the state you drive in. I think most are 90 days.

[Kwasaki]

5 hours ago, Jonmarleesco said:

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

If you live oversea UK DL valid for 2 years, living in Thailand on non 'O' 90 days.

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, Poppin said:

If worried then get an international driving permit in Thailand. I have just hired a car at Heathrow and Enterprise accepted the permit. I have not used my UK license as it does not have the correct address on it and may cause problems with your insurance company should you need to claim. Go to transport office in your local town and obtain a international driving permit. Cost approx 500 Baht.

In UK your Thai 5 year DL is valid for 1 year as said in posts for many years a Thai IDP maybe needed in other countries. 

[overherebc]

Thai licence is no problem for up to a year.

The only thing to check is that some UK companies won't accept the first two year valid licence and insist on a 5 year licence.

Maybe because the two year licence has temporary stamped on it?????

 

Edited July 29, 2018 by overherebc

[overherebc]

4 hours ago, grollies said:

My missus sent DVLA her Thai licence, never heard from them again.....and it was me driving her car.

Interested in why she did that to be honest.

[jenny2017]

28 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Thai licence is no problem for up to a year.

The only thing to check is that some UK companies won't accept the first two year valid licence and insist on a 5 year licence.

Maybe because the two year licence has temporary stamped on it?????

 

Not only the Thai license, I'd also apply for an International permit, now available at all transport departments. A couple of years back it was only possible to apply for one in Bangkok. Cost is around 500 baht. As far as  I remember, they want to see a 5-year license. 

[jenny2017]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

In UK your Thai 5 year DL is valid for 1 year as said in posts for many years a Thai IDP maybe needed in other countries. 

An IDP makes sense, just in case of an accident to be on the safe side. 

[simoh1490]

11 minutes ago, jenny2017 said:

An IDP makes sense, just in case of an accident to be on the safe side. 

An IDP does not make sense unless you wear belts and braces at the same time.

[jenny2017]

2 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

An IDP does not make sense unless you wear belts and braces at the same time.

Not even when you want to drive to the mainland? 

[Kwasaki]

10 minutes ago, jenny2017 said:

An IDP makes sense, just in case of an accident to be on the safe side. 

People can do whatever they wish if they want to but in UK a Thai 5 year DL does not require to be accompanied with an IDP because English is written on the Thai DL on what they are entitled to drive, capisce.

[grollies]

9 hours ago, overherebc said:

Interested in why she did that to be honest.

Sorry, she didn't send it in, rather filled out the form with the Thai licence details and her address here.

[theoldgit]

On 7/28/2018 at 4:48 PM, 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

As others have pointed out this question has been asked numerous times, and the consensus, based on information freely available from Gov.uk, is that you can legally drive on a Thai Driving for up to 12 months.

An IDP is little more than a translation of your driving licence if your licence is not written in English, which my Thai licence is, so is certainly not required, even for belt and braces.

 

I've rented cars in the UK using my Thai licence numerous times over the years, and it's never been questioned. 

 

The links below give two results, the first based on a visitor to the UK who passed a driving test in the UK and the second where the test was passed overseas, I would be going with the result of the second link as the OP is only visiting for a few days.

 

https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence/y/a-visitor-to-great-britain/northern-ireland-european-union-or-european-economic-area

 

https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence/y/a-visitor-to-great-britain/any-other-country

[sandyf]

On 7/29/2018 at 12:28 PM, 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.

When in the UK, for convenience reasons, I only use Avis/Budget. When hiring a car on a UK licence they ask for recent proof of address.

[wgdanson]

On 7/29/2018 at 10:40 AM, MrBanks said:

so if they want to send me a speeding ticket they can send it to Thailand

Any speeding or parking tickets are sent to the registered owner of the vehicle ie the hire company. That is why they have YOUR credit card details, and will charge the fine to it. Obviously they cannot put points on your Thai licence.

[MrBanks]

7 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Any speeding or parking tickets are sent to the registered owner of the vehicle ie the hire company. That is why they have YOUR credit card details, and will charge the fine to it. Obviously they cannot put points on your Thai licence.

Yes, you are absolutely correct, however, it is the points that I don't want.

Edited July 31, 2018 by MrBanks

[theoldgit]

Yes, you are absolutely correct, however, it is the points that I don't want.

I understand that they can’t put points on an a Thai, or any overseas licence, so you cannot opt for a fixed penalty fine, you are therefore liable to be summoned to court for a Magistrate to decide your fate.


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[Kinnock]

13 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

I understand that they can’t put points on an a Thai, or any overseas licence, so you cannot opt for a fixed penalty fine, you are therefore liable to be summoned to court for a Magistrate to decide your fate.


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I was told by the Europcar rental office in Heathrow that for speed cameras (not for stops by a Police Officer) they would receive the fixed penalty as the registered owner of the car.  They can then either pay the fine and then charge it to your credit card, or provide evidence of the actual driver.  In cases of 'routine' speeding, they pay and charge your card - for more serious offences they send the drivers details, and the Police decide how they follow up.  

[Sigma6]

On 7/29/2018 at 12:12 PM, Andyfez said:

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

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

you may think that but.....

 

I was caught speeding by a copper with a radar gun, who followed and pulled me over to issue a fixed penalty notice.  I explained i wasnt resident in the UK, and the car was hired on my 2 year thai license.  After getting my name and DOB, he pulled up my still current UK license details, and the points and fine were put on my UK license, regardless of what licence I used to hire the car.
 

I guess for speed cameras, this wouldnt play out the same way but, be aware with manned radars/undercover cars

[simoh1490]

I've read elsewhere that merely having an overseas license and being non-resident doesn't override the UK license if the driver was issued with a UK license previously - perhaps if a person becomes an expatriate and returns their UK license to DMV it might be a different story, but I guess very few expats would actually do that.

[DILLIGAD]

So what would they do if it’s expired and your driving on a Thai DL?


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[simoh1490]

2 minutes ago, DILLIGAD said:

So what would they do if it’s expired and your driving on a Thai DL?


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If it's expired it's no longer valid hence surely the Thai license must prevail?

[user343434]

In following European Countries I have used my Thai License to rent a car:

 

Germany

Netherlands

England

Ireland 

Belgium

Spain

 

with following results:

2016 I got picked out in Amsterdam Airport to pay my speeding tickets created 2012 and 2013. I had to follow an Officer to the ATM and giving him 580 Eur.

I Germany I got stopped for speeding and not stopping at a Stop sign = Cash 40Km speeding 130Eur "Farangprice" and 25 Eur (usually 10) for the stop sign. Paid on the spot as debit cards are not accepted.

 

My German daughter made her Motorbike and car driving License as she was 2 years with me in Thailand.

Back in Germany she could use it but after 6 month she had to change it for small money and passing both theoretical tests to the European one. No drive lessons or riding school involved. (works by the way after a stay longer than 6 month)

[jimster]

On 7/31/2018 at 9:36 AM, sandyf said:

When in the UK, for convenience reasons, I only use Avis/Budget. When hiring a car on a UK licence they ask for recent proof of address. 

Still weird. Proof of address should be what it says on your licence. I've hired cars in Australia on my Australian licence also through AVIS/Budget (and occasionally others) never have I been asked for more paperwork than my licence and credit card. Ditto for the USA, renting on a US licence at the time.

[sandyf]

On 8/1/2018 at 10:06 PM, jimster said:

Still weird. Proof of address should be what it says on your licence. I've hired cars in Australia on my Australian licence also through AVIS/Budget (and occasionally others) never have I been asked for more paperwork than my licence and credit card. Ditto for the USA, renting on a US licence at the time.

Different countries, different laws. In the UK it is illegal not to keep the address on your licence up to date and carries a fine of up to £1000. It is not surprising that rental companies would want to keep their nose clean.

[jimster]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Different countries, different laws. In the UK it is illegal not to keep the address on your licence up to date and carries a fine of up to £1000. It is not surprising that rental companies would want to keep their nose clean.

Yes but if the licence remains valid, what reason would a rental company have to suspect the address is not up to date? Especially if you are a British citizen? If they ask you could just tell them, yep, that's my current address. Problem solved.