using my Thai driving licence in UK

[happyme]

I am going to UK I understand for my stay there I am able to use my Thai driving licence

Any 1 with advise please do I need to get it translated or will transport dept give me 1 in English any help thank you

[HullyGully]

Last time I was in the UK I used my Thai License to hire a car

 

The Thai License is in Thai & English

 

 

[iainiain101]

The Thai driving license is in English and Thai. You may need to show a return flight when hiring a car in the UK. 

[Bill97]

Careful some places the license is valid only if you have your passport with it.


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[narkeddiver]

Another option is to get an international driving licence from the diving licence office on Hang Dong Road 

 

I used this to hire a car in the UK this summer

 

Also had to show my passport

[NanLaew]

The Thai DL needs to be the full, 5-year DL to be accepted by UK car rental shops at airports. The current 2-year license is considered the same as the old UK 'provisional' license and is thus restricted.

 

However, both the Thai 2-year and 5-year DL's are legal for a visitor to drive a non-rental vehicle for up to 12 months.

[fredob43]

All the above post are correct. Just one thing some hire companies charge a bit more for insurance if you don't have a UK licence. I know the one I used did. Saying that you will more than likely find if you get a hire car from the airport they will be fine.

[Jane Dough]

I shall try that next time I am in the UK. 

 

Do they hoot you when you undertake though?

 

Rooster

[KittenKong]

5 hours ago, HullyGully said:

Last time I was in the UK I used my Thai License to hire a car

So do I, every year.

[Spidey]

Can you use it if you also have a valid UK licence?

[KittenKong]

10 hours ago, Spidey said:

Can you use it if you also have a valid UK licence?

Yes.

[happyme]

Thank you all for your comments but my thai driving licence is the old type paper not plastic and except for my name all thai as this is a life time driving licence no age limit .

i will visit the office in hang dong see if I can get the plastic 1 and International permit 

[baansgr]

19 hours ago, Spidey said:

Can you use it if you also have a valid UK licence?

Why would you want to use your Thai licence if your UK licence is valid....why complicate things

[KittenKong]

52 minutes ago, happyme said:

Thank you all for your comments but my thai driving licence is the old type paper not plastic and except for my name all thai as this is a life time driving licence no age limit .

i will visit the office in hang dong see if I can get the plastic 1 and International permit 

If you get a plastic one you will presumably then have to renew it every 5 years. So you may be better off sticking with what you have, if possible. That plus an IDP (which is only a translation) should do you.

[KittenKong]

37 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Why would you want to use your Thai licence if your UK licence is valid....why complicate things

If you use a UK licence for a rental then you are supposed to get a DVLA code online before doing so, to show what endorsements your licence may have. Using a Thai licence avoids having to do that, thus simplifying things.

[Jip99]

6 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

If you use a UK licence for a rental then you are supposed to get a DVLA code online before doing so, to show what endorsements your licence may have. Using a Thai licence avoids having to do that, thus simplifying things.

 

 

+1

 

A rental company at Heathrow preferred to use my Thai D/L as the paperwork was easier.

[Henryford]

22 hours ago, NanLaew said:

The Thai DL needs to be the full, 5-year DL to be accepted by UK car rental shops at airports. The current 2-year license is considered the same as the old UK 'provisional' license and is thus restricted.

 

However, both the Thai 2-year and 5-year DL's are legal for a visitor to drive a non-rental vehicle for up to 12 months. 

Do you mean a rental vehicle? Visitors would want to rent a car from one of the big firms.

[jackdd]

On 12/25/2018 at 8:32 AM, KittenKong said:

If you get a plastic one you will presumably then have to renew it every 5 years. So you may be better off sticking with what you have, if possible. That plus an IDP (which is only a translation) should do you.

I've seen plastic card life time licenses, so i would expect that if he gets a plastic card version he will be given a life time one

[KittenKong]

15 minutes ago, jackdd said:

I've seen plastic card life time licenses, so i would expect that if he gets a plastic card version he will be given a life time one

I didnt know they did those. I want one! Renewing mine every 5 years is a complete pain.

[stevenl]

59 minutes ago, jackdd said:

I've seen plastic card life time licenses, so i would expect that if he gets a plastic card version he will be given a life time one

Until 20+ years ago they were handing those out, but not anymore. These days only temporary or 5 years.

 

Legally a 5-year license is valid for temporary use in UK.

[stevenl]

23 hours ago, Henryford said:

Do you mean a rental vehicle? Visitors would want to rent a car from one of the big firms.

Or borrow one from friends/family, like I always do.

[Just Weird]

On ‎12‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 11:10 PM, KittenKong said:

Yes.

You can use a non-UK licence and it would be accepted as long as you do not disclose that you have a valid UK licence but it would be illegal. 

 

If you have a valid UK licence and you are driving in the UK, by law, you have you have to use your UK one.   Why would you not?  

 

Stop a police officer next time you're there using a foreign licence  when you have a UK one and ask him, I dare you!

[Just Weird]

On ‎12‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 12:27 PM, Spidey said:

Can you use it if you also have a valid UK licence?

Not legally, no. 

 

Of course, if you don't tell anyone no one would know...until you get pulled over and the police are curious about why a British citizen would be using a Thai driving licence in the UK and they check you out!

[KittenKong]

21 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

You can use a non-UK licence and it would be accepted as long as you do not disclose that you have a valid UK licence but it would be illegal.

Really. Which law does it break? And how can a licence be both acceptable and illegal at the same time?

 

I also have a valid licence from another EU country. I suppose you are telling me I cant use that either?

[Just Weird]

1 minute ago, KittenKong said:

Really. Which law does it break? And how can a licence be both acceptable and illegal at the same time?

 

I also have a valid licence from another EU country. I suppose you are telling me I cant use that either?

UK law that says that if you have a valid UK licence you must use it, not a foreign licence, to drive with if you are in the UK!  Look it up yourself.

 

A Thai licence (if you are also holding a UK licence while driving in the UK)would not be legally acceptable so in the circumstances that are being discussed here the licence is not "acceptable and legal at the same time!

 

"I also have a valid licence from another EU country. I suppose you are telling me I cant use that either?"

I do not know the regulations regarding licences from EU countries so, no, I am not saying that, but I would not be surprised if it was the same.

[KittenKong]

3 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

UK law that says that if you have a valid UK licence you must use it, not a foreign licence, to drive with if you are in the UK!  Look it up yourself.

No, you look it up. You are the one who thinks it exists.

 

Besides which, using a licence to rent a car and using a licence to drive with are two completely different things.

[Just Weird]

6 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

No, you look it up. You are the one who thinks it exists.

 

Besides which, using a licence to rent a car and using a licence to drive with are two completely different things.

No, I am the one who knows that situation exists, you are the one who thinks it doesn't.

 

"Besides which, using a licence to rent a car and using a licence to drive with are two completely different things".

Obviously, but why would anyone rent with a foreign licence and then drive not use it to drive the car?

 

Why would a UK citizen with a UK licence not use it to drive in the UK, doesn't make any sense at all?

[KittenKong]

3 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

No, I am the one who knows that situation exists, you are the one who thinks it doesn't.

If you know it, tell me which law applies. Until you do I will just have to assume that you made it up.

 

4 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Obviously, but why would anyone rent with a foreign licence and then drive not use it to drive the car?

Why shouldn't they? There's no law against it.
An obvious reason to use a foreign licence to rent with is because that way one avoids the irritating DVLA online code requirement, as I mentioned. Another reason could be that the address on the UK licence doesn't match the address of the credit card being used. Rental companies check that sort of thing.

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

If you know it, tell me which law applies. Until you do I will just have to assume that you made it up.

 

Why shouldn't they? There's no law against it.
An obvious reason to use a foreign licence to rent with is because that way one avoids the irritating DVLA online code requirement, as I mentioned. Another reason could be that the address on the UK licence doesn't match the address of the credit card being used. Rental companies check that sort of thing.

I remember looking at this a couple of years ago.

According to the DVLA, it is illegal to drive in the UK with a foreign licence if you are disqualified from driving with a UK licence. You are libel to arrest.

 

[KittenKong]

20 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

I remember looking at this a couple of years ago.

According to the DVLA, it is illegal to drive in the UK with a foreign licence if you are disqualified from driving with a UK licence. You are libel to arrest.

 

I think that's slightly different. Being disqualified in the UK is a blanket disqualification that applies regardless of what licence(s) you may or may not have.