On 12/28/2018 at 3:45 PM, markaoffy said:

Along the Beach road in Ban Phe the police were grabbing foreigners on motorbikes for not having Thai Driving licences today! 500baht a pop! Collecting money for the annual police piss up


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How about: Collecting money from foreigners too arrogant, stupid, or ignorant to obey the law. Should be thankful they don't follow the Cambodia model and impound the bike for 30-days. And in your country the cops would do what to drivers without a licence? You think you're special because you are foreign?

On 12/28/2018 at 3:45 PM, markaoffy said:

Along the Beach road in Ban Phe the police were grabbing foreigners on motorbikes for not having Thai Driving licences today! 500baht a pop! Collecting money for the annual police piss up


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a tourist does OF COURSE not need a thai driving licence, it is almost impossible, and would be absolute nonsense if a tourist on a 30 day visa exemption or on a tourist visa, only here for a few weeks or sometimes just 1 week or 10 days should be forced to go to immigration, doctor, and pass all the paperwork and hassle to be able to rent a motorbike or car and be in order and coverred by insurance... it would then be a reason more for good tourists to never come back or chose a more reasonable country where they are welcome and considered...but with an international driving licence or permit, it is ok. I checked again to be sure ( because I heard also this information) in the local police on soi 9 in Pattaya. but with them you never know... I would not be surprised..

31 minutes ago, cedel said:

a tourist does OF COURSE not need a thai driving licence, it is almost impossible, and would be absolute nonsense if a tourist on a 30 day visa exemption or on a tourist visa, only here for a few weeks or sometimes just 1 week or 10 days should be forced to go to immigration, doctor, and pass all the paperwork and hassle to be able to rent a motorbike or car and be in order and coverred by insurance... it would then be a reason more for good tourists to never come back or chose a more reasonable country where they are welcome and considered...but with an international driving licence or permit, it is ok. I checked again to be sure ( because I heard also this information) in the local police on soi 9 in Pattaya. but with them you never know... I would not be surprised..

Yeah the other poster on the previous page is wrong, international drivers license is valid.

 

Getting a Thai driver license requires a certificate of residence (30-60 minutes), proof of good health by a doctor (5-minute job), and half a day at the Land & Transport office where you spend most of your time waiting so altogether it can easily consume a whole day. It's funny how they provide a paper of good health without any health check at all.

Yeah the other poster on the previous page is wrong, international drivers license is valid.
 
Getting a Thai driver license requires a certificate of residence (30-60 minutes), proof of good health by a doctor (5-minute job), and half a day at the Land & Transport office where you spend most of your time waiting so altogether it can easily consume a whole day. It's funny how they provide a paper of good health without any health check at all.

No body is saying a tourist should get a Thai licence, just that the should have the correct licence and IDP from their home country for the vehicle they are a using. In the Uk you can ride a moped with a car licence, maybe some people assume that the twist and go motorbike is the same as a moped in their home country so their car licence will be ok


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11 hours ago, dennis123 said:

Yeah the other poster on the previous page is wrong, international drivers license is valid.

 

Getting a Thai driver license requires a certificate of residence (30-60 minutes), proof of good health by a doctor (5-minute job), and half a day at the Land & Transport office where you spend most of your time waiting so altogether it can easily consume a whole day. It's funny how they provide a paper of good health without any health check at all.

As said many many times before, there is NO SUCH THING as an International Driving Licence. An International Driving PERMIT is merely a translation, usually into English, of your own, foreign to Thais, licence. A fiver from the UK Post office or RAC.

But the mafia traffic police Thailand demand International or Thai! Well actually they just want money ! To get a UK licence requires more of a test than the muppet testing in this country !


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Despite being an alcoholic, I've never driven drunk here in 24 years.

I've only been stopped and breathalyzed once, and the officer seemed a bit confused when I told him I never drink because I am an alcoholic!