What is the penalty of driving scooter without your drivers license?

[KhunBENQ]

2 hours ago, bluesofa said:

A lot of people seem to describe something such as a Honda Click 125cc/150cc as a 'scooter', although it is a motorbike.

As a non-native speaker I always wonder what the exact definition of scooter is.

But most here refer to a 125/150 ccm automatic motorbike with the footrest platform.
I have a "student's bike", 110 ccm Honda wave with four gear "auto" clutch

Better on dirt roads.

 

[Sparkling]

Hi everybody, I´d really like to have a reliable information (I know there will be funny comments about this term, but still ask to keep it straight, please) about the need of a driving license for the common small bikes like 110 Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki/etc (or even 125 and below). Like almost everybody, kids and grannies are going around with this vehicles without a licence in the countryside and won´t bother (as well as the police won´t even blink). - For the original question: It may bedifferent for UK nationals (yet probably not. I am German.), as far as I know, as a foreigner you need to have an international license that is valid ONLY combined with your original license also when you only visit the country as a tourist, to be aloud to drive a vehicle legally (with regard of my question above about the small bikes). The international license may only be used for visits up to three months, each time. After that you need a Thai license. It seems to be possible to get a Thai license even if you are only a tourist, but may not be worth the hassle. Mind that it needs to be the international license from the agreement from 1926 ! The more common one from 1968 is not valid in Thailand (again this info from experience as German but as Thailand didn´t sign the agreement from 1968 but ratified the 1926 will be the same for all foreigners). best of luck

[soalbundy]

Either a 500 Baht fine or castration, I'm not sure which.

[sletraveler]

Just had an accident yesterday my gf’s son was driving/practicing to test for his car license.  The other driver was clearly at fault so the police had no interest in seeing  the youngins license.   If he was at fault it would have been big trouble.  Other times He got tickets driving motorbike without and It was  300 by fine. 
Trip insurance will exclude injuries sustained while driving a bike.  All in all their risky to start with problems compounded by driving illegally  

[bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, sletraveler said:

Just had an accident yesterday my gf’s son was driving/practicing to test for his car license.  The other driver was clearly at fault so the police had no interest in seeing  the youngins license.   If he was at fault it would have been big trouble.  He got tickets driving motorbike without license and It was  300 by fine. 
Trip insurance will exclude injuries sustained while driving a bike.  All in all their risky to start and compounded by driving illegally  

I'm not clear what you mean about 'Trip insurance will exclude injuries sustained while driving a bike'?

Are you saying that any motorbike insurance he has in the future will be restricted by the insurance companies because they know if his illegal driving?

Or have I missed the point?

[thaiguzzi]

What is the penalty of driving scooter without your drivers license?

 

Hung.

Drawn .

And quartered.

Then disembowelled.

Followed by deporting and blacklisted.

Worst of all, they tell your mommy....

[Misab]

Your friend's motorbike might have an insurance but it does not cover if the bike is driven by a person without a license.

[Happy Grumpy]

The risk is you're involved in an accident, let's say another scooter with a helmetless child on it. Child is killed. Insurance says no licence, no insurance.

 

Probably a few years in Thai jail and complete loss of you and your parent's life savings. 

[Caine]

The going rate is a 400 baht bung to the traffic cop and drive away. Don’t worry about it 

[gk10002000]

13 hours ago, Kurtf said:

I have an associated question. What should be the penalty if I break the law? Any law. Dumb question right?

Your bike should be confiscated/towed.  Only a person with a license could then go pick it up, unless you bring a way to tow it out of the impound lot.  Points put against you for a driving offense that could increase future insurance premiums. No idea how that would work for a foreigner there or how that could be tracked.

[gk10002000]

2 hours ago, bluesofa said:

I'm not clear what you mean about 'Trip insurance will exclude injuries sustained while driving a bike'?

Are you saying that any motorbike insurance he has in the future will be restricted by the insurance companies because they know if his illegal driving?

Or have I missed the point?

No he means that routine trip insurance will NOT cover your motorcycle accident because you were driving without a proper license from your home country or from Thailand. 

[bluesofa]

44 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

No he means that routine trip insurance will NOT cover your motorcycle accident because you were driving without a proper license from your home country or from Thailand. 

Thanks. I thought the poster was referring to g/f's son.

[observer90210]

The penalty would be someting like this to spare....

[Sydebolle]

Well, the short cut could be making photocopies which you carry around and file a police report of having "last seen in at the post office". With both you sail through check points and the insurance would not have an issue with it either. 

This of course only, if you hold a valid driving license which is exchanged for whatever new license you want/need. 

An unorthodox approach but would cover you ........ 

[lambiepie]

In Hua Hin you need either an International Driving Licence or a Thai Driving licence, nothing else will do. Fine is 400 baht if you can't produce.

I am told that if you get stopped and get a ticket and get stopped again, same day, you only get fined once, this is not collaborated.

In the UK the cost of an international driving licence via the RAC is £8 but if you don't have a Thai Licence there will probably be an issue with insurance and Thai's will win every time in a conflict (even though they don't have a license or insurance).

Moral of story, get an international driving licence as a tourist, get a Thai driving licence if you plan to stay in Thailand for any period of time.

[bamboozle]

20 hours ago, bluesofa said:

As an aside regarding a UK driving licence: It's only valid if you permanently reside in the UK. If you live in Thailand, it ceases to be valid in the UK - or to use here as well.

 

I know the OP said they're "currently travelling in Thailand', so assume their UK licence will be valid if they still live on the UK.

https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad
Yes but you still cannot change your licence for 1 for another country , you just apply for a licence for that country and then have 2 .
 I just applied renewed my uk licence no problem . The basic fact is it is easy to find the answer if you are a grown up . just google it and you will instantly see if you drive in the EU you can use your uk licence . Outside EU have to get an IDP  and have needed 1 in thailand since 1949 . Took me a whole 1 minute to find this info .
  As for the fine  usually 200-400 baht .I used an out of date IDP for 3 yrs when i cane here . They looked at it many a time . could not understand it and just said ok

[brianthainess]

21 hours ago, bluesofa said:

What's a small scooter defined as in this instance?

No licence needed for a scooter their is no such licence.

 

[LammyTS1]

You cannot obtain an International drivers permit or Thai license without your UK license so yes, you'll be riding illegally.

 

Best outcome: You are fined and can ride off.

 

Worst outcome: You are fined, scooter impounded until your friend comes to collect it. Friend is fined for renting a scooter to someone without a license.

•  

[bamboozle]

1 hour ago, LammyTS1 said:

You cannot obtain an International drivers permit or Thai license without your UK license so yes, you'll be riding illegally.

 

Best outcome: You are fined and can ride off.

 

Worst outcome: You are fined, scooter impounded until your friend comes to collect it. Friend is fined for renting a scooter to someone without a license.

•  

Thats only if you think uk is the only country in the world . The fact is you can get an idp from any country in the world as long as you have a valid licence for the country in which you apply . It will then be valid all over the world ( if they accept it ) except the country you got it from 

[LammyTS1]

Thats only if you think uk is the only country in the world . The fact is you can get an idp from any country in the world as long as you have a valid licence for the country in which you apply . It will then be valid all over the world ( if they accept it ) except the country you got it from 

Yes you are correct, but the OP has stated that he has a U.K. license but it’s been submitted together with an application to another country for a license.
The other country has stated that it will take 1 month to be issued, so he won’t get his U.K. license back until then, meaning he has no valid license in his possession.
Ideally he should have went to a U.K. post office with his license & got an IDP. It only takes 5 mins & costs under £10.


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[bamboozle]

18 hours ago, LammyTS1 said:

 

Yes you are correct, but the OP has stated that he has a U.K. license but it’s been submitted together with an application to another country for a license.
The other country has stated that it will take 1 month to be issued, so he won’t get his U.K. license back until then, meaning he has no valid license in his possession.
Ideally he should have went to a U.K. post office with his license & got an IDP. It only takes 5 mins & costs under £10.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

Not easy to answer this as the op did not say which country he applied for his new licence but as he said it was because of brexit so i assume europe . Very puzzling because if he is living in uk and change his licence to another country he would be no longer be able to drive in uk  and so would then have to get an idp from his new country to drive in uk ????Makes no sense . So easy to have got an idp  and kept his uk licence then no problem . Perhaps is a troll post or somebody as i said should stay home 

[Agusts]

In all comments there is no mention of motorbike license,  the car driving license is a totally different thing, specially a UK motirbike license is not easy to get...!

 

Now you might say Thai police don't care this but I heard Phuket police no carefully examines farang licenses and look for motorbike license, even on IDP....!?

 

Same for any insurance, watch out for this, you need motorbike licence to ride a bike,  not a car driving license....  - that is to be 100% legal in all aspects, or just pay a fee hundred baht and dodge it for a few weeks ...

[Agusts]

I meant:

".... Phuket police now carefully examines farang licenses...."

[johng]

To get a Thai motorbike license  is extremely easy  compared to getting one in the UK, which is extremely difficult

I'm sure they whoever "they" are don't like bikes and made it hard to get a licence and super expensive for insurance.

Of course "they" say its for safety reasons but I'm not convinced. ????