Joejoejoejoe Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Hello, I'm wondering if there is a way to get an international driving license whilst in Thailand? They seem more straight forward than getting a Thai driving license? Any suggestions on this appreciated Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieH Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Moved to motoring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Peterw42 Posted February 8, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 8, 2020 There is no such thing as an International driving license, its a permit that accompanies your home license as a translation document, and you get it in home country. An IDP from Thailand is to use a Thai license in other countries. Repeat, an IDP is not a license, it is a translation document that accompanies your home license, if you are here as a short stay tourist, you drive on your home license and show home license and the IDP to verify/translate your home license. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Denis Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 15 minutes ago, Peterw42 said: There is no such thing as an International driving license, its a permit that accompanies your home license as a translation document, and you get it in home country. An IDP from Thailand is to use a Thai license in other countries. Repeat, an IDP is not a license, it is a translation document that accompanies your home license, if you are here as a short stay tourist, you drive on your home license and show home license and the IDP to verify/translate your home license. Hi, the info you provided is correct, but you put me on the wrong foot with your opening statement. that there is no such thing as an international driving license. Because I do have a small A5-size booklet with title 'International Driving License' (rendered in the 3 languages of my home-country Belgium), issued October 2017 in my home-country. It is not valid in my home-country, and is only valid in countries that subscribed to the 8 Nov 1968 Vienna Convention on Traffic (Thailand has ratified the Treaty). Also it is ONLY valid when accompanied with the home-country driving license. As I do not have my residence in Thailand (even though I stay here for +10 months a year), I can use that International Driving License when driving a car in Thailand. But I never do that, as I prefer a local driver given the erratic road behavior of thais and some of the horror stories when being involved in an accident as a farang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwasaki Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 30 minutes ago, Peterw42 said: Repeat, an IDP is not a license, it is a translation document that accompanies your home license, if you are here as a short stay tourist, you drive on your home license and show home license and the IDP to verify/translate your home license. Yes it translate your UK DL into English. ???? Has anyone seen an IDP from UK translated to Thai language out of interest because I never have. All Thai DL's are in Thai and English. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwasaki Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 9 minutes ago, Peter Denis said: It is not valid in my home-country, and is only valid in countries that subscribed to the 8 Nov 1968 Vienna Convention on Traffic (Thailand has ratified the Treaty). Interesting as the consensus is an IDP ( International Driving Permit ) is what accompanies a Countries home DL, when the visiting country you want to drive in requires it. e.g. UK. you can use a 5 year Thai DL without IDP and vice versa. Does your IDL explain what you can drive in the Thai language. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AussieBob18 Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 You dont have to have an IDP to drive in Thailand. The law here is that you can drive if you have a valid licence from home country that is in English (or Thai). An IDP is an International Driving Permit - not a licence. The only time I have ever needed an IDP is for renting a car in Thailand. But if you/wife/GF own a car you should check that any insurance policy to see if it requires a Thai licence or an IDP - most do not specificy an IDP is required - only that a valid licence is required (meaning as above and in English or Thai). In the past I did not have to be in Australia to get an IDP - I apply on-line and they mail it to relo who mails it to me. Maybe they will mail it to an overseas address maybe not - call your home country provider. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinca tinca Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 simple thing to do is get a Thai driving LICENCE....then you are covered...!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackdd Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 26 minutes ago, Peter Denis said: Hi, the info you provided is correct, but you put me on the wrong foot with your opening statement. that there is no such thing as an international driving license. This is merely a translation problem and some nitpicking posters. Officially in English it's called "International driving permit", but in for example German they call "Internationaler Führerschein" which translates to "International driving license". I guess in Belgium it's similar. So you are talking about the same type of document. 28 minutes ago, Peter Denis said: It is not valid in my home-country, and is only valid in countries that subscribed to the 8 Nov 1968 Vienna Convention on Traffic (Thailand has ratified the Treaty). Also it is ONLY valid when accompanied with the home-country driving license. As I do not have my residence in Thailand (even though I stay here for +10 months a year), I can use that International Driving License when driving a car in Thailand. IDPs based on the 1968 convention are not valid in Thailand, see here for more details: 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Denis Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Thanks guys for reacting on my post. I am not knowledgeable in this area and simply quoted what's written in the IDP I got in my home-country Belgium in Oct 2017. I thought that document was what I needed (together with my home-country DP) to drive in Thailand as I still have my residence in my home-country. But - as with all things thai - it seems not to be as simple as that. My understanding now is that when not staying here VE or on a Tourist Visa, that you need a thai driving license to drive a car. Sorry for re-opening this can of worms... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterw42 Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Kwasaki said: Yes it translate your UK DL into English. ???? Has anyone seen an IDP from UK translated to Thai language out of interest because I never have. All Thai DL's are in Thai and English. Yes, the translation is not technically required if already in English. however, Its also translating/converting the home license details into an internationally recognised format, stamp in box 1 means car, box 2 means truck etc. The 6-8 languages on the IDP are explaining the document, not the license details. (as per the international treaties English and French are the acceptable common languages where no translation is required) Edited February 8, 2020 by Peterw42 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transam Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 The UK Royal Automobile Club "recommends" having an IDP (permit), just in case you have a problem.... In Thailand, you can drive on your home license for 90 days, after that you must take the test..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post jackdd Posted February 8, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 8, 2020 4 hours ago, Peter Denis said: Thanks guys for reacting on my post. I am not knowledgeable in this area and simply quoted what's written in the IDP I got in my home-country Belgium in Oct 2017. I thought that document was what I needed (together with my home-country DP) to drive in Thailand as I still have my residence in my home-country. But - as with all things thai - it seems not to be as simple as that. My understanding now is that when not staying here VE or on a Tourist Visa, that you need a thai driving license to drive a car. Sorry for re-opening this can of worms... An IDP is fine as long as you are staying in Thailand temporarily (tourist, non-immigrant etc., everything but permanent residence status), but Thailand never ratified the 1968 so an IDP based on this is not valid in Thailand. If you can get an IDP based on the 1949 convention you are good to go. 2 hours ago, transam said: In Thailand, you can drive on your home license for 90 days, after that you must take the test..... This is wrong 1 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyril sneer Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 5 hours ago, tinca tinca said: simple thing to do is get a Thai driving LICENCE....then you are covered...!! they will make you do the full 2-day test unless you slip them 1000 baht, then it's just the reaction and colour test which takes an hour or so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evadgib Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 (edited) The Full Monty HTH Edited February 8, 2020 by evadgib Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transam Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Worth a read, couldn't copy it, but Google..... TripAdvisor........Thailand......Driving license requirements..... Read it ALL..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwasaki Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 7 hours ago, transam said: The UK Royal Automobile Club "recommends" having an IDP (permit), just in case you have a problem.... In Thailand, you can drive on your home license for 90 days, after that you must take the test..... You just had to mention that and my local DLT agrees. Except the OP should know you don't need to do a full test just use your UK DL to get a 2 year Thai DL and few little tests. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joejoejoejoe Posted February 9, 2020 Author Share Posted February 9, 2020 Thank you for the information everyone. Yes I meant international driving permit (the small grey A5 booklet). This is all the police are ever interested in when I'm pulled over in Thailand (not my normal UK driving license, which is silly as the grey booklet is just a flimsy piece of paper with a photo stuck in it!) I guess I will find out from my wife's insurance company what I need. But seems I will get a Thai driving license asap, I have been putting it off as I hate any sort of place with forms, legality, officials, bribes etc... Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwasaki Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 1 hour ago, Joejoejoejoe said: (not my normal UK driving license, which is silly as the grey booklet is just a flimsy piece of paper with a photo stuck in it!) My UK DL was a photocard licence with which you can get Thai DL easily enough. Only make sure you have the photocopy forms required a another office form to fill, legality is simple enough, the officials at our DLT are very nice helpful people, bribes are still about some places I guess but not in our DLT province. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joejoejoejoe Posted February 9, 2020 Author Share Posted February 9, 2020 9 hours ago, Kwasaki said: My UK DL was a photocard licence with which you can get Thai DL easily enough. Only make sure you have the photocopy forms required a another office form to fill, legality is simple enough, the officials at our DLT are very nice helpful people, bribes are still about some places I guess but not in our DLT province. Great, I am looking into it now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashirelad Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 There are lots of helpful (some more than others) videos on Youtube of how to go about getting a Thai licence. You can searh for such as "Getting a Thai Driving Licence." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airbagwill Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 On 2/8/2020 at 9:00 AM, Peter Denis said: There is no such thing as an International driving license, THere is - it is just a matter of semantics - unfortunately people don't seem to understand what the document is and think that calling it '"permit" is in some way different. What it actually is , is a copy in internationally acceptable terms of your home licence. Most people who try to be pedantic about the difference in wording are those who have only just found out about it themselves and relish in showing off their new "knowledge". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Denis Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 42 minutes ago, Airbagwill said: On 2/8/2020 at 3:00 AM, Peter Denis said: There is no such thing as an International driving license, >> FYI - I never said the above, but reacted to another post by @Peterw42 who made that statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 On 2/16/2020 at 9:32 AM, Airbagwill said: THere is - it is just a matter of semantics - unfortunately people don't seem to understand what the document is and think that calling it '"permit" is in some way different. What it actually is , is a copy in internationally acceptable terms of your home licence. Most people who try to be pedantic about the difference in wording are those who have only just found out about it themselves and relish in showing off their new "knowledge". Unfortunately there are International Driving Licenses for sale, both online and on the street, but these are illegal. So while it seems pedanttic, it is important to make a distinction so we all know what we're talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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