My Thai wife (with an Aussie passport in her married name) will be driving her sister's car in rural Thailand for 6 months later this year.

She wants to get an "International" drivers licence but it would have to be in her married name to match her Oz drivers licence obviously.

However, her Thai ID card is in her maiden name.

Question is ..  Does she really need an "International" drivers licence to drive in rural Thailand?

If she was 'pulled over' she would show her Thai ID and cops would assume she is Thai citizen driving without a licence.

She doesn't want to change her Thai ID to her married name.

 

I've told her to forget the Int. Licence and just cop the fine (if she was to be pulled over).

Are you's with me? 

1 hour ago, bangkok19 said:

I've told her to forget the Int. Licence and just cop the fine (if she was to be pulled over

You could do that. I did for years.

Think limit of using your foreign drivers license is 6 months. 

 

However obtaining a 2 yr TDL is a simple process.

She can either use her Oz DL to obtain a TDL in name on that Oz license or obtain a license with her Thai ID.

 

Forget notion of international driving license.

 

If she has Aussie licence, her International driving permit from Australia will obviously match her name on the aussie licence, nothing to do with her Thai ID card

 

If she never has Thai driving licence, she can't get international driving permit from the land transport office in Thailand

 

if she has Thai driving licence, then she can already drive in Thailand

Not visa or extension related. Moved to the Thailand Motoring forum.

4 hours ago, bangkok19 said:

If she was 'pulled over' she would show her Thai ID and cops would assume she is Thai citizen driving without a licence.

Or she just shows her OZ license + IDP, doesn't talk Thai, the police assumes she is a foreigner and she won't have to pay a fine for driving without license.

A Thai can't legally use a foreign license (+IDP) to drive in Thailand.

While I do not think she will have a problem with the Australian license, she could  easily change her name on her Thai ID and get a Thai DL, which would probably be better all around. 

28 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

While I do not think she will have a problem with the Australian license, she could  easily change her name on her Thai ID and get a Thai DL, which would probably be better all around. 

The OP says she doesn't want to change the name on her Thai ID card.

 

Since she already has an Aussie DL, she can easily get an Aussie IDP and that will have the same name and have the same vehicle exclusions as her Aussie DL. I would tell her to get the IDP as belt and braces.

 

She would also need to get her sister to make sure that her car insurance covers either 'any driver' or have your wife listed as a 'named driver'. Her sister also needs to confirm with the insurance company that any driver with only an IDP linked to a full foreign license doesn't invalidate any coverage in the event of a prang.

 

Beyond that, the chances of getting pulled over will depend on the circumstances; random check or at-fault (for a moving violation) or an accident. Random checks are usually at night and mostly related to alcohol testing so that's easily avoided. Speeding or running red lights can also easily be avoided. Having an accident is reduced if one drives more defensively but one can never rule out circumstances totally beyond one's control.

 

It's not rocket surgery.

 

Good luck.

1 hour ago, FriendlyFarang said:

Or she just shows her OZ license + IDP, doesn't talk Thai, the police assumes she is a foreigner and she won't have to pay a fine for driving without license.

Sorry but I had to put a big laugh on that.

Simulating the deaf?

No!

 

I don't what the fuss about getting ID card changed is.

Marriage not registered in Thailand or not?

Too much paperwork at banks, land office ...?

 

34 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Sorry but I had to put a big laugh on that.

Simulating the deaf?

No!

 

I don't what the fuss about getting ID card changed is.

Marriage not registered in Thailand or not?

Too much paperwork at banks, land office ...?

 

How would changing the name on her Thai ID card help her?

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

While I do not think she will have a problem with the Australian license, she could  easily change her name on her Thai ID and get a Thai DL, which would probably be better all around. 

This is the simple solution to a lot of things - Go with one official name. 

It seems strange that she won’t want to change her Thai maiden surname to her married surname - it is a bit of leg work and takes a couple of days (land office, credit cards, passport etc)... but the alternative is ‘kicking the can down the road’ and problems could arise in the future if holding two separate names. 

But... I guess thats their choice. 

 

As another poster has written - IF the Ops wife want to drive with Australian Driving Licences accompanied with an IDP issued in Australia then her IDP will match the name on her Australian Driving Licence - that should be sufficient. 

 

Does the Ops wife also have Australian ID (i.e. an Australian Passport) which she used as ID to obtain her Australian DL with her married surname ???.... 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

Sorry but I had to put a big laugh on that.

Simulating the deaf?

No!

 

I don't what the fuss about getting ID card changed is.

Marriage not registered in Thailand or not?

Too much paperwork at banks, land office ...?

 

I have a friend from the Czech Republic. Whenever he gets pulled aside in a regular traffic check here, he speaks Czech and very quickly get waived on his way.

 

I am now practicing my Gaelic.

49 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

This is the simple solution to a lot of things - Go with one official name. 

It seems strange that she won’t want to change her Thai maiden surname to her married surname - it is a bit of leg work and takes a couple of days (land office, credit cards, passport etc)... but the alternative is ‘kicking the can down the road’ and problems could arise in the future if holding two separate names. 

But... I guess thats their choice. 

 

As another poster has written - IF the Ops wife want to drive with Australian Driving Licences accompanied with an IDP issued in Australia then her IDP will match the name on her Australian Driving Licence - that should be sufficient. 

 

Does the Ops wife also have Australian ID (i.e. an Australian Passport) which she used as ID to obtain her Australian DL with her married surname ???.... 

 

 

 

 

Thanks mate...

She has Oz Passport, OZ Drivers Licence..  Guess we'll just get the IDP and carry photocopy of Passport as well as original Oz licence.

She's driving in rural Thailand in the daytime and doesn't drink so the chances of a problem are miniscule me thinks.

Cheers!

3 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

I have a friend from the Czech Republic. Whenever he gets pulled aside in a regular traffic check here, he speaks Czech and very quickly get waived on his way.

 

I am now practicing my Gaelic.

It works just as well with English. Just pretend you do not understand what they are talking about long enough and they will let you go. 

Australian citizens can obviously drive in thailand with IDP accompanying their Australian licence, but only for 1 year upon arrival, any longer then they'll need to get a Thai licence technically, 

but to verify that, they'll need to see your arrival stamp in the passport....

 

which there won't be any if she used her Thai passport or ID to enter Thailand 

 

if your wife is only carrying the photocopy of her Australian passport they won't be able to verify that

 

and the chance at the police at the roadside knowing enough about the particular of the law enough to check is slim, so just go ahead and order the IDP from your local RAC, it's easier than getting an appointment for a new licence with Thai Land Transport Office at the moment

18 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

19 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I have a friend from the Czech Republic. Whenever he gets pulled aside in a regular traffic check here, he speaks Czech and very quickly get waived on his way.

 

I am now practicing my Gaelic.

It works just as well with English. Just pretend you do not understand what they are talking about long enough and they will let you go. 

Fìor, ach a’ bruidhinn dad ACH tha Beurla tòrr nas luaithe.