44 Foreign Drivers Arrested in Patong with No Driving Licenses

[zib]

IDP is always needed but, as people said, it's just a translation + verification of what you are allowed to drive. There's places in Phuket you can get them so you don't need to get it in your home country.

 

The rules in the past were that you can drive max 60 days on an IDP while on a tourist visa or 90 days on a non-imm. No idea what happens if you leave the country for a while and come back.

[Salerno]

8 minutes ago, zib said:

There's places in Phuket you can get them so you don't need to get it in your home country.

Not legal/legit ones there isn't.

 

An IDP can only be issued by the country of your home licence; if you see someone advertising otherwise it is a scam or counterfeit.

[stevenl]

8 hours ago, pjuk said:

BS. Not where I live. All are stopped and all have to donate accordingly.

Same here. Plus these arrests were made because they were targeted for causing a nuisance time and time again.

They were probably left alone too long because they were foreigners.

[DrDave]

18 hours ago, garzhe said:

So simple to resolve. The rental companies should be heavily fined for renting without checking the license as happens in most countries but that wont happen.  Most will want to see your passport but not interested if you have a license. As usual punish the victim unless of course he is Thai.

No license, no rental. I believe this was the plan a couple of years ago, but it looks like it was never implemented.

[Damrongsak]

23 hours ago, steve187 said:

most will not have a home country motorbike licence, so no licence in Thailand

Years back I had a motorcycle endorsement on my Virginia, USA license, but lost it due to moving states and expiration.  On a trip to Thailand last fall, I got an IDP to drive a car if I wanted.  I told the issuer (AAA) that I had a Thai motorbike license, so they checked that box as well.  No proof required.

 

But I did carry my 45 year old Thai motorcycle license ("motor bicycle").  I paid about 100 Baht extra for a lifetime license. I toyed with the idea of going to the DLT to get an updated plastic license with a more modern picture, just didn't get around to it.  I ended up letting my wife ride with me on the back, and I think she doesn't have a valid license.  ????

[AhFarangJa]

23 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

I always thought you could drive in Thailand on a foreign license for up to 3 months without an IDP. I may be wrong but I have a strong memory of this (many of my memories are questionable due to my age though).

You need an IDP along with your licence.

[Damrongsak]

20 hours ago, FriendlyFarang said:

... Stopping foreigners first, just because they are foreigners, while letting Thai looking people who clearly break laws pass is just racism.

Oh for gosh sake, everything is "racisim" these days!  I hate that word as it's so misused.  In this case the cops may be using favoritism. 

 

I'm glad I grew up when there were only 3 races - black, white and yellow.  And there were a few red ones that may have been yellow ones who got too much sun.  (Look at migration patterns.)  If we regard every ethnic group or tribe or local culture as a distinct "Race" then the word has little meaning.  Some countries have 20 - 30 - 40 of these groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MRToMRT]

30 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

You need an IDP along with your licence.

Only IF your national license is not in English, if its in English you don't need IDP (which is a translation document).

[ThailandRyan]

The issue of many tourists renting a motorbike nd not having a license to drive such is a known issue and nothing is ever really done about it. However, time and time again we hear about people having an accident and their travel insurance or even their own HI policy not covering the medical bills because they did not have the proper license and therefore are looking for funds via a GoFundMe account.  True, many many Thais ride unlicensed but then no one ever see's them getting stopped in the tourists areas, but out in the provinces and even when I lived in Nonthaburi they were being stopped at the checkpoints and being fined/cited and the bike parked.  A neighbors daughter was injured in a motorbike accident out here in Pranburi, she is Thai, and the 30 baht scheme covered her medical treatment, yet I am unsure if she told the clinic she went to how she was injured.  

 

Anyone renting a bike here should be properly licensed and wear a helmet, it is just common sense.

[KannikaP]

On 2/11/2023 at 7:57 AM, MRToMRT said:

I always thought you could drive in Thailand on a foreign license for up to 3 months without an IDP. I may be wrong but I have a strong memory of this (many of my memories are questionable due to my age though).

And I always thought, as you don't, that an IDP IS required to drive on a foreign licence for three months. After that you need to get a Thai licence. Your questionable memories are therefore WRONG.

[KhunLA]

Finally ... keep up the good work.   Never understood the ... 'issue citation, then allow to drive away' enforcement.  

 

Good to go after the rental shops also ????

 

So it jumped from 7 Frenchys to 20 now ????

[AhFarangJa]

6 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

Only IF your national license is not in English, if its in English you don't need IDP (which is a translation document).

Sorry, but you are wrong...................

https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/84710-driving-in-thailand?page=5d6636ce15e39c3bd000734d&menu=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072e2

[Woof999]

7 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

Oh for gosh sake, everything is "racisim" these days!  I hate that word as it's so misused.  In this case the cops may be using favoritism. 

I hate the overuse of the racism card too. However, favouritism based on race (and so disadvantage based on a different race) is pretty much the dictionary definition of racism.

[connda]

44 Foreign Drivers Arrested in Patong with No Driving Licenses

Motorcycle Rental
"Hello!  Welcome to Thailand.  You rent motorcycle.  Get around quick-quick.  No license?  No problem."

BIB
"Hello!  Welcome to Thailand.  You rent motorcycle.  Get around quick-quick.  No license?  500 THB!"

Honestly?  The M/C rental firms should be fined for renting a motorcycle to someone without a license. But? 
The scam is way too good. 

Of course, for Thai citizens traveling to, say, the US?  Get caught driving on a Thai license without an International Drivers Permit and see how much it costs.  500 THB.  Cheap.

[steve187]

4 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

Sorry, but you are wrong...................

https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/84710-driving-in-thailand?page=5d6636ce15e39c3bd000734d&menu=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072e2

this issue will be with us forever on AN, the you need an international permit group and the you don't need an IP group, its best to keep away from the subject

[The Fugitive]

On 2/11/2023 at 7:22 AM, smedly said:

since when were these arrestable offences ?

 

impound the vehicles possibly if it is written in law allowing them to do so and there is a fine for no licence/helmet/insurance and other driving offences - they just can't make it up as they go, I agree going after the rental companies but there must be provisions in law to allow them to do this also.

It could be translation error? e.g. stopped and details taken = detained = arrested? 

[DrDave]

19 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

Oh for gosh sake, everything is "racisim" these days!  I hate that word as it's so misused.  In this case the cops may be using favoritism. 

 

I'm glad I grew up when there were only 3 races - black, white and yellow.  And there were a few red ones that may have been yellow ones who got too much sun.  (Look at migration patterns.)  If we regard every ethnic group or tribe or local culture as a distinct "Race" then the word has little meaning.  Some countries have 20 - 30 - 40 of these groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A big part of the problem is that so many people don't know the difference between "nationality" and "race".  I always get a chuckle when someone claims "racism" when it's clearly a simple case of nationalism.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/11/2023 at 12:54 PM, steve187 said:

most will not have a home country motorbike licence, so no licence in Thailand

and no insurance.