ScotlandtheBrave Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 I have been living in Thailand for almost twelve years now and have booked a trip back in September. My UK driving licence expired years ago. Is it possible to use my Thai licence to rent a car and drive in the UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chomper Higgot Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 I did exactly this over the last month through Europecar. Use their app to make the booking and select Thailand as your home location 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieH Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 If you're just visiting the UK for a short period of time you should be fine to use your foreign driving licence to drive. However, if you intend to stay for over a year or more, you might want to think about exchanging your licence for a UK one. Previous topic on this..... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScotlandtheBrave Posted February 24, 2023 Author Share Posted February 24, 2023 Thank you. How much were Europecar charging for rental? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chomper Higgot Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 1 minute ago, ScotlandtheBrave said: Thank you. How much were Europecar charging for rental? I’ll pm you details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJCM Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 (edited) Wouldn't it be better to get (also) an IDP from your local Thai Department of Transportation? https://internationaldrivingpermit.org/country/thailand-international-driving-permit/ Edited February 24, 2023 by MJCM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ScotlandtheBrave Posted February 24, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 24, 2023 I believe that in the UK they accept my Thai licence without any need for the International Permit from Thaiand 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post marin Posted February 24, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 24, 2023 59 minutes ago, ScotlandtheBrave said: I believe that in the UK they accept my Thai licence without any need for the International Permit from Thaiand They do as does the US. Done it many times. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Andrew Dwyer Posted February 24, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 24, 2023 You may be surprised at the prices now for U.K. car rental, seems like there has been an almighty increase. Seems like picking up the car from the airport is a premium price, I shopped around last August and found a car rental place ( also Europcar ) in a city location. Meant I had to travel from the airport downtown but cut my rental bill from £1,436 to £747, this still a lot more expensive than my previous trip 3 years earlier ( pickup at airport ). 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Andrew Dwyer Posted February 24, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 24, 2023 On my previous trip they also requested a utility bill for the address on my U.K. license ,which I didn’t possess. I managed to wriggle out of this lack of documentation before producing my 5 year Thai license which I was worried might have complicated matters. So next time, around Aug time, i will forget the U.K. license rigmarole and go with the Thai license. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post brewsterbudgen Posted February 24, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 24, 2023 3 hours ago, MJCM said: Wouldn't it be better to get (also) an IDP from your local Thai Department of Transportation? https://internationaldrivingpermit.org/country/thailand-international-driving-permit/ No. A Thai licence is written in Thai and English. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJCM Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 2 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said: No. A Thai licence is written in Thai and English. Yeah but it doesn’t have the categories on it, A,B etc etc so that is why I suggested it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post theoldgit Posted February 25, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted February 25, 2023 11 hours ago, MJCM said: Yeah but it doesn’t have the categories on it, A,B etc etc so that is why I suggested it. I've used my Thai licence numerous times to rent cars in the UK, no companies have ever requested an IDP as my Thai licence fully meets the requirements. 4 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neeranam Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 Bit off topic but I was going to rent a car but now thinking of getting my own insurance for my mother's car. Is this possible if her own insurance says they can't add me, I mean if I use another company? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neeranam Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 My Thai DL is expired in 4 months, can I use it in the UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenslegs Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 5 minutes ago, Neeranam said: Bit off topic but I was going to rent a car but now thinking of getting my own insurance for my mother's car. Is this possible if her own insurance says they can't add me, I mean if I use another company? I think it might be possible, but expensive. Confused.com 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neeranam Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 1 minute ago, chickenslegs said: I think it might be possible, but expensive. Confused.com thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayClay Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 10 hours ago, Neeranam said: Bit off topic but I was going to rent a car but now thinking of getting my own insurance for my mother's car. Is this possible if her own insurance says they can't add me, I mean if I use another company? You can't insure the car in your name because you have no financial interest in the vehicle. You either need to be put on your mother's insurance as a named driver, or have her policy upgraded to an any-driver policy. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neeranam Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 2 hours ago, JayClay said: You can't insure the car in your name because you have no financial interest in the vehicle. You either need to be put on your mother's insurance as a named driver, or have her policy upgraded to an any-driver policy. I see. They say they won't put me on her insurance as I am not a UK resident and she doesn't want to take the chance by saying I am. Maybe better just to rent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_smith237 Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 11 minutes ago, Neeranam said: 2 hours ago, JayClay said: You can't insure the car in your name because you have no financial interest in the vehicle. You either need to be put on your mother's insurance as a named driver, or have her policy upgraded to an any-driver policy. I see. They say they won't put me on her insurance as I am not a UK resident and she doesn't want to take the chance by saying I am. Maybe better just to rent. Thats a little strange... perhaps something is being lost in translation. My Wife and I drive my Fathers car in the UK. As I have a UK driving licence I can be a named driver all year round. As my Wife does not have a UK driving licence, she can only be a name driver for the specific interval of our trip (thus, we pay about £30 each time to get her on the insurance for a few weeks). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neeranam Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said: Thats a little strange... perhaps something is being lost in translation. My Wife and I drive my Fathers car in the UK. As I have a UK driving licence I can be a named driver all year round. As my Wife does not have a UK driving licence, she can only be a name driver for the specific interval of our trip (thus, we pay about £30 each time to get her on the insurance for a few weeks). Interesting. Could you name the indian company? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_smith237 Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 12 minutes ago, Neeranam said: Interesting. Could you name the indian company? Folks are with LV Insurance... (Liverpool Victoria... IF there are any Indians they have an antiquated scally accent !!) That said, we’ve been doing this for years without any issue... So, I wonder IF you asked to be named driver for a specific period (i.e. 2 weeks / month etc) then you’d be accepted. Perhaps the insurance company thought you wanted to be added to the policy as named driver all year round (hence, lost in translation). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neeranam Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 (edited) On 3/25/2023 at 12:06 AM, chickenslegs said: I think it might be possible, but expensive. Confused.com Is this website safe? Seems to be just 187 pounds to drive my mother's car for a month. Is this a good price? I was going to go ahead and book this but now worried that there could be additional charges, does this look right, there are no other fees? Edited March 26, 2023 by Neeranam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenslegs Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 1 hour ago, Neeranam said: Is this website safe? Seems to be just 187 pounds to drive my mother's car for a month. Is this a good price? I was going to go ahead and book this but now worried that there could be additional charges, does this look right, there are no other fees? I couldn't comment on the cost or the cover, but Confused.com is a very well known insurance broker that's been around for years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_smith237 Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 1 hour ago, Neeranam said: Seems to be just 187 pounds to drive my mother's car for a month. Is this a good price? No... Its way over the top because it's a separate policy. Ask the existing insurer IF they will insure an overseas named driver for the month. *(i.e. in the same manner my Wife gets insured on one of my parents cars). It costs about £30 to insure my wife for 3 weeks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neeranam Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 11 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said: No... Its way over the top because it's a separate policy. Ask the existing insurer IF they will insure an overseas named driver for the month. *(i.e. in the same manner my Wife gets insured on one of my parents cars). It costs about £30 to insure my wife for 3 weeks. Well, thanks but they said they wouldn't insure me as I am not a UK resident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCSulla Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 Responding to the OP. One week ago I used Avis ( booked through Europecar) in the UK and they will not accept a Thai license without an IDP. Was told their insurers have recently introduced this requirement. Now only accept EU, Norway, US, canada, Australia and NZ licenses without an IDP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldgit Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 39 minutes ago, LCSulla said: Responding to the OP. One week ago I used Avis ( booked through Europecar) in the UK and they will not accept a Thai license without an IDP. Was told their insurers have recently introduced this requirement. Now only accept EU, Norway, US, canada, Australia and NZ licenses without an IDP. That’s bizarre, whilst I don’t doubt what you’ve been told but an IDP is basically a translation of a licence which isn’t printed in English which of course Thai licences are. I’m currently in the UK where I’ve rented a car using my Thai licence, no questions asked. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldgit Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 59 minutes ago, LCSulla said: Responding to the OP. One week ago I used Avis ( booked through Europecar) in the UK and they will not accept a Thai license without an IDP. Was told their insurers have recently introduced this requirement. Now only accept EU, Norway, US, canada, Australia and NZ licenses without an IDP. From the current Europecar website: If you are renting outside of the country your licence was issued in, if you driving licence is not written in the English language and /or the characters cannot be read in the renting country, an International driving licence is mandatory. Note that your International driving licence is only valid if accompanied by your normal driving licence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim1000 Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 On 2/25/2023 at 8:31 AM, theoldgit said: I've used my Thai licence numerous times to rent cars in the UK, no companies have ever requested an IDP as my Thai licence fully meets the requirements. Can I ask you which company's you have used ? Hoping to rent next month in London using my Thai DL.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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