Thai driving licence question use in UK ?

[yeahbutif]

Thai driving licence question. I have a Thai driving licence and a UK driving licence and when I go to UK , could I use a Thai licence E.g. if I get stopped by the police could I show them my Thai licence ? . they would properly ask my address but that’s on the Thai licence also if this is the case would I have to get an international driving permit for the Thai licence ? or can I just drive on the Thai licence ?

So what I’m saying is when you are in  own country UK  could you use a foreign licence?

If you ask me why I’m asking this it has many reason e.g. I could get points etc on UK licence and also not in my case but some people don’t have a UK bike licence but they do have a Thai bike licence. If they found out I had a UK lience could this be a problem?

[IvorBiggun2]

You can drive on either license. The Thai one is only recognized for 12 months from day of entry. Thereafter a UK driving test is required to be passed.

[brianthainess]

4 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

You can drive on either license. The Thai one is only recognized for 12 months from day of entry. Thereafter a UK driving test is required to be passed.

So if you did a boarder bounce to say France, does that reset to another year? 

[IvorBiggun2]

7 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

So if you did a boarder bounce to say France, does that reset to another year? 

You can't cure stupid.

[yeahbutif]

7 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

So if you did a boarder bounce to say France, does that reset to another year? 

so if that means you can only drive for 12 months of entry .they would have to check passport and they would then see you are English. and not thai ? so back to the question can you drive in your own country on a forieng licence?

[FriendlyFarang]

Do you have a UK passport?

[IvorBiggun2]

Just now, yeahbutif said:

can you drive in your own country on a forieng licence?

On a Thai license you can drive for 12 months in the UK. For the second time of being asked.

[brianthainess]

3 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

You can't cure stupid.

Why is that stupid? it was a genuine question to which you obviously don't have an answer to.  

[IvorBiggun2]

2 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

Do you have a UK passport?

 

32 minutes ago, yeahbutif said:

I have a Thai driving licence and a UK driving licence

Please read the opening post.

[yeahbutif]

1 minute ago, FriendlyFarang said:

Do you have a UK passport?

yes . . but if i dint have a i proberley would not have a thai licence . as how would i have got to thailand in the first place ,lol

[IvorBiggun2]

1 minute ago, brianthainess said:

Why is that stupid? it was a genuine question to which you obviously don't have an answer to.  

Because I didn't reply to the question doesn't mean I don't know the answer. Doh

[yeahbutif]

4 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

On a Thai license you can drive for 12 months in the UK. For the second time of being asked.

so okay  thanks just trying to see the pitt falls , 

[brianthainess]

Just now, IvorBiggun2 said:

Because I didn't reply to the question doesn't mean I don't know the answer. Doh

And the answer is ???????? you don't know do you. 

[IvorBiggun2]

Quote

In fact, you can drive in the UK on any country's licence for a period of up to 12 months. Good news if you're planning on a UK road trip!

https://www.passmefast.co.uk/resources/driving-law/accepted-foreign-driving-licences#:~:text=In fact%2C you can drive,on a UK road trip!

[FriendlyFarang]

6 minutes ago, yeahbutif said:

yes . . but if i dint have a i proberley would not have a thai licence . as how would i have got to thailand in the first place ,lol

Then you can probably not drive on a foreign license.

[yeahbutif]

15 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

On a Thai license you can drive for 12 months in the UK. For the second time of being asked.

i am hearing what you are saying .but could that mean for a  forigner can drive in UK up to 12 months . but im sure they have  missed a bit out of the rules .; saying a forign licence can't be use in your own country of birth or registared where you  live .  do to only having a  UK passport .. may be duel nationaly where you have two passports would be okay .  

[MartinL]

I got the information below many yeas ago but it's probably just as true today.

 

If you have a UK driving licence, you MUST use it when in UK. Don't ask me how that'd be enforced 'cos I've no idea.

 

If you HAD a UK licence in the past and it's lost/expired/etc., you must have a foreign licence for the vehicle you're driving and IDP if the foreign licence isn't in English.

 

 

[yeahbutif]

7 minutes ago, MartinL said:

I got the information below many yeas ago but it's probably just as true today.

 

If you have a UK driving licence, you MUST use it when in UK. Don't ask me how that'd be enforced 'cos I've no idea.

 

If you HAD a UK licence in the past and it's lost/expired/etc., you must have a foreign licence for the vehicle you're driving and IDP if the foreign licence isn't in English.

 

 

okay sounds about right i just found this site https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence  and even thats confusing well it was to there 3 questions  as it said i can drive for 12 moths but only from when i became a resident ???  

Driving in Great Britain on a non-GB licence

You can drive in Great Britain on your full, valid driving licence for 12 months from when you became resident

After 12 months you’ll need to apply for a provisional licence and pass the theory and practical driving tests to drive in Great Britain.

Your answers

Start again

1. Are you:

a resident of Great Britain?

 

2. What kind of driving licence do you have?

Full car and motorcycle

 

3. Where did you pass your test?

Any other country

Edited May 3, 2023 by yeahbutif
added info

[Kwasaki]

23 minutes ago, yeahbutif said:

i am hearing what you are saying .but could that mean for a  forigner can drive in UK up to 12 months . but im sure they have  missed a bit out of the rules .; saying a forign licence can't be use in your own country of birth or registared where you  live .  do to only having a  UK passport .. may be duel nationaly where you have two passports would be okay .  

Let's try get through to you this way. 

If you are a Brit and didn't have a UK DL you can drive up to 1 year in UK with your 5 year Thai DL. 

 

Somewhere in the rules it states when in another country for more than a year you should use your home DL to obtain the DL of the country in which you are living in. 

 

Although in Thailand there's the the 90 day thing. 

Not having a DL in Thailand also isn't as serious not having one in UK. 

[JackGats]

55 minutes ago, yeahbutif said:

so if that means you can only drive for 12 months of entry .they would have to check passport and they would then see you are English. and not thai ? so back to the question can you drive in your own country on a forieng licence?

In most countries you can for a certain number of months, after which you must fall back on a local driving licence or get one. In some countries (Germany, France) a certified translation of the Thai driving licence is required, unless you also carry the international driving licence. In other countries (Belgium, apparently the UK), the English in the Thai driving licence suffices. The problem that can arise I think is if you cannot satisfy the police that you live in Thailand and not in the UK.

[Kwasaki]

5 minutes ago, JackGats said:

In most countries you can for a certain number of months, after which you must fall back on a local driving licence or get one. In some countries (Germany, France) a certified translation of the Thai driving licence is required, unless you also carry the international driving licence. In other countries (Belgium, apparently the UK), the English in the Thai driving licence suffices. The problem that can arise I think is if you cannot satisfy the police that you live in Thailand and not in the UK.

Your Thai address is on Thai DL in English.

[yeahbutif]

12 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Let's try get through to you this way. 

If you are a Brit and didn't have a UK DL you can drive up to 1 year in UK with your 5 year Thai DL. 

 

Somewhere in the rules it states when in another country for more than a year you should use your home DL to obtain the DL of the country in which you are living in. 

 

Although in Thailand there's the the 90 day thing. 

Not having a DL in Thailand also isn't as serious not having one in UK. 

Let's try get through to you this way. 

If you are a Brit and didn't have a UK DL you can drive up to 1 year in UK with your 5 year Thai DL. Still clear3 as mud and I thought Thailand had confusing rules... .but I do have a UK licence so why are you missing the point. 

[Kwasaki]

6 minutes ago, yeahbutif said:

Let's try get through to you this way. 

If you are a Brit and didn't have a UK DL you can drive up to 1 year in UK with your 5 year Thai DL. Still clear3 as mud and I thought Thailand had confusing rules... .but I do have a UK licence so why are you missing the point. 

Better you do some reading or ring up the DVLA in Swansea.

[Shannoblic]

I was in a similar position some time ago.

 

Please let me give you the definitive answer from the DVLA when I contacted them:

 

"You can use your Thai licence PROVIDED you do not hold a UK licence for the same class of vehicle".

 

I was also told that if the Police do a licence check and you are obviously British presenting a foreign licence they will do a computer check with the DVLA.  I you are found to have an equivalent UK licence you will be fined.

 

Hope this helps.

[Kwasaki]

15 minutes ago, Shannoblic said:

I was in a similar position some time ago.

 

Please let me give you the definitive answer from the DVLA when I contacted them:

 

"You can use your Thai licence PROVIDED you do not hold a UK licence for the same class of vehicle".

 

I was also told that if the Police do a licence check and you are obviously British presenting a foreign licence they will do a computer check with the DVLA.  I you are found to have an equivalent UK licence you will be fined.

 

Hope this helps.

And. 

Is my UK driving licence valid if I no longer live in the UK?

 

 

The simple answer is: no, but there are options to ensure you are still able to drive in the UK and abroad. Driving licences must be issued by your country of residence. Therefore, if you don't reside permanently in the UK you cannot apply for or renew a UK DL. 

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by Kwasaki

[FriendlyFarang]

1 hour ago, yeahbutif said:

okay sounds about right i just found this site https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence  and even thats confusing well it was to there 3 questions  as it said i can drive for 12 moths but only from when i became a resident ???  

This website is obviously directed at foreigners, because nearly all UK citizens are also residents and thus have a UK license.

If you were born in the UK you have probably been a resident since birth, unless you have lost your residency status since then.

So you would have to check if you are still considered a UK resident or not, if not you could theoretically use a foreign license.

 

But if you have an accident and the insurer sees that you have a UK passport and a foreign license, by default the claim will probably be denied because they say that you have been a resident and thus your foreign license isn't valid. Then it's up to you to proof that you are not a UK resident anymore.

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by FriendlyFarang

[Kwasaki]

14 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

This website is obviously directed at foreigners, because nearly all UK citizens are also residents and thus have a UK license.

If you were born in the UK you have probably been a resident since birth, unless you have lost your residency status since then.

So you would have to check if you are still considered a UK resident or not, if not you could theoretically use a foreign license.

 

But if you have an accident and the insurer sees that you have a UK passport and a foreign license, by default the claim will probably be denied because they say that you have been a resident and thus your foreign license isn't valid. Then it's up to you to proof that you are not a UK resident anymore.

 

It would be advisable for a visiting UK citizen to check with the insurance company who is insuring the car you drive in UK that they except a 5 year Thai DL for driving in UK. 

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by Kwasaki

[IvorBiggun2]

35 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

It would be advisable for a visiting UK citizen to check with the insurance company who is insuring the car you drive in UK that they except a 5 year Thai DL for driving in UK. 

I can assure folk that if you're driving an hire car then the insurance is valid.

[Kwasaki]

15 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

I can assure folk that if you're driving an hire car then the insurance is valid.

A well known car hire firm for example Hertz say OK but always worth a question though IMO insurance companies do like a dodge if they can find one. 

 

A 2 year Thai DL is probably not valid as is a 5year Thai DL.

[yeahbutif]

While we on the subject.. my licence expires when I'm 70. If I don't renew it straight away as maybe not need too as I have a Thai one.. do you think there is a time gap to be able to renew if went back to live in the UK... Would you have to take a new test if laps for say 5 years.. I know you would have to be cirtified health wise to get a licence over 70..