Using a thai license for a U.K. rental car.

[Andrew Dwyer]

I know that this has been asked before but am looking for some up to date information.

 

I have a 5 year Thai license and wish to use it for renting a car in the U.K. in April.

 

I also have a valid U.K. license but would prefer to use the Thai one if possible. ( it’s a long story ).

 

So, any recent U.K. rentals with a Thai license and anything I should be aware of ??

[Polar Bear]

We've used 5-year licences in the UK multiple times without an issue. We usually book through Drivalia because it's convenient for us. The only thing to watch out for is that you have to have held a licence for a year, so if it's been renewed recently, take a copy of your old one with you to show you've held the licence longer than that. Having said that, they told me to take a copy of my old licence and then they never asked for it, so maybe it doesn't matter. 

[MartinL]

Last June had no trouble hiring on a 5 year Thai licence except ...... Only problem was paying some of the fees. I paid the main hire fee in advance, online from Thailand, with a UK card. However, when it came to paying the refundable deposit etc. at the hire office in UK, they wouldn't accept the UK card because the card address and licence address didn't match. They could see on the hiring record that the major part of the costs was paid with the UK card but there was no way the computer would accept that card once a Thai licence had been registered. I used my Bangkok Bank card with no problem.

 

I've been told that if you hold a valid UK licence, you MUST use it to drive on UK roads. Most of the time, there'd be no consequences, I suppose, if you used the Thai licence anyway but in the event of an accident, the hire car insurance would probably be invalid.

[jaideedave]

Worked perfectly in New Zealand for me a few years ago. No questions asked.

[Andrew Dwyer]

44 minutes ago, MartinL said:

Last June had no trouble hiring on a 5 year Thai licence except ...... Only problem was paying some of the fees. I paid the main hire fee in advance, online from Thailand, with a UK card. However, when it came to paying the refundable deposit etc. at the hire office in UK, they wouldn't accept the UK card because the card address and licence address didn't match. They could see on the hiring record that the major part of the costs was paid with the UK card but there was no way the computer would accept that card once a Thai licence had been registered. I used my Bangkok Bank card with no problem.

 

I've been told that if you hold a valid UK licence, you MUST use it to drive on UK roads. Most of the time, there'd be no consequences, I suppose, if you used the Thai licence anyway but in the event of an accident, the hire car insurance would probably be invalid.

Thanks Martin, the last time I rented a car in the U.K. was 18 months ago with Europcar, they asked to see some utility bills with my name and the address on the driver’s license ( U.K. license ).

Firstly I had no utility bills ( it’s my daughter’s address) and secondly my U.K. license was using an old address ( my father’s ).

I managed to get them to accept the rental but vowed I would use my Thai license next time.

I ordered a new U.K. ( updated address ) license and now wondering whether to send it here as a backup in case the Thai license has some problems.

 

Hence my question about Thai license for U.K. rental.

[Tropicalevo]

I have never had a problem renting from Birmingham Airport and using a Thai 5 year licence.

The rental desk have a book of all different driving licences. They looked up Thailand. Compared mine to the one in the book and just asked me which number was the driving licence number.

[Tropicalevo]

8 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

the last time I rented a car in the U.K. was 18 months ago with Europcar, they asked to see some utility bills with my name and the address on the driver’s license ( U.K. license ).

Who the heck carries paid utility bills around with them.

[Mike Lister]

3 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Who the heck carries paid utility bills around with them.

I carry my water bill with me where ever I go, doesn't everyone.  :)

[Andrew Dwyer]

7 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Who the heck carries paid utility bills around with them.

Exactly my thoughts, never been asked before, wondered if it was a new rule.

[NanLaew]

On 1/23/2024 at 3:59 PM, MartinL said:

I've been told that if you hold a valid UK licence, you MUST use it to drive on UK roads. Most of the time, there'd be no consequences, I suppose, if you used the Thai licence anyway but in the event of an accident, the hire car insurance would probably be invalid.

 

If you are no longer resident in the UK, it is illegal to use your UKDL as it is illegal to renew one using a UK address (friend or relative) where you do not live. I believe the fine is £1200. They police don't go around stopping and checking for this automatically, so it's a relative low-risk infringement. If there's a 'routine' traffic stop (does happen), or if you're involved in a prang or the car gets stolen, then the can of worms may be opened.

 

The car rental firm's won't invalidate their own insurance if you bend their motor while it's hired on a foreign DL that they have already accepted. That's conflating the myth of driving in Thailand on a foreign licence.

 

On 1/23/2024 at 4:56 PM, Andrew Dwyer said:

Thanks Martin, the last time I rented a car in the U.K. was 18 months ago with Europcar, they asked to see some utility bills with my name and the address on the driver’s license ( U.K. license ).

Firstly I had no utility bills ( it’s my daughter’s address) and secondly my U.K. license was using an old address ( my father’s ).

I managed to get them to accept the rental but vowed I would use my Thai license next time.

I ordered a new U.K. ( updated address ) license and now wondering whether to send it here as a backup in case the Thai license has some problems.

 

Hence my question about Thai license for U.K. rental.

 

When I was picking up an online booking at 10 pm at MAN with my valid UKDL but without a utility bill, it was refused. The clerk asked if I had another licence and accepted the full, 5-year Thai one without any issues. That was back in 2018, and I have used the Thai one ever since.

 

If you consider yourself a UK part-timer and want to use your UKDL and have the utility bill they need, go ahwead. But you also need to go on the DVLC website and set up a PIN. You give this PIN to the rental agency when collecting the car so they can login to the DVLC database and see if your UKDL has too many points is suspended or revoked.

[kickstart]

Like other posters I have had no problem using a 5- year Thai license, done it twice now .

One thing, I found a 60 GBP deduction to Eurocar on my bank statement  last time ,the only thing I can think of that it was for speeding ,probable doing say 40 in a 30- limit zone? but at least they cannot put 3 points on my license. 

The other thing they used the most expensive insurance cover ,again not being a UK license. 

[Andrew Dwyer]

31 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

If you are no longer resident in the UK, it is illegal to use your UKDL as it is illegal to renew one using a UK address (friend or relative) where you do not live. I believe the fine is £1200. They police don't go around stopping and checking for this automatically, so it's a relative low-risk infringement. If there's a 'routine' traffic stop (does happen), or if you're involved in a prang or the car gets stolen, then the can of worms may be opened.

 

The car rental firm's won't invalidate their own insurance if you bend their motor while it's hired on a foreign DL that they have already accepted. That's conflating the myth of driving in Thailand on a foreign licence.

 

 

When I was picking up an online booking at 10 pm at MAN with my valid UKDL but without a utility bill, it was refused. The clerk asked if I had another licence and accepted the full, 5-year Thai one without any issues. That was back in 2018, and I have used the Thai one ever since.

 

If you consider yourself a UK part-timer and want to use your UKDL and have the utility bill they need, go ahwead. But you also need to go on the DVLC website and set up a PIN. You give this PIN to the rental agency when collecting the car so they can login to the DVLC database and see if your UKDL has too many points is suspended or revoked.

Thanks, I have done the license check code thing many times since 2016 but this was the first time, 18 months ago, i was faced with the utility bill request.

I don’t remember how i managed to convince him to okay the rental but i do remember the rental guy wasn’t letting it go easily.

 

[richard_smith237]

On 1/23/2024 at 12:05 PM, Tropicalevo said:

On 1/23/2024 at 11:56 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

the last time I rented a car in the U.K. was 18 months ago with Europcar, they asked to see some utility bills with my name and the address on the driver’s license ( U.K. license ).

Who the heck carries paid utility bills around with them.

 

Really ???...      its good info to be aware of that... 

 

In 2020 I rented a car on two separate occasions (with UK license) - no bill was asked for and I'd have been stuffed if they had, as I'd just flown into the UK (and didn't have anything with me)....   

 

Perhaps a UK online Bank Statement has our address ??... Amazon UK Shipping address ??...   UK PayPal Address ??

 

Ultimately, if a rental company makes it too awkward we can walk away, but that adds a major element of inconvenience, especially if having paid in advance, in which case we should be 'fore warned' that such additional documentation is required. 

[Andrew Dwyer]

14 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Really ???...      its good info to be aware of that... 

 

In 2020 I rented a car on two separate occasions (with UK license) - no bill was asked for and I'd have been stuffed if they had, as I'd just flown into the UK (and didn't have anything with me)....   

 

Perhaps a UK online Bank Statement has our address ??... Amazon UK Shipping address ??...   UK PayPal Address ??

 

Ultimately, if a rental company makes it too awkward we can walk away, but that adds a major element of inconvenience, especially if having paid in advance, in which case we should be 'fore warned' that such additional documentation is required. 

My last but one U.K. rental was October 2019 and no mention of any utility bills, as usual, until my last U.K. rental in August 2022.

It really surprised me and, although i do carry some documents with me, i had nothing with the address I supposedly live at, maybe i did have my “ address “ listed on the bank website I’m not sure.

In fact i thought I was being hounded by some over zealous Europcar rental guy as up to now haven’t heard anyone else come across this …. until NanLaew’s post above.

[josephbloggs]

It's been a while but last time I rented a car in the UK they actually preferred my Thai license. Granted my UK one is a paper one (still valid) and old, but they asked if I had a foreign one and used my Thai license. 

[Sigma6]

I hired a car on a visit using my thai license.

I was caught speeding by police with a radar - he then pulled me over.

After giving my name and DOB I was 'done' on my UKDL, and received the points as normal.

[Tropicalevo]

48 minutes ago, Sigma6 said:

I hired a car on a visit using my thai license.

I was caught speeding by police with a radar - he then pulled me over.

After giving my name and DOB I was 'done' on my UKDL, and received the points as normal.

You are obviously too young.

My UK licence 'died' a few years ago.

I never bothered to renew it.

Thai DL and Thai IDP work everywhere that I want to go to.

[Chomper Higgot]

9 hours ago, Sigma6 said:

I hired a car on a visit using my thai license.

I was caught speeding by police with a radar - he then pulled me over.

After giving my name and DOB I was 'done' on my UKDL, and received the points as normal.

 Correct.

 

And if a driver is banned in the UK on their UK license then they may not drive in the UK on any license.

 

Likewise driving insurance issued in the UK, including for car hires, takes UK license points into consideration. 

 

A driver hitting a car in the UK who does not declare points on their UK license is very lily uninsured.

[Chomper Higgot]

Update:

 

I hired a car from AVIS at Heathrow, I made the booking online from Thailand.

 

1. The rate was cheaper using the Thai AVIS website than the UK AVIS website or the AVIS App.

 

2. The website booking asked for credit card details but did not charge my card.

 

3. The website asked for my Driving License details, I gave my Thai license info.

 

Here’s were it got interesting:

 

When I arrived at the car rental at LHR the staff asked for my passport Drivers License and Credit Card.

 

A few minutes into the process he said, this isn’t your license.

 

The name on the license, which I had never checked, was my given names, first and middle names, but not my family name.

He asked if I had my own nationality Drivers License with me, I did not.

 

I pointed out my DL had my passport details and he could check the match.

 

He did and processed my hire as normal.

 

HOWEVER, he also found my booking history, so maybe that helped.

 

Either way, another successful car hire from AVIS at LHR.

 

[sirineou]

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

The website booking asked for credit card details but did not charge my card

They normally don't charge you credit card until you return the car. But they do put a hold on the security amount, so heads up, the credit limit available in your credit card is now less (minus the deposit hold) 

[Chomper Higgot]

15 hours ago, sirineou said:

They normally don't charge you credit card until you return the car. But they do put a hold on the security amount, so heads up, the credit limit available in your credit card is now less (minus the deposit hold) 

Correct.