Thai Driver Licence in Europe

[richard_smith237]

7 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

Also, great if you get speeding tickets if you are on your Thai DL as opposed to your UK DL.😇

 

From a points perspective yes....    But you'll still get the fine.

 

Recently I got caught for doing a 33 mph in a 30 zone....  (which means I was probably doing closer to 36 mph  - if we factor in the tollerances).

 

It was a 3 point Penalty (if we hit 12 we're banned from driving for a year I think).

With points insurance premiums are also affected, but only from 6 and up I think (as nearly everyone has 3 points these days )...

It was a £100 fine... 

 

With penalties this severe - it makes me very careful about my speed when driving around the UK.... 

Conversely, driving in Thailand is alot more haphazard and I hardly look at the speedo..

 

I wonder, when driving in the UK how much of may attention is taken from the road onto my speedo to ensure I'm never drifting over a limit... More dangerous ?...  think there's scope for a debate about how the strictly enforced speed limits could potentially cause distraction to drivers watching their speedo too closely.... 

Edited February 27 by richard_smith237

[Scouse123]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

From a points perspective yes....    But you'll still get the fine.

 

Recently I got caught for doing a 33 mph in a 30 zone....  (which means I was probably doing closer to 36 mph  - if we factor in the tollerances).

 

It was a 3 point Penalty (if we hit 12 we're banned from driving for a year I think).

With points insurance premiums are also affected, but only from 6 and up I think (as nearly everyone has 3 points these days )...

It was a £100 fine... 

 

With penalties this severe - it makes me very careful about my speed when driving around the UK.... 

Conversely, driving in Thailand is alot more haphazard and I hardly look at the speedo..

 

I wonder, when driving in the UK how much of may attention is taken from the road onto my speedo to ensure I'm never drifting over a limit... More dangerous ?...  think there's scope for a debate about how the strictly enforced speed limits could potentially cause distraction to drivers watching their speedo too closely.... 

 

 

I agree with you on watching the Speedo, I became addicted to it.

 

Then I found I had hired a Peugeot 2008, (they said they had upgraded me from a Ford Focus), and the great thing about the car was it had a speed limit indicator in the middle of the speedometer.

 

It adjusted automatically as you travelled in speed zones from 20, to 30 to 40 etc,.................... I loved it.

 

If you exceeded the limit, it would keep flashing at you. I thought, What a great idea. Why don't all new cars have these.

 

Another plus, on the motorway, if I drifted too close to another lane and before the thumping of running over cats eyes, it would again issue a warning.

[richard_smith237]

10 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

I agree with you on watching the Speedo, I became addicted to it.

 

Then I found I had hired a Peugeot 2008, (they said they had upgraded me from a Ford Focus), and the great thing about the car was it had a speed limit indicator in the middle of the speedometer.

 

It adjusted automatically as you travelled in speed zones from 20, to 30 to 40 etc,.................... I loved it.

 

If you exceeded the limit, it would keep flashing at you. I thought, What a great idea. Why don't all new cars have these.

 

Another plus, on the motorway, if I drifted too close to another lane and before the thumping of running over cats eyes, it would again issue a warning.

 

 

Yup... Quite often in the UK I'm no a road an I have no idea if I'm in a 30, 40, 50, or 60mph limited area...   How is that possible ?

Lots of rural country roads where the speed limit through a village can be 30mph... but then outside of the village its back to national limit of 60mph...  then some hamlets have a 40mph limit and others area's with a 50mph limit....  If you've missed the sign (or the sign was dirty, turned around or knocked over etc), then you're left wondering what limit you're in doing 30mph with an irate white van driver right up behind you !!!... 

.... while stuck in the UK over Covid I had a car which had the HUD and it showed the speed limit which 'flashed' if I exceeded it and adjusted with excellent precision upon crossing the boundary of a speed limit zone - Great idea, and yes, why not on all cars. 

 

BUT... I also thought, if they can do this, why not just electrically limit the speeds of cars within these zones anyway ???

 

I guess the answer of course is liability - Imagine the Car going down the Motorway at a speed limit of 70mph, and the GPS thinks the car is in the green lane in the field adjacent to the motorway with a limit of 20 mph - a lethal combination and legal minefield in the event of an incident.

 

 

 

 

 

[JBChiangRai]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Good luck if you want to go to any or all of those 90 countries with 100% assurance that you can hire a car on your Thai DL only in any of the the 90 or so countries... ..... 

 

OR...  or take the 'no-brainer' option and spend 20 mins getting IDP and remove any doubt at all that you can drive anywhere without issue. 

 

I'm surprised its even discussion to be honest. 

 

The law is the law.  Your Thai driving licence is all you need. why waste money on an IDP that may or may not be legal.  Your Thai licence is legal PERIOD.

 

3 hours ago, PJ71 said:

Cut your losses Dick, you can't always be right...

 

He's as wrong as a wrong person can be.

[Barley]

I wanted to get an International License in Chiang Mai too.

 

At the window I was told validity was only one year, cost for IDP car license 500 THB, and I have to specify the country for which the license was valid. Those restrictions were not attractive for me, so I passed.

 

Did you also get a license valid one year for only one country or did I misunderstand the questions?

[LikeItHot]

On 2/24/2024 at 10:01 PM, stevenl said:

I don't know of any EU county requiring an IDP when the license is in English, like the Thai one.

Italy. Now you know one.

[LikeItHot]

2 hours ago, Barley said:

I wanted to get an International License in Chiang Mai too.

 

At the window I was told validity was only one year, cost for IDP car license 500 THB, and I have to specify the country for which the license was valid. Those restrictions were not attractive for me, so I passed.

 

Did you also get a license valid one year for only one country or did I misunderstand the questions?

The IDP is valid for three years or when the DL expires. Whichever comes first.  Yes they ask for the country you intend to visit. 

[Barley]

So I am not clear:

Them asking for the country means the IDP is only valid in this country? Or why are they asking?

 

I usually know IDPs to be valid worldwide in combination with the undlerlying driving license of the issuing country - as long as both are not expired.

[richard_smith237]

11 hours ago, LikeItHot said:

The IDP is valid for three years or when the DL expires. Whichever comes first.  Yes they ask for the country you intend to visit. 

 

Depending on the country you wish to visit, the IPD required is either the 1949 agreement, which has a validity of one year, or the 1968 agreement, which as a validity of 3 years. 

[richard_smith237]

5 hours ago, Barley said:

So I am not clear:

Them asking for the country means the IDP is only valid in this country? Or why are they asking?

 

I usually know IDPs to be valid worldwide in combination with the undlerlying driving license of the issuing country - as long as both are not expired.

 

There are actually three treaties in place.

 

The 1926 Paris International Convention relative to Motor Traffic.

The 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic.

The 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.

 

Various countries have signed both treaties, in which case the later counts, whereas other countries were not a signatory of the latter treaty and this the earlier 1949 treaty in valid. 

 

For example: Japan did not sign the 1968 Vienna treaty, thus, when travelling there an 1949 IDP is required. 

 

Thus: The reason you are asked is so that they can give you the correct IPD for the treaty that specific country has signed.

[richard_smith237]

14 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

 

The law is the law.  Your Thai driving licence is all you need. why waste money on an IDP that may or may not be legal.  Your Thai licence is legal PERIOD.

 

Are you suggesting that the IDP issued by Thailands Depeartment of Land Transport 'may or may not be legal' ?

 

Are you suggesting that the Thai Driving Licence is Valid for tourists to drive in every single country in the EU ?

 

Are you arguing that posters with first hand experience of this are liars ??? i.e. Likeithot, above who states an IDP is required with a  Thai Licence when driving in Italy. 

 

 

14 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

He's as wrong as a wrong person can be.

 

I'd double check your information....  I wouldn't be so certain that 100% of Countries in Europe allow driving with Non-EU Licenses with-out an IDP.

 

IF you are the sort of person to fly across the world and take that chance, then fair enough - but when offering advice based on all the information out there, airing on the side of caution is the only intelligent course of action. 

 

In short:

You are either correct and the Op has no issue other than spending an extra hour and a few 100 baht on an IDP.

Or, You are incorrect, and your advice would ruin someones holiday. 

 

I wouldn't side with PJ71 who doesn't care about the accuracy of advice he gives - he just wants to argue and troll posters - his posts are always ignored for good reason. 

 

 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

13 hours ago, Barley said:

I wanted to get an International License in Chiang Mai too.

 

At the window I was told validity was only one year, cost for IDP car license 500 THB, and I have to specify the country for which the license was valid. Those restrictions were not attractive for me, so I passed.

 

Did you also get a license valid one year for only one country or did I misunderstand the questions?

You seem to have a few misunderstandings. 
There is no international license 

There are a couple of different IDPs (international driving permits)

The different IDPs are a translation of the limits of your license into different languages 

An IDP has no validity without the license it is based on, you need both.

An IDP is valid for all countries that have signed the treaty on which it is based

An IDP itself is valid for between 1 and 3 years.

The IDP usually is only valid for 90 days from entry into a country irrespective of the validity of the IDP itself 

 

In Thailand while the police will usually ignore the 90 day limit your insurance company probably will not as the insurance is only valid after 90 days if you are driving with a Thai license, so if you want to drive uninsured don’t get a Thai license. Are you going to have problems? This will depend on luck with avoiding a serious accident.

 

Is this insurance limitation a problem in other countries? You will need to be intimately familiar with your insurance policy to know the answer.

[JBChiangRai]

56 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Are you suggesting that the IDP issued by Thailands Depeartment of Land Transport 'may or may not be legal' ?

 

Are you suggesting that the Thai Driving Licence is Valid for tourists to drive in every single country in the EU ?

 

Are you arguing that posters with first hand experience of this are liars ??? i.e. Likeithot, above who states an IDP is required with a  Thai Licence when driving in Italy. 

 

 

 

I'd double check your information....  I wouldn't be so certain that 100% of Countries in Europe allow driving with Non-EU Licenses with-out an IDP.

 

IF you are the sort of person to fly across the world and take that chance, then fair enough - but when offering advice based on all the information out there, airing on the side of caution is the only intelligent course of action. 

 

In short:

You are either correct and the Op has no issue other than spending an extra hour and a few 100 baht on an IDP.

Or, You are incorrect, and your advice would ruin someones holiday. 

 

I wouldn't side with PJ71 who doesn't care about the accuracy of advice he gives - he just wants to argue and troll posters - his posts are always ignored for good reason. 

 

 

 

 

 

I am suggesting that Thailand is a signatory to the Geneva and Vienna convention on road traffic and your full Thai driving licence is all you need in any EU country, or around 90 signatory countries to that agreement.

 

It’s entirely possible a local policeman may not understand the relevant law and reject your Thai licence OR YOUR IDP PERMIT.

 

In either case escalation will resolve it in your favour.

 

You can waste your money on an IDP but you don’t need it.

 

 

 

[Smokin Joe]

13 hours ago, LikeItHot said:

Italy. Now you know one.

Spain is another one.

[PJ71]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

IF you are the sort of person to fly across the world and take that chance

you can book a car on a thai license before leaving thailand, that confirms it's valid in that country, not difficult.

[richard_smith237]

49 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

 

I am suggesting that Thailand is a signatory to the Geneva and Vienna convention on road traffic and your full Thai driving licence is all you need in any EU country, or around 90 signatory countries to that agreement.

 

It’s entirely possible a local policeman may not understand the relevant law and reject your Thai licence OR YOUR IDP PERMIT.

 

In either case escalation will resolve it in your favour.

 

You can waste your money on an IDP but you don’t need it.

 

So you’re saying an IDP is not needed, but a policeman may not know that and you’d win that point if an issue is escalated….   Good luck fighting that on the roadside in Bulgaria or Italy etc… 
 

Or, just have the IDP & all options covered & drive without worry. 
 

There is also the issue of rental company acceptance. 
 

Last question then: IF an IDP ID is not needed, why do they issue one ?   (IRS £5 in the UK, so not exactly a money spinner). 
 

OP: Get an IDP all the fools saying you don’t need one are not the ones who are going to be stuck unable to hire a car or facing a roadside debate with a policeman.

 

Enough posters on this forum have already stated they were asked for an IDP driving in the EU with a non EU passport.
 

Additionally: 

Even though an IDP is not officially required for a UK Licence in Thailand, the advise is still to get one, because not all policemen are educated in this & an IDP ensures no miscommunication or improper conduct. 
 

So you advise the Op to take a chance or cover his bases ?