Thai's Driving In Usa

[stevehaigh]

hi

i'm visiting the US with the wife next year and renting a car to travel the country a bit. i would like her to help drive.

she has a thai driving licence and about 1 year experience. can she get an international driving license here that would be acceptable by US car rental companies? come to think of it, can i get one too since my CA license has expired!

how to get and where?

thx steve

[nikster]

I don't know about getting an international license in Thailand - I am sure you can get it and it would be a good idea.

I do know a lot about renting cars in CA though, doing this every few months.

- They will accept driving licenses from other countries no problem. I am sure they'll accept Thai, the only issue being that they can't read Thai writing. So a translation would be good.

- You are legal to drive in CA with a foreign license for something like 30 days - however, the time limit isn't going to be enforced by local highway police if it's obvious that you are a tourist driving around in a rental car. So if you get stopped, pretend to be from Kazachstan and let the wife do the talking. Or if thats not possible make it very clear you are not a CA resident.

- You need insurance by CA state law, but that is not enforced by the rental companies - they try to upsell you on insurance but if you insist they will give you the car without. When I did this I usually told them my company has insurance for employees in rental cars - which was true for my old company. Insurance is extremely expensive from the rental companies, like $12 / day or more. To get around it, pay with a visa gold or platinum card that has rental car insurance, or try to get this some other way before arriving in CA.

- Fox rent a car was so far the only car rental company that didn't try to upsell me. I will use them again for that reason alone. The others scare _everyone_ into getting insurance by any means necessary - lying just to get that commission is perfectly normal for them. Pisses me off to no end.

Last time - I think it was Dollar, but they are all the same - I was told by the rental agent that I needed insurance, even if I had it from my company, etc etc. I eventually had to ask for the supervisor, and asked him straight on "Will you rent this car to me if I do not get insurance" and he said yes, and that was the end of it. Not fun after a 20 hour trip from BKK.

Edited July 29, 2007 by nikster

[samran]

hi

i'm visiting the US with the wife next year and renting a car to travel the country a bit. i would like her to help drive.

she has a thai driving licence and about 1 year experience. can she get an international driving license here that would be acceptable by US car rental companies? come to think of it, can i get one too since my CA license has expired!

how to get and where?

thx steve

department of land transport issue international licenses.

She will only be eligible for one if she has a valid 5 year Thai license.

[autonomous_unit]

California recognizes the Thai license and does not require (or even recognize) a translated international license, at least when I checked up on it a couple of years ago. Check the DMV site yourself at www.dmv.ca.gov, that's what I did. The laws, of course, vary by state so you might want to check each state you plan to drive in. I drive rental cars in the US in CA and IL periodically, using my Thai license.

As for insurance, be sure it is liability insurance you get covered by your credit card, i.e. damage or injury to other parties. This is separate from collision/loss coverage on the rental car or your property. In my case, I found that I have to purchase liability coverage but can waive the collision damage for the car.

Finally, I don't mean to presume too much, but do you trust your wife's driving skills to operate safely in the US in the short term? Aside from the switch to left-hand drive combined with jetlag: The police are much less likely to ignore improper use of signals, lack of lane discipline, etc. and other drivers are not going to share the typical Thai driving mentality of focusing mostly on cars in front and assuming everyone else will avoid crashing into you from behind... just something to think about, depending on how long your trip is and what kind of traffic you'll be in...

[stevehaigh]

California recognizes the Thai license and does not require (or even recognize) a translated international license, at least when I checked up on it a couple of years ago. Check the DMV site yourself at www.dmv.ca.gov, that's what I did. The laws, of course, vary by state so you might want to check each state you plan to drive in. I drive rental cars in the US in CA and IL periodically, using my Thai license.

As for insurance, be sure it is liability insurance you get covered by your credit card, i.e. damage or injury to other parties. This is separate from collision/loss coverage on the rental car or your property. In my case, I found that I have to purchase liability coverage but can waive the collision damage for the car.

Finally, I don't mean to presume too much, but do you trust your wife's driving skills to operate safely in the US in the short term? Aside from the switch to left-hand drive combined with jetlag: The police are much less likely to ignore improper use of signals, lack of lane discipline, etc. and other drivers are not going to share the typical Thai driving mentality of focusing mostly on cars in front and assuming everyone else will avoid crashing into you from behind... just something to think about, depending on how long your trip is and what kind of traffic you'll be in...

thanks for the info. i guess i'll just take my thai licence and hope for the best. if i run into problems, i can go to the dmv and try resurect my CA license. problem is, i don't have an address over there anymore but i guess i can use a friend's address.

i see what you are saying about the wife driving, but i'm thinking mostly she help on the long boring roads like highway 5 from LA to norcal. just point the car in the right direction and go straight for 6 hours.

thx steve

[ballbreaker]

Two years ago when I arrived in LA, California I tried to rent a car using my Thai license. The rental car company refused to rent me a car because they could not read what I said was a drivers license. Their words: "How do I even know its a drivers license". I had a California license so not a problem but they did not know that when refused rental. I just wanted to know if it could be done.

I would suggest getting a international license or translation before going. I remember seeing on TV, I think, about place to get international license or official translation. If located I will post.

Edited July 30, 2007 by ballbreaker

[ballbreaker]

From: Pattaya Mail Vol XV, No.14 Friday 6th April 2007

http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml

Question: Howard writes in: Where might one acquire a fully legal international drivers licence in Thailand?

Answer: International driving licenses can only be applied for at the Department of Land Transportation in Bangkok, 1032 Phaholyothin Road, Lardyao, Chatuchak district (opposite the well know weekend market).

The Department of Land Transportation requires one set of original documents and photocopies of the documents listed in 1 - 4 and a fee of 505 baht (the license will be issued at the time the application is submitted).

Required documents for international driving license application:

1. Non Immigrant Visa

2. Passport

3. Work Permit or certification from the local Immigration Department confirming the address of the applicant

4. Domestic driving license valid for 5 years (a temporary driving license will not be accepted)

5. Two 2" photographs (full face, half body photograph, not over 6 months old on date the application is submitted)

Further details can be obtained from the Department of Land Transport, Chonburi, Banglamung branch on 038-221399 or the Department of Land Transport, Bangkok, tel: 02-2723614 and 02-2723618.

This information has been supplied by the Department of Land Transport, Chonburi, Banglamung branch.

Edited July 30, 2007 by ballbreaker

[autonomous_unit]

Two years ago when I arrived in LA, California I tried to rent a car using my Thai license. The rental car company refused to rent me a car because they could not read what I said was a drivers license. Their words: "How do I even know its a drivers license". I had a California license so not a problem but they did not know that when refused rental. I just wanted to know if it could be done.

It depends on the rental company. When I rented with Hertz the first time using my Thai license (at Chicago O'Hare), they pulled out a giant book of foreign licenses and compared mine to a color reproduction of a Thai license in the book. After that, there has been no trouble so I guess they annotated my file as having been verified...

I've heard it said that cops have a similar reference book in their cars to check foreign licenses, but I've never had that experience...

[CHdiver]

From: Pattaya Mail Vol XV, No.14 Friday 6th April 2007

http://www.pattayamail.com/current/news.shtml

Question: Howard writes in: Where might one acquire a fully legal international drivers licence in Thailand?

Answer: International driving licenses can only be applied for at the Department of Land Transportation in Bangkok, 1032 Phaholyothin Road, Lardyao, Chatuchak district (opposite the well know weekend market).

The Department of Land Transportation requires one set of original documents and photocopies of the documents listed in 1 - 4 and a fee of 505 baht (the license will be issued at the time the application is submitted).

Required documents for international driving license application:

1. Non Immigrant Visa

2. Passport

3. Work Permit or certification from the local Immigration Department confirming the address of the applicant

4. Domestic driving license valid for 5 years (a temporary driving license will not be accepted)

5. Two 2" photographs (full face, half body photograph, not over 6 months old on date the application is submitted)

Further details can be obtained from the Department of Land Transport, Chonburi, Banglamung branch on 038-221399 or the Department of Land Transport, Bangkok, tel: 02-2723614 and 02-2723618.

This information has been supplied by the Department of Land Transport, Chonburi, Banglamung branch.

I think the op's wife is Thai. As Thai she will never get a Non Immigrant Visa, forget about a Work Permit anyway.

So she will be out of luck. No driving in outside Thailand unfortunately

[autonomous_unit]

...

i see what you are saying about the wife driving, but i'm thinking mostly she help on the long boring roads like highway 5 from LA to norcal. just point the car in the right direction and go straight for 6 hours.

thx steve

I see what you mean, but still, please teach her the basics of driving on I-5 through the Central Valley, i.e. the passing lane is for passing and high-beams are not appropriate when you can see tail lights or headlights of other vehicles (if you'll be driving over night)!

And if she's been driving only on slower roads here, something about following distances at 120 km/h might be useful too... Also, come to think of it, you might want to warn her that the horn is for inciting road rage in LA, and not for playing motorized marco-polo.

But most importantly, don't forget to put the air on recirculate before you get to Harris Ranch...

[Tony Clifton]

hi

i'm visiting the US with the wife next year and renting a car to travel the country a bit. i would like her to help drive.

she has a thai driving licence and about 1 year experience. can she get an international driving license here that would be acceptable by US car rental companies? come to think of it, can i get one too since my CA license has expired!

how to get and where?

thx steve

department of land transport issue international licenses.

She will only be eligible for one if she has a valid 5 year Thai license.

And she must have had the licence for 2 years already.

Are you sure you want her to drive on the opposite side in the US when she only has one year experience only in Thailand? I wouldn`t dare doze off. You may wake up to an OJ simpson style chase.

Edited July 30, 2007 by Tony Clifton

[jeepholt]

This information has been supplied by the Department of Land Transport, Chonburi, Banglamung branch.

I think the op's wife is Thai. As Thai she will never get a Non Immigrant Visa, forget about a Work Permit anyway.

So she will be out of luck. No driving in outside Thailand unfortunately

To CHdiver: I had no problems getting my Thai wife an international driver's permit in February of this year at the Department of Land Transport in BKK. We went to New Zealand for a month, and most of the rental agencies there for campervans said that they required the permit. She did need her 5 year Thai license to apply, and I THINK (but not sure) she also had a copy of her house papers with her. I don't remember her having to make a copy of that though. She also needed her Thai ID card and had her passport with her just in case. If they need extra copies or pictures for anything, they have the facilities available right there at the office very cheap. I think it was only 2 baht for copies? The desk for the international permit is on the 2nd floor, or 1st floor if you are brit, anyway it is one floor up from the ground level. First you check in at one of the many desks when you walk in the door, fill out some forms, then go inside the main big office and way down at the end on the right is the long stand up counter for the international licenses. There is 4 or 5 nice ladies working there who make the book and take the money, then you have to wait in the waiting area right at the counter for the supervisor to sign the books. It was relatively easy in comparison to many of the government offices, and the license area was even air conditioned and had proper clean restrooms. Surprised me! I also have heard that the driver's license place in Chiang Mai also is the only other place in Thailand that issues the international permit, but not sure since it would have been quite a long haul to go up there from here in Chonburi Province.

[jeepholt]

Sorry, I just noticed that I said "her 5 year Thai license". That is wrong as she has a "permanent" Thai license, not a 5 year one.