Report Thailand Tightens Rules for Foreign Drivers: Tests Now Mandatory

[SanSaiExPat]

On 6/20/2025 at 5:56 AM, snoop1130 said:

Photo courtesy of Thai Visa Expert

 

Thailand is set to introduce stricter regulations for foreign nationals seeking to obtain a Thai driver's licence. The Department of Land Transport (DLT) has proposed a draft regulation requiring all foreigners to pass a written test, irrespective of holding a valid international driving permit (IDP).

 

The change aims to revoke the current acceptance of IDPs as sufficient proof for acquiring a temporary Thai licence. According to a Ministry of Transport source, the DLT is actively seeking public feedback on the draft, which highlights updated protocols for training, testing, and licence renewals for both Thai and foreign drivers.

 

The main objective of these reforms is to align with international standards and enhance road safety. "The changes are designed to ensure fairness and competency for all drivers, while also improving regulatory oversight," the source explained.

 

Key changes include:

 

• Temporary Driver’s Licences: IDPs will no longer be valid for obtaining a temporary licence.
• Foreign Licence Holders: Foreign nationals must now pass a written exam to convert their existing foreign licence to a Thai one. This requirement was previously waived.
• Licence Validity Extension: The validity of personal driving licences will increase from two years to five for applicants with a previously expired Thai temporary licence.
• End of IDP Fast Track: Neither foreign-issued driving licences nor IDPs will exempt applicants from the written test.

 

These proposed rules could significantly affect tourists, expats, and foreign workers who have relied on IDPs for quick access to Thai roads. The DLT has not announced when these regulations will be implemented, but an official announcement is anticipated following the public consultation phase.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-06-20

 

 

It's Just another way to milk a few more hundred or thousand baht out of foreigners and to make Thailand more undesirable as a place to retire or visit.

[ThailandGuy]

Gooooood Morninggggggggggg Vietnam !!!

[cjinchiangrai]

1 hour ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Thailand signed up to the  1968 Vienna Convention for IDPs, how can they make an amendment now by saying holders of IDPs require an additional written test ?

Because an IDP is not a drivers license. It has no legal merit at all.

[Jumbo1968]

1 hour ago, cjinchiangrai said:

Because an IDP is not a drivers license. It has no legal merit at all.

 

1 hour ago, cjinchiangrai said:

Because an IDP is not a drivers license. It has no legal merit at all.

What is it then, is it not a permit allowing you to drive ?

[cjinchiangrai]

3 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

 

What is it then, is it not a permit allowing you to drive ?

It is a translation of your license into multiple languages, Thai is not one of them.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

Thailand: why are foreigners not coming?

Also Thailand: let's do our best to make life harder for them!

 

Also also: this will have the exact opposite effect as foreigners will simply not bother with a Thai license and drive with their home country license and IDP, or without a license at all.

[josephbloggs]

4 hours ago, schultzlivgthai said:

The Thais honestly feel they are better in every way compared to foreigners. Us farangs can’t do anything right, even drive a vehicle. 

How's the chip on your shoulder?

They are still accepting your home country license, you still skip the physical driving test. The only difference is you have to do the multiple choice test questions, that is it. Did you read the OP?

Road rules and road signs are not identical to our home countries so what is wrong with learning them for a test before you drive here? It actually sounds sensible.

Read the article before you display your massive paranoia.

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Thailand signed up to the  1968 Vienna Convention for IDPs, how can they make an amendment now by saying holders of IDPs require an additional written test ?

Jesus, am I the only here who can read??

Your IDP is valid for driving here as a tourist. In the past you could convert an IDP in to a Thai license without a written test. Now you need to do a written test. That is all. Why are so many people here incapable of understanding that? People running crying this is going to kill the tourist industry, people will go to Vietnam instead, it is anti-farang. Get a grip. Read the OP.

They have not broken the Geneva Convention, The Vienna Convention or anything else. Can anyone turn up in the UK with an IDP and be given a UK driving license without a test? Of course not.

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, Middle Aged Grouch said:

Just another way to make a law that leaves it open for the BiB to racket falangs on roadblocks. 

How so?

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, SanSaiExPat said:

It's Just another way to milk a few more hundred or thousand baht out of foreigners and to make Thailand more undesirable as a place to retire or visit.

How is making people do a multiple choice test when they want to convert their home license in to an official Thai license making Thailand more undesirable as a place to visit? Can you explain?

I would love to understand the thought process of people like you who cry about this, please explain.

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, ThailandGuy said:

Gooooood Morninggggggggggg Vietnam !!!

Do you know the process for getting a Vietnamese driving license as a foreigner? 

Clue: it is a lot less straightforward than Thailand. Thailand is remarkably simple really.

Why are you off to Vietnam?

[kwilco]

On 6/20/2025 at 10:56 AM, snoop1130 said:

Photo courtesy of Thai Visa Expert

 

Thailand is set to introduce stricter regulations for foreign nationals seeking to obtain a Thai driver's licence. The Department of Land Transport (DLT) has proposed a draft regulation requiring all foreigners to pass a written test, irrespective of holding a valid international driving permit (IDP).

 

The change aims to revoke the current acceptance of IDPs as sufficient proof for acquiring a temporary Thai licence. According to a Ministry of Transport source, the DLT is actively seeking public feedback on the draft, which highlights updated protocols for training, testing, and licence renewals for both Thai and foreign drivers.

 

The main objective of these reforms is to align with international standards and enhance road safety. "The changes are designed to ensure fairness and competency for all drivers, while also improving regulatory oversight," the source explained.

 

Key changes include:

 

• Temporary Driver’s Licences: IDPs will no longer be valid for obtaining a temporary licence.
• Foreign Licence Holders: Foreign nationals must now pass a written exam to convert their existing foreign licence to a Thai one. This requirement was previously waived.
• Licence Validity Extension: The validity of personal driving licences will increase from two years to five for applicants with a previously expired Thai temporary licence.
• End of IDP Fast Track: Neither foreign-issued driving licences nor IDPs will exempt applicants from the written test.

 

These proposed rules could significantly affect tourists, expats, and foreign workers who have relied on IDPs for quick access to Thai roads. The DLT has not announced when these regulations will be implemented, but an official announcement is anticipated following the public consultation phase.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-06-20

 

 

 

Well it's a polite way of saying that a dispro[ortionate number of idiot drivers are foreigners who blithely swan around with a false feeing of superiority over Thai road users... they really take the biscuit.

[kwilco]

3 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Thailand signed up to the  1968 Vienna Convention for IDPs, how can they make an amendment now by saying holders of IDPs require an additional written test ?

THat wasn't in the agreement.???  r .... MMMMMMM – I think the problem is foreigners are trying to get Thai licences not recognising their own. Under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, signatory countries are generally required to recognize valid driving licenses issued by other signatory countries, without requiring a driving test in the new country. The convention aims to facilitate international travel and driving by establishing a standardized system for recognizing driving licenses. 
There can be exceptions, such as for residents who stay in a country for an extended period, where local regulations might require exchanging the license for a local one. However, even in such cases, the convention promotes bilateral agreements to facilitate license exchange without requiring a new driving test. 
Thailand is a bit vague about those driving “long term” in Thailand on foreign licences – it looks like they consider 3 months (909days) long enough – especially for insurance purposes – the trouble is that those introducing the law don’t appear to have looked at Thailand’s commitments under international laws…
Perhaps spmepne might actually make a legal challenge to this?

[josephbloggs]

25 minutes ago, kwilco said:

THat wasn't in the agreement.???  r .... MMMMMMM – I think the problem is foreigners are trying to get Thai licences not recognising their own. Under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, signatory countries are generally required to recognize valid driving licenses issued by other signatory countries, without requiring a driving test in the new country. The convention aims to facilitate international travel and driving by establishing a standardized system for recognizing driving licenses. 
There can be exceptions, such as for residents who stay in a country for an extended period, where local regulations might require exchanging the license for a local one. However, even in such cases, the convention promotes bilateral agreements to facilitate license exchange without requiring a new driving test. 
Thailand is a bit vague about those driving “long term” in Thailand on foreign licences – it looks like they consider 3 months (909days) long enough – especially for insurance purposes – the trouble is that those introducing the law don’t appear to have looked at Thailand’s commitments under international laws…
Perhaps spmepne might actually make a legal challenge to this?

Go for it. We all nominate you to make a legal challenge, we'll be right behind you cheering you on. Under what clause are you thinking?

The IDP allows for short term use in signatory countries, ie. for tourists and short term visitors. It does not allow for long term use. For that you need to get a local driving license.

That is exactly the same as Thailand. Nothing has changed. Tourists can use their local license or an IDP. But if you want to obtain a full Thai license you now need to take the multiple choice exam, whereas before this was often not required. 

How and why are you going to challenge this legally exactly?


 

[kwilco]

2 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

The IDP allows for short term use in signatory countries,

 

How and why are you going to challenge this legally exactly?" - where do you you get that idea from? I guess you didn't read my post(s) and are making assumptions about the treaties?

 

Countries can specify how long an International Driving Permit (IDP) is valid for driving within their borders, and this can vary by country. While IDPs themselves have a standard validity period (either 1 or 3 years, depending on the issuing convention), the length of time a visitor can use an IDP in a specific country is often tied to their visa or residency status and the country's specific regulations. 

 

There are a lot of long term expats who rely on IDPs from home for much longer - they just go home and renew. THis does get them into trouble in Thailand where insurance companies at least want a local licence after 90 days.

I have had a Thai licence for 20 years - I take an eye test and a few other gismos when renewing.

 

As far as the Thai law and the treaties - I don't know what the legal situation is - as I said earlier. THere is also  the question of the Vienna treaty superseding previous treaties - Thaia land seems to acknowledge both 1949 and 1968 treaties. THe idea behind the Vienna treaty is to set up a common traffic system or laws and signs and driving licences, so one would have thought they might recognise foreign licences.

 

 

[freedomnow]

BANG go the motorbike rental places at tourist hubs.

[JamesPhuket10]

On 6/20/2025 at 11:25 AM, Upnotover said:

Having done the written test last year, twice in fact as failed the first attempt, I hope that they will get someone who can actually speak/read English to translate the often bizarre questions/answers.  And in a 4 answer multi-choice exam there is usually 1 correct answer...not here, some questions had 3 correct and one incorrect....I was told I failed the first attempt because I didn't select the "most correct" answer.

 

About 18 months ago I converted my British driving licence via an international licence into a Thai car licence, it is valid for two years and then renews again for five years I think.

 

I had to watch a one hour 'safety' video on my mobile and answer three questions before the application process, part of the video was in English but it was Australian English and I could barely understand what was bing said, part of it was in Thai, and the three questions I had to answer had nothing to do with what had been showed on the video, so a good guess helped me get the correct answers. 

 

I saw where Thais take their driving test, it is an area off the main road, there is a parking test where applicants have to reverse a car into an area big enough for a bus, if they do not get it right first time they can have a few goes.

 

You then have to drive around a mini roundabout and then drive over a mini bridge, ten minutes test and only one car being driven at any one time, a ten year old kid could pass the test.

 

I had a good laugh, it helps explain why there are so many crap Thai drivers on the roads.

[JamesPhuket10]

3 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

Jesus, am I the only here who can read??

Your IDP is valid for driving here as a tourist. In the past you could convert an IDP in to a Thai license without a written test. Now you need to do a written test. That is all. Why are so many people here incapable of understanding that? People running crying this is going to kill the tourist industry, people will go to Vietnam instead, it is anti-farang. Get a grip. Read the OP.

They have not broken the Geneva Convention, The Vienna Convention or anything else. Can anyone turn up in the UK with an IDP and be given a UK driving license without a test? Of course not.

 

You said, "Can anyone turn up in the UK with an IDP and be given a UK driving license without a test? Of course not."

 

Yes people can, it does depend on which country they have a licence from, Germany for example plus many others can change their driving licences for a British licence.

 

Of course countries such as Thailand can not do that due to their crap low standard driving test. 😃