Thai Driving Licence Any Good In The Uk? / Exchangeable?

[Jersey_UK]

Not exactly at the top of my "to do list" at the moment, but whilst I think about it............

a ) Is a Thai Driving Licence any good in the UK? (for xxx months?) and is it exchangeable for a "proper" one.

Or

b ) Would it mean starting from scratch (maybe no bad thing!)

If I was a betting man I would say is the more likely!

[madjbs]

You can drive on any license in the U.K for 12 months if your a visitor. If the license isnt in english then I think you need a IDP.

[Crossy]

You can drive on any license in the U.K for 12 months if your a visitor. If the license isnt in english then I think you need a IDP.

Pretty well correct but IIRC the DVLA website makes no mention of an IDP, smart to have one anyway as the Thai licence isn't exactly confidence building to the copper who's pulled you.

The Thai licence is not on the list of exchangeable ones, so you'll need to take a test (not quite so simple as the Thai one).

[doctormann]

Slightly related topic:

I have a 5-year Thai car licence and also a Thai IDP, obtained in BKK a little more than a year ago. The IDP does not have an expiry date printed on it, unlike UK IDPs, which I have had on other occasions. Does anyone know whether the Thai IDP is valid for the lifetime of the Thai licence that it supports or does it only have a 12-month validity, like the UK variety?

I'm asking this because of an impending trip to UK, where I shall be renting a car. I still have my UK licence but the address thereon is no longer relevant and the DVLA can do nothing about this as I am no longer resident in the Country. Last time I did this I used the UK licence without any problems but I would like to be able to fall back on the Thai licences, just in case.

If the Thai IDP is no longer valid I have time to get a new one but does anyone know if I need to do this?

DM

[madjbs]

I wonder how you would get insurance if you are not using a rent car, I think the OP would find it very hard to get a UK insurance company to insure him unless you pay a huge huge premium.

[JAS21]

Slightly related topic:

I have a 5-year Thai car licence and also a Thai IDP, obtained in BKK a little more than a year ago. The IDP does not have an expiry date printed on it, unlike UK IDPs, which I have had on other occasions. Does anyone know whether the Thai IDP is valid for the lifetime of the Thai licence that it supports or does it only have a 12-month validity, like the UK variety?

I'm asking this because of an impending trip to UK, where I shall be renting a car. I still have my UK licence but the address thereon is no longer relevant and the DVLA can do nothing about this as I am no longer resident in the Country. Last time I did this I used the UK licence without any problems but I would like to be able to fall back on the Thai licences, just in case.

If the Thai IDP is no longer valid I have time to get a new one but does anyone know if I need to do this?

DM

I never thought of the address problem. So the DVLC wont accept a thailand address...wonder if they will accept my sons address..I will ask and post something later...........

[hgvneil]

To doctormann,

If the thai IDP is in english then i dont think it will be a problem,but if your not sure,then pop into the UK post office and get one for 5-6 pounds.About the insurance,well an idea is to be added onto someone else insurance policy for next to nothing.When i added my wifes name to my policy a couple of years ago it hardly changed in price when i took her off the following year.

For myself,i dont have a UK motorbike entitlement,but when i go back to Thailand i will get full car/bike license.When i come back to UK for a few months to work,i will use a motorbike on my Thai license.It costs a fortune for learning/licence fees in UK now.

[rgs2001uk]

john45

dvlc will only issue to a uk address, i left the uk years ago and for years used the old pink license with my last uk address on it, never had any problems when hiring a car.

when i eventually got a new photo license, what a pain in the backside trying to get an address to send it to, in the end used my sisters address.

i know many people who use overseas licences when driving in the uk, mainly to avoid speeding tickets when zapped by the camera.

[steve187]

a provisional licence can be obtained in the uk, and if you hold a thai licence, you can drive for one year without having to display L plates or have a qualified passenger, but after one year you return to the normal provisional restrictions, unless you have passed a test in the mean time. (the same thing applies with or without the english provisional licence,thai licence valid for one year from entry, but if you return every year does the year start again?)

[grtaylor]

Slightly related topic:

I have a 5-year Thai car licence and also a Thai IDP, obtained in BKK a little more than a year ago. The IDP does not have an expiry date printed on it, unlike UK IDPs, which I have had on other occasions. Does anyone know whether the Thai IDP is valid for the lifetime of the Thai licence that it supports or does it only have a 12-month validity, like the UK variety?

Wow! If it has no expiry date, its worth getting one. I dread to think how much I've spent over the years on photos and IDPs from the UK . . .

G

[LivinLOS]

The Thai IDP has the date of issue and 'valid for 1 year' (written on the back IIRC)..

I too skipped about a bit thinking I could use it globally for ages as I couldnt see an expiry.. Then I turned it over.

[doctormann]

The Thai IDP has the date of issue and 'valid for 1 year' (written on the back IIRC)..

I too skipped about a bit thinking I could use it globally for ages as I couldnt see an expiry.. Then I turned it over.

You know, you're absolutely right. I really should have spotted that.

Ah well, off to BKK for a new one, I guess.

DM

[zzSleepyJohn]

john45

dvlc will only issue to a uk address, i left the uk years ago and for years used the old pink license with my last uk address on it, never had any problems when hiring a car.

when i eventually got a new photo license, what a pain in the backside trying to get an address to send it to, in the end used my sisters address.

i know many people who use overseas licences when driving in the uk, mainly to avoid speeding tickets when zapped by the camera.

As a non-resident, your old pink licence, so long as it hadn't expired or been revoked, was most likely still quite valid and legal, even with an out-of-date address on it.

I knew there was a legal requirement to update the address on one's licence when one moves, so I queried [email protected] about what I should do as a non-resident. Here is their reply:

As you are no longer a permanent GB resident it is permissible for you to use a valid GB driving licence with an out of date address

So now, I just keep a copy of this e-mail reply with my old pink licence to show to anyone who accuses me of having an out of date address.

Armed with this, when I rent a car in UK, I now come clean with the rental company and give them my valid alternative temporary UK address instead of pretending my old address is still valid.

I would suggest anyone with a similar out of date address on their UK licence who is visiting but not resident in UK, checks with the DVLC and gets a similar reply to show to anyone who isn't famliar with this legality. Seems a lot easier than messing around getting an updated IDP for each visit, or trying to get your licence changed to an address that isn't really your own.

. + SJ