International Driving Licence

[thomast]

Has anybody obtained an International Drivers Licence issued by the International Automobile Assn based in Phuket? If so where have you used it.

[Naam]

Has anybody obtained an International Drivers Licence issued by the International Automobile Assn based in Phuket? If so where have you used it.

on planet Klingon the cops will laugh, confiscate the license and your car keys and tell you to walk

[GuestHouse]

Problem with your non Thai license?

[PattayaParent]

Has anybody obtained an International Drivers Licence issued by the International Automobile Assn based in Phuket? If so where have you used it.

Why not just get a genuine IDP from the Thai license authority?

[Guest Reimar]

Has anybody obtained an International Drivers Licence issued by the International Automobile Assn based in Phuket? If so where have you used it.

Why not just get a genuine IDP from the Thai license authority?

Maybe a question of his legal status and may he didn't qualified for an legal Thai IDP? And why need an IDP from an different country for the home country?

Cheers.

[thomast]

Hong Kong ID has expired, so valid HK drivers licence cannot be used to renew their international licence, as before. Now live in EU. HK licence can obtain 10 or 20 year Thai issued Int. licence. just wonderning if anybody has used one overseas. Of course you wont know if its any good till the cops stop you. Getting a new EU licence is a hassle. Dunno bout them Klingons, but planet Erra has one Land Rover on it, beam-shipped over by one of our Plejaran visitors. see www.theyfly.com Guess the guy doesnt need a licence there.

[IMA_FARANG]

Has anybody obtained an International Drivers Licence issued by the International Automobile Assn based in Phuket? If so where have you used it.

I haven't used one, but I understand the liscense is good for any country except the country it is issued in.

Now, that said, each country can make it's own requirements for residents. So you might find that on moving to another country the IDP would be good only until you applied for a liscense in that country (i.e. good for first 30 days) in which you are expected to apply for and obtain the host's county liscence.

I do know that a friend of mine, German nationality, found his IDP was good in the USA to rent cars and drive as long as he was a tourist in the USA.

If he had moved there and settled down permanently in one state, he would have been required to obtain a liscense for that state. Different states had different lengths of time before he was required to have their liscense.

[Meerkat]

Hong Kong ID has expired, so valid HK drivers licence cannot be used to renew their international licence, as before. Now live in EU. HK licence can obtain 10 or 20 year Thai issued Int. licence. just wonderning if anybody has used one overseas. Of course you wont know if its any good till the cops stop you.

Am I understanding you correctly that I can get a 10/20 year IDP in Thailand with my HK license? I can only use it to get a 1 year IDP in HK, so the extra validity would be a bonus.

I have successfully rented cars in the UK (Avis) using my HK license with the IDP in spite of having a UK one. Did it that way only because my original UK license now looks like a mangy scrap of paper (and I haven't bothered to update it to one of the new types of UK license).

[Naam]

HK licence can obtain 10 or 20 year Thai issued Int. licence

a fake one yes. a real one NO!

[Meerkat]

a fake one yes. a real one NO!

Understood, thanks Naam!

If it seems too good to be true...

[thomast]

Lets see, I will go and see them tomorra, let u know the result...

[Priceless]

Hong Kong ID has expired, so valid HK drivers licence cannot be used to renew their international licence, as before. Now live in EU. HK licence can obtain 10 or 20 year Thai issued Int. licence. just wonderning if anybody has used one overseas. Of course you wont know if its any good till the cops stop you. Getting a new EU licence is a hassle. Dunno bout them Klingons, but planet Erra has one Land Rover on it, beam-shipped over by one of our Plejaran visitors. see www.theyfly.com Guess the guy doesnt need a licence there.

There are two kinds of International Driving Permits (IDPs):

- According to the convention of 1968, valid for three years

- According to the convention of 1949, valid for one year

Thailand has not ratified the convention of 1968 and consequently only accepts 1-year IDPs according to the earlier convention. I do not know, but very much doubt that you could get a three-year IDP based on your Thai Driver's License. A 10- or 20-year IDP (or a 37-year one, for that matter) is most certainly fake and has an actual validity of 0 days in all countries of the world

/ Priceless

[chickenslegs]

Has anybody obtained an International Drivers Licence issued by the International Automobile Assn based in Phuket? If so where have you used it.

Sorry if I have misunderstood you.

You have a current UK drivers licence (albeit a bit tatty) and you want to drive in europe.

To the best of my knowledge -

A UK licence is valid in all EU countries. You don't need an IDP.

You may have a slight problem if your address is different from that shown on the licence, as you should inform DVLA of the change.

The new type, photo ID licence is not compulsory and is only valid for one year anyway.

[chickenslegs]

Has anybody obtained an International Drivers Licence issued by the International Automobile Assn based in Phuket? If so where have you used it.

Sorry if I have misunderstood you.

You have a current UK drivers licence (albeit a bit tatty) and you want to drive in europe.

To the best of my knowledge -

A UK licence is valid in all EU countries. You don't need an IDP.

You may have a slight problem if your address is different from that shown on the licence, as you should inform DVLA of the change.

The new type, photo ID licence is not compulsory and is only valid for one year anyway.

Whoops - Sorry about this post - I got two previous posts mixed up.

[earlofwindermere]

I'm not so sure that it's fake. I know that there are places in North America that issue 10 year permits.

I'd like to know if Thomast got it... and if it was legit. Any news?

[Gaccha]

There is no such thing as an International Drivers Licence. Some of the above posters have implied this by referring to the International Drivers Permit.

This permit allows you in countries that recognise one issued in your home country to drive in their country if you have a valid drivers licence of that country. Which treaty regime they signed up to will determine how long it can be used (the expiry length of the permit is irrelevant).

So, for example, a UK citizen getting a permit in the USA is meaningless, if their licence is British. If you are British, but hold a Thai drivers licence, then you can get a Thai permit to use abroad.

Anyone disagree?

[Soutpeel]

There is no such thing as an International Drivers Licence. Some of the above posters have implied this by referring to the International Drivers Permit.

This permit allows you in countries that recognise one issued in your home country to drive in their country if you have a valid drivers licence of that country. Which treaty regime they signed up to will determine how long it can be used (the expiry length of the permit is irrelevant).

So, for example, a UK citizen getting a permit in the USA is meaningless, if their licence is British. If you are British, but hold a Thai drivers licence, then you can get a Thai permit to use abroad.

Anyone disagree?

No disagreement from me....your right 100%....these 5 year, 10 year things so called international licences are basically scams

[Cuban]

There are a couple of threads in the motoring forum detailing the difference between IDP and IDL.

Just looked at the web site selling these IDLs - about 5,500 baht for worthless paper, nice little earner.

I also note that the OP is now banned and this thread is three months old.