Driving

[halfpast_2]

can anybody help please. i am on a tourist visa (60days) at present and want to drive, is there anyway of getting a international driving from in thailand. i have my uk licence at the moment. can anybody advise.

[Spellbound]

Easy, just go to Avis terminal 2 arrivals at the airport. thay will rent you a car. I have done it loads of times without a I.L.

But, be aware if you get stopped by the police in BKK, they will want to see a I.L. (be prepared to pay 2000thb) that is the fine, you may get away with 500 if you have a Thai with you who is nice to them. (never ask for a reciept).

Out in the sticks, it ain't a problem if you get stopped, they won't ask to see a I.L.

[Axel]

An international driving licence issued in Thailand is not valid inside the country. One issued in the UK is accepted by all but the insurance companies in case of an accident. If your visa is a non-immigrant you can get a Thai - licence by presenting resident-cert. issued by the UK-embassy, (This is just a form confirming that you stay at so-and-so address), passport incl. photocopy, UK-licence incl. copy, two (small pictures) You will have to "pass" a test which consists of identifying 3 colours. I did this before and got my Thai-licence (valid for one year) within 90 minutes. The price for the licence is Baht 105, the test should cost extra. The offices are located all around Bangkok, in charge depending where you stay.

[snowwolf]

Hahaha...

seriously though how many Thais actually have licences? Why bother? You don't need one. A good Thai friend of mine who is quite rich and owns 3 cars has never bothered getting one. I asked her why, and she said there's no point in wasting money on a useless piece of floppy plastic which no police officer is ever going to check anyway. If this all sounds very naive, then consider these points: when was a motorist there ever stopped for speeding? How many people even know what the speed limit is on say, Vibhavadi Rangsit rd? I've done 150k per hour there, and even more on the elevated tollway, and despite the fact that Bangkok with its elevated roadways indeed looks very modern, it still has a very basic licencing and infringement system. Don't get me wrong, but just like my friend (who I doubt has ever worn a seatbelt in her life!) half of all Thais never seem to bother with them, and I suspect the same can be said about getting licences.

I have an international one, but I ain't gonna bother carrying it with me, unless its already in the car somewhere.....the idea of the whole thing in Thailand just makes me laugh!!

[pnustedt]

I'm afraid that I don't know where in Bkk you can obtain a valid intl licence. You can hire a car on any English language licence from the major rental co's.

The problem starts if you have a major problem, i.e. you have an accident. Your insurance policy will state that that you are covered if you have a valid driving licence (which you will not!).

The accident will be your fault (if you were not there on an illegal licence the accident would not have happened). Take care and pray for good luck!

[keestha]

Snowwolf,

I dont know about Bangkok, but here upcountry where I live, I was stopped often enough at police checkpoints, and not having a valid drivers licence and sometimes even not wearing a safety belt would most likely cost you some money.

[KenUdon]

when was a motorist there ever stopped for speeding?

snowwolf :- I have been stopped and fined TWICE for speeding out in the sticks, on a fast dual carriageway road. Once at 100kms/hr once at 120kms/hr. Both times I had to show my Thai licence, and one time when I had misplaced it, it took some very fast talking from my Thai wife to avoid being taken to the police station, even though the licence did appear in the end.

You can not pretend that what the Thais do, and get away with, will be the same for you. Try claiming on your insurance without a Thai Licence!! They will laugh at you.

[PREM-R]

The so called 'International Driving Licence' is infact a driving 'permit' it is not a licence in its own right and is only valid when used in conjunction with a valid, full licence, from the drivers own country. If you are disqualified from driving in say the UK and you are in Thailand using an international permit you are driving illegally,( you may not encounter any problems until there is an accident, then watch the sh#t hit the fan when the insurance decline to pay up.)

 The International driving permit is is available in UK at selected post offices and also from the AA, it is valid for one year and is not valid in the country in which it is issued.  In order to puchase an international permit you have to show your full driving licence, so if you are disqualified you will not get one. ( I have heard of people who are shortly to be disqualified for 'totting up' or 'drink driving', getting an international permit  just before they lose their licence so they can  drive whilst abroad, this is not legal but is a problem only if you get 'pulled' by the cops or have an accident)   :cool:

[jayenram]

I've been driving in Thailand for 4 years on a british licence (the old paper one). I've been stopped by police on 2 or 3 occasions and they were not unhappy with the licence. I've had one insurance claim and although the assessor had to first check with his head office on the validity of my licence, the claim was quickly settled.

Maybe I've been lucky.

[PK2]

Last time I looked http://www.theaa.com/getaway/idp/motidp002.html allowed you to apply for IDP online. They will mail to Thailand for just over 5UKP. Took about 2 weeks to get mine.

[base1]

I've been driving in Thailand for 4 years on a british licence (the old paper one). I've been stopped by police on 2 or 3 occasions and they were not unhappy with the licence.

After a decade or so of driving in LOS using a UK licence together with a legit Int. permit (renewed annually) I finally got around to getting a Thai DL. No test required - 60 mins later in my hand - no problem.

However, this was not because the Int. perm is not valid in Thailand if one was to have an accident as some peeps wrongly say, but more because (and as jayenram rightly points out) the rossers here are not used to seeing such a daft looking DL as the old style UK type. For those who don't know its a folded piece of paper about 2ft x 2ft in size! ...and incidentally the permit is not much better in design either.

For the record, my motor insurance company have stated many times (in writing) that the insurance is 100% valid regardless whether using an Int. permit or UK licence.

[KenUdon]

base1

You can not generalise about these things. The licensing office I went to did not recognise a UK licence, and as they had never done a licence for a UK person before, they made me take a test.

Also, several insurance companies have also refused to be drawn on the legality of a UK/International permit, so you can guess what would happen if you tried to make a claim.

[Maigo6]

base1

You can not generalise about these things. The licensing office I went to did not recognise a UK licence, and as they had never done a licence for a UK person before, they made me take a test.

Also, several insurance companies have also refused to be drawn on the legality of a UK/International permit, so you can guess what would happen if you tried to make a claim.

A guy i know that rents out cars, he will only rent to farangs with Thai Driving licenses, cos in the insurance it stipulates in small print   Current   'Thai Driving licence'    An international is not that. Reason being, someone had a smash in a car of his, the insurance refused to pay. I guess it depends on the company.

[Axel]

The international driving licence is a bit of a tricky story.

What I gathered from application forms abroad and from bits and pieces on the net, there are various treaties

Convention on Motor Traffic (Paris, 24 April 1926)

Convention on Road Traffic (Geneva, 19 September 1949)

Convention on Road Traffic (Vienna, 8 November 1968)

Thailand joined the 1949 Convention and issues the 1949 International Driving Permit. You can get one in BKK if you have a Thai-licence, for driving outside of Thailand.

Any 1949 International Driving Permit issued by other contracting parties is valid in Thailand.

Thailand, however, does not issue the 1968 International Driving Permit, v.v. will not accept the 1968-licences.

Having said above, the 1949-licences, and this means licences issued in accordance to

the above mentioned Convention not in 1949 (JOKE), are valid. Bear in mind, the int'l permit is only valid TOGETHER

with the national licence of the issuing country.

Now, explain above to a police-officer on the road, who claims your licence is not valid.

Or explain it to an insurance company, who might or might not have a reference in the (Thai-language)

small print to the effect that the insured person must have a Thai-licence.

(I am not a lawyer, but if somebody got a written confirmation contradicting the actual policy such confirmation is not be valid.)

To cut it short, get a Thai licence, it's easy to obtain and you save yourself a lot of headaches.

It's small (credit-card-size) and might get you out of trouble if your forgot to carry your passport. No guarantee.

It might help you to get Thai-prices for double-prized places.

Once you go home, i's a nice souvenir for your photo-album.

What happens in LoS in practise is a different story. I could imagine somebody prefers to show a police officer an international licence or even surrender it. The fee to replace it at home might be lower than the fine waiting for you. Don't quote me on this.

[Willie]

Someone once told me that if you are on a Non-Im Visa, which is then extended for 12 months with a re-entry permit & continues to be extended every 12mths after that, then the home driving license/Intl permit combination is no longer accepted after the first 12 months, cause they want you to get a Thai Driving License?

Has anyone come across this one before??

[Axel]

Someone once told me that if you are on a Non-Im Visa, which is then extended for 12 months ......

get a Thai Driving License?

Has anyone come across this one before??

Yes, indirectly. I was once caught in Switzerland driving with a non-Swiss licence after having lived there for 3 years.

The traffic court banned me for 1 month from driving and ordered me to test for a Swiss licence. The prosecutor adv. that being resident for more than 1 year made me driving without a valid licence, wherefore I could not change it anymore into a Swiss licence.

I could not find any reference at the moment for Thailand, but it makes sense, once you become a resident (living here over 1 year under a non-imm visa) you must get a local licence. btw, your embassy would confirm this, as mine did. I asked them to change my country's local licence into a new form. Refused, because I live in Thailand and "therefore the Thai authorities are in charge".

Living in Thailand and going home: At least in EU-countries you can translate the Thai-Licence into one of the EU-languages and subsequently can drive legally for 183 days, before you have to obtain a local licence.

[base1]

base1

You can not generalise about these things. The licensing office I went to did not recognise a UK licence...

KenUdon yes you're right I shouldn't generalise... but I can go by my own experiences and confirm I have had a couple of claims (not serious) over the years and no problems with either whilst still on the Int. permit.

Anyway, I got a Thai one too now - smaller and more convenient :cool:

[KenUdon]

base1

Sounds as if you have a good insurance company. Might pay you to stick with them too. Some dodgy ones around.  ::

[Thaibel]

As far as i have heard from Belgium officials is that as long as you are in Thailand on a tourist visa you can use an international driving license issued from your own country of origin.

If you are in Thailand on a Non-imm visa and a so called long stayer you are supposed to have a driving license issued from Los, in case of a serious accident you will not longer be protected by insurance with an international driving license.

They have told it to me this way, it makes sense but how far officials and insurance companies will go in case of a real serious accident i dont know, maybe some forum members have experience with it.

Im lucky i have my thai driver license, for a small 105 baht, it can save you a lot of trouble if it ever happen.

[greg67]

<font color='#000000'>

when was a motorist there ever stopped for speeding?

snowwolf :- I have been stopped and fined TWICE for speeding out in the sticks, on a fast dual carriageway road. Once at 100kms/hr once at 120kms/hr. Both times I had to show my Thai licence, and one time when I had misplaced it, it took some very fast talking from my Thai wife to avoid being taken to the police station, even though the licence did appear in the end.

You can not pretend that what the Thais do, and get away with, will be the same for you. Try claiming on your insurance without a Thai Licence!! They will laugh at you.</font>

I was reimbursed 100% on my insurance claim with Virayath based on my International Driving Permit issued in Florida. I never had a Thai DL.