Riding Motorbikes In Phuket

[petercallen]

Under thai law a tourist riding a motorcycle in phuket must have a license from there home country and a international driving license stating they are qualified to ride a motorcycle, an expat living here legally can get a thai driving license, you can also get an international driving license in phuket valid for 10 or 20 years which cannot be legal as in most countrys they are issued for 1 year with a current photo attached. They will always rent you a motorcycle here and dont care if you are qualified to ride it or not and the bikes are not insured. If you damage the bike you will be charged for the repairs at 10 or 20 times what the repair costs and if they are holding your passport as security unless you can get a local to negotiate the price down you will have to pay. BERWARE BEWARE

[nicholasmerwood]

I've been pulled over by cops countless times, just got an ozzy drivers lisence (no international drivers lisence), they check under my seat, to see if I'm carrying anything suspicious, check my lisence, and then wave me through. Never been fined. This is a scooter though, is that included in the above criteria?

[KarenBravo]

Never, never, NEVER give your passport as assurance.

If they don't accept a photo-copy, find another renter.

[petercallen]

I've been pulled over by cops countless times, just got an ozzy drivers lisence (no international drivers lisence), they check under my seat, to see if I'm carrying anything suspicious, check my lisence, and then wave me through. Never been fined. This is a scooter though, is that included in the above criteria?

Most Thai police cannot read English, the law applys to any type of licensed road vehicle, if you get in any sort of problem you could find out the hard way.

[Phuketscooter]

Everything easy. Just here for 3 month or less, have a international driverlicense.

Staying longer, get a Thai driver license. This is for everything you drive. Even a scooter. I have two licenses, one for motorbike and one for a car.

The first licens last for one year. Next time, you can get one that last for five years.

[LivinLOS]

I've been pulled over by cops countless times, just got an ozzy drivers lisence (no international drivers lisence), they check under my seat, to see if I'm carrying anything suspicious, check my lisence, and then wave me through. Never been fined. This is a scooter though, is that included in the above criteria?

Most Thai police cannot read English, the law applys to any type of licensed road vehicle, if you get in any sort of problem you could find out the hard way.

Actually I understand the Oz license is legal thanks to its ASEAN membership. Same as a Malay doesnt need an IDP either..

The 10 and 20 year ones being sold are the IDL scam.. A quick google explains the difference.

[petercallen]

I've been pulled over by cops countless times, just got an ozzy drivers lisence (no international drivers lisence), they check under my seat, to see if I'm carrying anything suspicious, check my lisence, and then wave me through. Never been fined. This is a scooter though, is that included in the above criteria?

Most Thai police cannot read English, the law applys to any type of licensed road vehicle, if you get in any sort of problem you could find out the hard way.

Actually I understand the Oz license is legal thanks to its ASEAN membership. Same as a Malay doesnt need an IDP either..

The 10 and 20 year ones being sold are the IDL scam.. A quick google explains the difference.

Unless its a recent arrangement the australian license is not valid in thailand the same as a thai license is not valid in australia without an international license issued in thailand, the new style thai license is valid in some asian countrys.

[ScubaBuddha]

There is no such thing as a ligitamate international drivers license. These are 100% scams. Bits of paper and plastic used to separate fools from their money. And the international driving permit is widely misunderstood. They are largely a scam as well, . The ones that aren't entirely a scam are grossly misrepresented as to their purpose and the rights they provide. Even "legitimate" IDP's give you no additional right to drive anywhere, are not legally required anywhere, although you will find claims to the contrary in the internets. IDP's are simply translations of your drivers license from your home country into 10 additional languages, (French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, German and Arabic) to make it easier if you need to use it in the country you are visiting, nothing more. They are very popular because people are tricked into thinking they need them because they just don't understand them. There is even an advert to one of the scam sites a few posts above this post on this very Thai Visa page you are reading!

As long as your home country and the country you are visiting are signatories to the 1929, 49 or 68 UN Conventions on Road Traffic, your drivers license is by definition already an international drivers license/permit.

Participating countries:

• Afghanistan
  
• Albania
  
• Algeria
  
• Andorra
  
• Angola
  
• Anguilla
  
• Antigua and Barbuda
  
• Argentina
  
• Armenia
  
• Aruba
  
• Australia
  
• Austria
  
• Azerbaijan
  
• Bahamas
  
• Bahrain
  
• Bangladesh
  
• Barbados
  
• Belarus
  
• Belgium
  
• Belize
  
• Benin
  
• Bhutan
  
• Bolivia
  
• Botswana
  
• Brunei Darussalam
  
• Bulgaria
  
• Burkina Faso
  
• Cambodia
  
• Cameroon
  
• Canada
  
• Cape Verde
  
• Cayman Islands
  
• Central African Republic
  
• Chad
  
• Chile
  
• Colombia
  
• Comoros
  
• Republic of the Congo
  
• Congo, the Democratic Republic of the
  
• Costa Rica
  
• Côte d'Ivoire
  
• Croatia
  
• Cuba
  
• Cyprus
  
• Czech Republic
  
• Denmark
  
• Djibouti
  
• Dominica
  
• Dominican Republic
  
• Ecuador
  
• Egypt
  
• El Salvador
  
• Equatorial Guinea
  
• Estonia
  
• Fiji
  
• Finland
  
• France
  
• French Guiana
  
• French Polynesia
  
• French Southern Territories
  
• Gabon
  
• The Gambia
  
• Georgia
  
• Germany
  
• Ghana
  
• Gibraltar
  

• Greece
  
• Greenland
  
• Grenada
  
• Guadeloupe
  
• Guam
  
• Guatemala
  
• Guernsey
  
• Guinea
  
• Guinea-Bissau
  
• Guyana
  
• Haiti
  
• Holy See (Vatican City State)
  
• Honduras
  
• Hong Kong
  
• Hungary
  
• Iceland
  
• India
  
• Indonesia
  
• Iran, Islamic Republic of
  
• Ireland
  
• Isle of Man
  
• Israel
  
• Italy
  
• Jamaica
  
• Japan
  
• Jersey
  
• Jordan
  
• Kazakhstan
  
• Kenya
  
• Korea, Republic of
  
• Kuwait
  
• Kyrgyzstan
  
• Lao People's Democratic Republic
  
• Latvia
  
• Lebanon
  
• Lesotho
  
• Liberia
  
• Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
  
• Liechtenstein
  
• Lithuania
  
• Luxembourg
  
• Macao
  
• Madagascar
  
• Malawi
  
• Malaysia
  
• Mali
  
• Malta
  
• Mauritania
  
• Mauritius
  
• Mexico
  
• Moldova, Republic of
  
• Monaco
  
• Montenegro
  
• Montserrat
  
• Morocco
  
• Mozambique
  
• Myanmar
  
• Namibia
  
• Nepal
  
• Netherlands
  
• Netherlands Antilles
  
• New Caledonia
  
• New Zealand
  
• Nicaragua
  
• Niger
  
• Norway
  

• Oman
  
• Pakistan
  
• Panama
  
• Papua New Guinea
  
• Paraguay
  
• Peru
  
• Philippines
  
• Poland
  
• Portugal
  
• Puerto Rico
  
• Qatar
  
• Réunion
  
• Romania
  
• Russian Federation
  
• Rwanda
  
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
  
• Saint Lucia
  
• Saint Martin (French part)
  
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  
• Samoa
  
• San Marino
  
• Sao Tome and Principe
  
• Saudi Arabia
  
• Senegal
  
• Serbia
  
• Seychelles
  
• Sierra Leone
  
• Singapore
  
• Slovakia
  
• Slovenia
  
• South Africa
  
• Spain
  
• Sri Lanka
  
• Sudan
  
• Suriname
  
• Svalbard and Jan Mayen
  
• Swaziland
  
• Sweden
  
• Switzerland
  
• Syrian Arab Republic
  
• Taiwan
  
• Tajikistan
  
• Tanzania, United Republic of
  
• Thailand
  
• Togo
  
• Trinidad and Tobago
  
• Tunisia
  
• Turkey
  
• Turkmenistan
  
• Uganda
  
• Ukraine
  
• United Arab Emirates
  
• United Kingdom
  
• United States
  
• United States Minor Outlying Islands
  
• Uzbekistan
  
• Venezuela
  
• Viet Nam
  
• Virgin Islands, British
  
• Virgin Islands, U.S.
  
• Western Sahara
  
• Yemen
  
• Zambia
  
• Zimbabwe
  

In practice, Thai police don't look closely, don't care and/or can't read the foriegn language. (Certainly none of the 10 other languages on the IDP) I have used my California license here many times before I had a motorcycle endorsement on it and was always waved through, even when I was on a big bike. I have friends that continue to use expired licenses from back home with no problem. One even uses an I.D. card that isn't even a drivers license!! I don't recommend that, but an IDP's are mostly scams and an absolute waste of money, and IDL's are 100% scams.

Sources:

http://www.bluesheepdog.com/2007/10/30/int...-legit-or-scam/

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news03/drivers.html (Ironicly many links to IDP's on that page as well)

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/license.asp

Good example of IDL scam website. For a laugh be sure to check out the "Homeland Security calls our IDL Exemplary" link.

http://www.internationaldriverspermit.com/

Are people really this gullible?

Edited August 26, 2009 by Scubabuddha

[ScubaBuddha]

I forgot to add on exception, Hertz in China requires IDP only if your drivers license isn't already in English or Chinese.

And by law only AAA and NAC can issue IDP's in the states. Less than $10. But like I said, they are not necessary nor required, only a convenience.

Edited August 26, 2009 by Scubabuddha

[petercallen]

Yes you are right it is an international driving permit not a license, i prefer to listen to the Australian automobile association a group of none profit clubs like the royal automobile club in western Australia, if you are living long term it is not hard to get a Thai license, why use an id card or a out of date license, if you are staying legally in thailand its no problem to get one.

[LivinLOS]

Unless its a recent arrangement the australian license is not valid in thailand the same as a thai license is not valid in australia without an international license issued in thailand, the new style thai license is valid in some asian countrys.

Yes recent within last couple of years and under the same rules as the new 'english thai photocard'..

Interestingly someone recently checked with the DVLA in the UK who said they will accept a Thai driving license for 6 months without IDP. Thats information posted on a forum not checked myself but I was a bit shocked.