pingping Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 A couple of years ago I went to hire a car in Europe and showed my thai license (only one I possess) but they would not except it . Has anyone had similar problems? Where does one apply to get an international Driving license in Thailand? THanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave2 Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 i went to england in may and forgot my english licence was with my bike rental company in chiang mai when i tried to hire a car off quite a large firm i showed them my thai licence , they said no problem and put me down as a tourist . me ... a tourist ? ... in my own country : ) ten minits later i drove away dave2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miatai Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 (edited) drove around southeast asia and canada and usa without a hitch, without the thai international one too. rented a car in australia with the thai driving licence in sydney and was marked down as a tourist also like other reader here, though i am a tourist in australia for sure. in fact, was stop on highway in australia for licence check and when the traffic cop saw my thai driving licence, he was surprised if not impressed by the high quality of the card. his comment is one accolade for thailand and guess who who started this new card rolling out of thailand. Edited September 13, 2009 by miatai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getgoin Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Just got back from the US and used my Thai license to rent a car. I did have an International License issued right here in Chiang Mai and although I brought it out they seemed to not want it. I would, however, suggest you get the International License. Took about 1/2 hour at DMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earlofwindermere Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 I agree. The new driver's licence is high standard. We had no problem using it in the US and Canada this past summer. Like others, they recorded us as tourists when renting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Just get an Thai international license done at the transport dept on the Hang Dong road. Rental companies in the US and Canada accept those, probably in Europe they would too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgriffith Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 I just got back from a brief visit in the US. Rented a car from Alamo at LAX with my Thai licence- no problem. Actually got a preferential rate from them for foreign residents holding a current, valid foreign driver licence. On a humorous note, I was asked for my DL in a Target store in Orange County, CA. I was buying a 1.5L jug of wine for myself. Apparently Target has a corporate policy to swipe the DL of anyone buying alcohol (perhaps to transfer to minors). Gave the cashier my Thai 5 yr mag strip DL, he swiped it....and it shut down the register (and I think their IT store system- not set up for Unicode ). Lots of pandemonium and rushing about by managers, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Awesome!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeaceBlondie Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 griff, I'll try that next year in Brownsville Texas and say in Chilango Spanish better than the border Texans, "Now I live in Thailand; in the past I lived 1,100 miles south of here." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolf5370 Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Just get an Thai international license done at the transport dept on the Hang Dong road. Rental companies in the US and Canada accept those, probably in Europe they would too. Yep Winnie, I can confirm they accept in the UK, A Thai friend of mine uses his in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berit Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 A couple of years ago I went to hire a car in Europe and showed my thai license (only one I possess) but they would not except it . Has anyone had similar problems? Where does one apply to get an international Driving license in Thailand? THanks in advance I hired a car in Holland last year, and in Sweden this year. No problem at all !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farma Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 You may be able to rent a car on a Thai license but check on the rules for that country. When I asked the question as a long term expat living overseas about driving in Australia on an overseas license, the Queensland police informed me an Australian national must use an Australian license when driving in Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mapguy Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 I just got back from a brief visit in the US.Rented a car from Alamo at LAX with my Thai licence- no problem. Actually got a preferential rate from them for foreign residents holding a current, valid foreign driver licence. On a humorous note, I was asked for my DL in a Target store in Orange County, CA. I was buying a 1.5L jug of wine for myself. Apparently Target has a corporate policy to swipe the DL of anyone buying alcohol (perhaps to transfer to minors). Gave the cashier my Thai 5 yr mag strip DL, he swiped it....and it shut down the register (and I think their IT store system- not set up for Unicode ). Lots of pandemonium and rushing about by managers, etc. Veeeeeeeerrry funny! Stay loose, folks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackArtemis Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Only for shits and giggles when getting checked for ID here in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boksida Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 You may be able to rent a car on a Thai license but check on the rules for that country.When I asked the question as a long term expat living overseas about driving in Australia on an overseas license, the Queensland police informed me an Australian national must use an Australian license when driving in Australia. They may have been bluffing. A couple of years ago I rented a car in Queensland and got booked for DUI and speeding. All this was done on a Thai license without a word of English on it and the only identification is a photo taken over 20 years ago when the license was issued and none of this was questioned. The rule turned out to be that a non resident can drive on a valid overseas license for a period of 6 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEENTHEREDONETHAT Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 You may be able to rent a car on a Thai license but check on the rules for that country.When I asked the question as a long term expat living overseas about driving in Australia on an overseas license, the Queensland police informed me an Australian national must use an Australian license when driving in Australia. But Queensland will not issue you a license unless you have a valid Qld address. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldgit Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 On a slightly related topic I recently needed a car in the UK for four days, I booked on-line with Hertz and was quoted a rate of £74, this was confirmed when I collected the car. When I returned the car the price had gone up to £125, "because I lived in Thailand and had a Thai licence", as I had the confirmation they did actually honour the lower price, but certainly no mention of a lower tourist rate that others have experienced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgriffith Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 You may be able to rent a car on a Thai license but check on the rules for that country.When I asked the question as a long term expat living overseas about driving in Australia on an overseas license, the Queensland police informed me an Australian national must use an Australian license when driving in Australia. You are probably correct on this observation. Had I been stopped for some infraction by the CHP or some local police or sheriff in California, and had they not accepted my Thai driver licence (meaning it meant I would have been hauled off to the lockup)....I would have whipped out my current Nevada DL, valid till Oct 2010. However, when that one (NV) expires, I have no intention of renewing it, as I live here full time now. I am not sure exactly if there is an accord between the US and Thailand re: DL's. The "International Driving Permit", issued by many automobile associations worldwide, is confused by many as a "licence". It is not. It is simply a certification by your local home state, or province, or district private automobile club (not a gov't entity) that you hold a current valid driver licence. Period. It alone is not a licence to drive in a foreign country. IMHO, a valid Thai 5 yr. mag strip licence should work just fine to drive back home in the US during a brief visit. Not sure about UK and EU or AUS.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackr Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Something tells me the world would be a safer place if Thai licenses weren't accepted overseas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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