Thai Fiancee To Drive In Uk Unaccompanied ?

[Rolanddrums]

Hi guys, my thai fiancee has now ( following on from useful info by 7by7 ), just passed her 'first part' driving test in Thailand. This is a 1 year licence that has the word 'Temporary' on it. She can drive unaccompanied in Thailand now for 1 year, but my questions are related to what she can/cannot do in UK with this licence as she ( hopefully) will be coming to UK next month on a Fiancee Settlement Visa to live with me.

Q1 Can she drive in UK 'unaccompanied' for upto 1 year before she has to take a UK driving test? ie the same as she is now able to do in Thailand.

Q2 Does she need to apply for a UK ( provisional) licence before she can apply for/take her UK driving test?

Q3 Can she pay the 500 baht to get International license before we go to UK, or is that of no benefit for just driving in UK?

Thankyou in advance Roland

[Soutpeel]

Q3 No - you need a full 5 year thai license to get an international thai driving permit

Q2 - yes

Q1 - based on answers 1 & 2 - you need to talk to the licensing department in the UK to find out exactly what their opinon is

[7by7]

As it is a temporary licence, I'm afraid she cannot use it to drive in the UK, whether accompanied or not. To drive in the UK with a Thai licence it would need to be a full one.

Therefore, before she can drive in the UK she will need to get a UK provisional licence.

An IDP confers no rights in the UK that a full licence issued by a driver's home state doesn't already give.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

My advice is the quality of driving in Thailand is that poor i would encourage a very good life policy or get her to take the UK driving test at the earliest opportunity. I know this from first hand experience via my wife and her friends .

[Rolanddrums]

Thanks guys. I just looked on www.direct.gov.uk 'driving in GB on a foreign licence' ... Under the section for 'Visitors' it states the licence must be FULL to allow for 1 year 'unaccompanied', but under the next paragraph headed 'Residents' (which on a settlement visa here in uk I assume/hope she comes under), it says you only need an 'Ordinary' driving licence to allow one year unaccompanied/ no L Plates. Now I dont know exactly what the word 'ordinary' actually means in driving licences terminology , but they presumably do not mean 'Full license ' by this, or they would simply use the word 'Full' as they have in the above paragraph relating to visitors. ?

.....If anyone gets a chance have a read and see what you make of it.

ps yes i agree with getting her uk licence and test passed asap. Shes a natural tbh ..very fast on the 2 stroke karts...crazy about it ..mullers all but the best farangs.! (only 40kg helps haha)

Edited January 8, 2010 by Rolanddrums

[kennkate]

I think you should get her a couple of lessons with a driving School. That will give her an indication as to what is Required

Is her English very good? will she understand the Test examiner? It's not cheap for a driving test. No point taking it if she has no chance to pass.

32 MPH in a 30 Mph Limit will lead to a fail as will driving too slow. Not making proper progress Ect Ect Good Luck to her Fingers Crossed

[7by7]

I would recommend a lot more than a couple of lessons with an instructor. The best way to learn is to combine professional lessons with plenty of practice accompanied by a friend or relative.

Unfortunately, Thai is not one of the languages the theory test can be taken in. However, you may request that the questions be read to you in English or that the DSA provide an interpreter (you have to pay their fee).

You may take someone with you to the practical test to interpret, if necessary. You must request to do so when booking the test and if, during the test, the interpreter speaks other than to translate a direction from the examiner then the examiner will assume that you are being given advice or instruction and the test will be immediately abandoned.

Your driving instructor will be able to give more details.

[Rolanddrums]

hi, yes i intend to get a couple of prof lessons for her anyway + sitting in with me regularly. I have teached 3 people to drive in the past..all passed first time. To avoid arguements with 'student' I always say at this point you are not learning to 'drive' , you are learning to 'pass the test'.....seems to work. Still got the ocassional tantrum though. haha

Her english is very good, as long as people dont mumble/ talk crazy fast/ have very strong accent , she understands everything. I suppose as I cant guarantee examiner wont do any of those , I may well just decide to be that interpreter. Thanks again for the advice.

Edited January 9, 2010 by Rolanddrums

[skydiver77]

Before I became a resident in the LOS, my wife, then fiancee, came to visit me in the UK. I hired a car for touring in Scotland etc. and the leading name company had no problem with her as a named driver. She has a full Thai licence and has been driving for over 10yrs.

However due to the typical Thai mindset regarding driving, one should be aware of at least 2 potential problems that should be dealt with before taking to the road in the UK.

1. The reluctance of Thai drivers to stop at a zebra crossing, when pedestrians are hovering on the kerb.

2. If for example in the UK, you require to turn right at a crossroad and an oncoming driver flashes his lights at you. It means he is allowing you to turn across and into your intended road. But in Thailand......!

[ThaiVisaExpress]

My friends wife had a license and went for an assessment in the UK after ten minutes the instructor took over .

After a further fifty lessons and five tests she passed and she is now at the standard required.

This has happened regularly when talking to various people having a license in Thailand is no big deal you can even buy them.

[theoldgit]

1. The reluctance of Thai drivers to stop at a zebra crossing, when pedestrians are hovering on the kerb.

2. If for example in the UK, you require to turn right at a crossroad and an oncoming driver flashes his lights at you. It means he is allowing you to turn across and into your intended road. But in Thailand......!

Two very good examples, and is probably why when I booked a hire car via the internet for UK car hire the price doubled when I entered my Thai address.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Having witnessed the carnage and poor driving regularly including a taxi driver falling asleep whilst i was in the vehicle, lets just say i would rather walk sometimes the road from Bangkok to Pattaya is an eye opener to say the least.

[Brigante7]

My wife got her provisional license in May 2008 and started lessons straight away and was ready to take her practical test by July 2008 but first had to pass her theory test but hasn't bothered to sit her theory taste and has given up with the lessons. After trying a mock test online she realised that while she can read English fine, she has no concept of what the question means and with there being over 900 possible questions and answers it was to much for her to memorize. To be honest I'm quite happy about it because it would have cost me a fortune if she had passed her test, (Car, insurance, fuel etc).

Brigante7.

[frankthetank]

from the Direct.gov website:

Visitors

Provided your full licence or driving permit remains valid, you may drive vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and with up to eight passenger seats, for up to 12 months from the date of coming to GB. However, you may only drive large vehicles which have been registered outside GB and which you have driven into the country.

]Residents

If you are the holder of an ordinary driving licence (car, moped, motorcycle entitlement) and provided your licence remains valid, you can drive any category of small vehicle shown on your licence for up to 12 months from the time you became resident. To ensure continuous driving entitlement a provisional GB licence must have been obtained and a driving test(s) passed before the 12-month period elapses. If you obtain a provisional licence during this period, you are not subject to provisional licence conditions eg displaying 'L' plates or being supervised by a qualified driver or being precluded from motorways.

However, if you do not pass a test within the 12-month concessionary period you will not be allowed to drive as a full licence holder and provisional licence conditions will apply. If you do not apply for a provisional licence within the first 12 months you must stop driving and obtain a British provisional licence with a view to passing a driving test. Provisional licence conditions will then apply.

Does not actually state if it is a temporary licence, just 'ordinary' as in the category is car, motocy, etc.

Edited January 10, 2010 by frankthetank

[7by7]

The DirectGov pages do only give a summery of the regulations, and 'ordinary' in this context does mean full as opposed to provisional or temporary. If you use the 'driving in GB' interactive tool it will bring you to this page where it says

you can drive in Great Britain (GB) on your full, valid driving licence for up to 12 months from the time you first became resident

(my emphasis)

Of course, to use a foreign licence in the UK it must be valid. Whatever class or type of licence, once it has expired it can no longer be used in the UK.

[chris22]

It is not possible to drive on a tempory licence and if it was a full one you must take a driving test and pass within one year of arrival in the UK .

As stated you must also pass the theory and Hazard test 50 questions in theory 43 to pass then Hazard straight after.

Also the UK Driving test is scheduled to change in October 2010 sorry cannot give you full details of the change yet as we havent been informed but it will be harder.

The currant test is very hard with an averidge pass rate of 43% aprox 1.25 million tests per year.

Biggest reason for failure is not being prepaired any one from a non English speaking country normally require a lot of lessons to get an idea of what is required have taught many Thai people to drive and its the rules and regulations that take a long time for them to comprehend.

Also remember when you get your Provisional licence you are classified as a learner and loose your right to drive on your own and require some one that is over 21 and has held a full licence for 3 Years,something that people forget.

If i can be of any further use please pm me i am a Qualifled Driving Instructor.