Use Thai Driving License To Get International License?

[HalfSquat]

If someone from say, USA, AUS or UK only driving license is a Thai one can they then apply for an international license and then drive fully legally in anyone of those countries or will a local license have to be aquired at some point?

Thanks.

[silverhawk_usa]

An International license is NOT valid in the country you live. I am an American, but I live in Thailand, have a Thai drivers license, my passport shows I have been here for some time. My U.S. license expired years ago. Therefore I can, and have, driven in the U.S. with my Thai International License because I can show I live in Thailand. I also rented a car there with it.

The question for you is, where do you really live? If you can show without a doubt that you live in Thailand, you should not have a problem using it in one the countries you mention. If you push it on how long you try use it in another country, they may not believe you. Also, the International License is only valid for one year regardless.

[thaicbr]

Also note that you can only get the international permit IF you have a Thai 5 year licence. you cannot get it on a 1 year.

[silverhawk_usa]

Also note that you can only get the international permit IF you have a Thai 5 year licence. you cannot get it on a 1 year.

Good info. I wasn't aware of that. I would also bet that if you are driving on an International License in your "home" country (not Thailand) and your license in that country had previously been revoked or suspended, they would not look too kindly on the International license. I think it would be quite apparent you were trying to beat the system, so to speak. As the OP asks, long term, a valid license would have to be obtained at some point.

[ScubaBuddha]

An International license is NOT valid in the country you live. I am an American, but I live in Thailand, have a Thai drivers license, my passport shows I have been here for some time. My U.S. license expired years ago. Therefore I can, and have, driven in the U.S. with my Thai International License because I can show I live in Thailand. I also rented a car there with it.

The question for you is, where do you really live? If you can show without a doubt that you live in Thailand, you should not have a problem using it in one the countries you mention. If you push it on how long you try use it in another country, they may not believe you. Also, the International License is only valid for one year regardless.

Yes all correct. There usually a time limit for how long you can drive on a foreign license. And the reason why an international "license" (or international drivers permit "IDP" to be more accurate) is not valid in the country you are residing (such as Thailand in the case of silverhawk and most of us reading this) is because the IDP is just a translation of your current license of the country you are residing (Thailand). It would be redundant because you are required to have a valid DL before getting the IDP, and you must keep and present your DL and IDP together when driving in a foreign country. It doesn't matter where you are a citizen, it only matters where you are a resident.

Some places don't even require an IDP, like California actually states on their website that they don't accept IDP's, but that your valid ID from your resident country is sufficient. Several other states are the same.

[ScubaBuddha]

Some places don't even require an IDP, like California actually states on their website that they don't accept IDP's, but that your valid ID from your resident country is sufficient. Several other states are the same.

Correction: Meant to say. "your valid DL from your resident country is sufficient."

[HalfSquat]

Thanks for the replies.

Where do I really live? A good question I am not sure the answer of!

[Bobr]

An International license is NOT valid in the country you live. I am an American, but I live in Thailand, have a Thai drivers license, my passport shows I have been here for some time. My U.S. license expired years ago. Therefore I can, and have, driven in the U.S. with my Thai International License because I can show I live in Thailand. I also rented a car there with it.

The question for you is, where do you really live? If you can show without a doubt that you live in Thailand, you should not have a problem using it in one the countries you mention. If you push it on how long you try use it in another country, they may not believe you. Also, the International License is only valid for one year regardless.

Renting a car when I go back home to visit in the USA is my greatest concern. You said you've rented in the USA with your International license, have you had any difficulty, or was has it been simple to rent? My California license expires this year and I will not be there to renew it, but I'll need to rent a car when I go there to visit. Thank you.

[ScubaBuddha]

Renting a car when I go back home to visit in the USA is my greatest concern. You said you've rented in the USA with your International license, have you had any difficulty, or was has it been simple to rent? My California license expires this year and I will not be there to renew it, but I'll need to rent a car when I go there to visit. Thank you.

To avoid confusion, you should really avoid using the term "International License" as there really is no such thing, although some unscrupulous internet sites may claim otherwise. Again, an IDP is the correct term and is just your current DL translated into several languages.

Check the policy of the rental company you are using. With Hertz, for example, your Thai license, if you live in Thailand, is acceptable. You don't need an IDP because it is already in English. (Unless you have one of the old ones that is in Thai only)

An acceptable, valid driver's license issued from your country of residence must be presented at the time of rental. The driver's license must be valid for the entire rental period. If the driver's license is in a language other than English, and the rental is in the United States, an International Driver's Permit is recommended. In all cases, a valid driver's license issued from your home country must be provided, whether or not you possess an International Driver's Permit. You will not be allowed to rent a Hertz vehicle with only an International Driver's Permit.

source:https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/byr/index.jsp?targetPage=rentalQualificationsView.jsp&KEYWORD=LICENSE

That last bit about not being able to rent solely with an International Drivers Permit is there because a lot of companies, like the one advertised in the banner here on Thaivisa are issuing very authentic looking cards along with the IDP translation, which they aren't allowed to issue anyway because IDP's can only be issued by an authorized auto club or government agency, but they get away with it because people don't know better and there doesn't appear to be any entity to enforce the UN Traffic Act which governs IDP's. IDP's purchased online may work fine for you in most cases, but they are technically not real and cost many times what a real one cost from the auto club or your country's DMV. Sorry if this is more information than you were asking for, but I thought it was relevant.

And FYI you can renew your California license online for $31, if you qualify. Very easy and took me 5 minutes. You need to get a renewal identification number 1st though. It will be with the notice sent to whatever address DMV has for you, but I am sure if you qualify you can call them or email them to get a renewal ID number.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/online/dlrbi/dl_top2.htm

[silverhawk_usa]

You can get a "translation" of your Thai License at the Land Transport Office. I did that before going to the States, and the car rental company was more interested in that than the IDP. As stated above, with the new Thai license, that may not be necessary.

If I remember correctly from many years ago when I had an American issued IDP, it stated right on it that it must be presented along with a valid drivers license.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

An International license is NOT valid in the country you live. I am an American, but I live in Thailand, have a Thai drivers license, my passport shows I have been here for some time. My U.S. license expired years ago. Therefore I can, and have, driven in the U.S. with my Thai International License because I can show I live in Thailand. I also rented a car there with it.

The question for you is, where do you really live? If you can show without a doubt that you live in Thailand, you should not have a problem using it in one the countries you mention. If you push it on how long you try use it in another country, they may not believe you. Also, the International License is only valid for one year regardless.

Renting a car when I go back home to visit in the USA is my greatest concern. You said you've rented in the USA with your International license, have you had any difficulty, or was has it been simple to rent? My California license expires this year and I will not be there to renew it, but I'll need to rent a car when I go there to visit. Thank you.

Bobr

I had similar problem last year when visiting Oregon, my Oregon DL had expired. I checked their DMV www site and found that my Thai license was good in Oregon. In any case, I arrived on a Friday, got new photos, and renewed my Oregon DL on Monday. At least had the Thai license over the weekend.

Looks like California is about the same.

Mac

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm

International Driving Permits

The State of California does not recognize an International Driving Permit (IDP) as a valid driver license. California does recognize a valid driver license that is issued by a foreign jurisdiction (country, state, territory) of which the license holder is a resident.

The IDP is only a translation of information contained on a person’s foreign driver license and is not required to operate a motor vehicle in California. Citations issued to a person in California who has an IDP, but does not have a California driver license will be placed on the Department of Motor Vehicle database.

The IDP is also called an International Driver License, International License, etc.

For more information about travel and driver licensing requirements outside of the US, visit the US State Department Road Safety Overseas website at: http://travel.state.gov/road_safety.html