If a Thai wishes to drive in UK do they require an International Driving Licence and if so how can they get one here in Thailand?

http://www.justlanded.com/english/UK/UK-Guide/Travel-Leisure/Driving-licences

No disrespect but i think a Thai would need driving lessons before driving in the uk

No disrespect but i think a Thai would need driving lessons before driving in the uk

that's probably lifesaving advice given the driving habits one picks up here!

Basically the same both drive on the left should be ok when somebody is pulling out from a side road in front of you just flash your lights that your coming through whatever and it will be fine no problem.

You can obtain an international license at the provincal capital or in BKK. same department as for the normal driving license

You can obtain an international license at the provincal capital or in BKK. same department as for the normal driving license

URL link for land transport offices as follows: http://driving.information.in.th/thai-dmv.html

Depending on your friends driving descipline it would make good sense to have him/her undertake a few driving lessons in the UK.

As dicussed many times on the thaivisa motor forum a full valid 5 year ( not 1 year ) Thai driving license can be used to drive / ride in UK for 12 months.

What you need to do is make sure that the Insurance company are aware of what license you are driving on, it is normally accepted by carhire companies..

You can get a International Driving Permit if needed (not license) in Bangkok but many people going to the UK have not needed it.

You will need a IDP for driving in non-English speaking countries as the IDP is translated into there language.

Edited May 6, 201214 yr by Kwasaki

As dicussed many times on the thaivisa motor forum a full valid 5 year ( not 1 year ) Thai driving license can be used to drive / ride in UK for 12 months.

What you need to do is make sure that the Insurance company are aware of what license you are driving on, it is normally accepted by carhire companies..

You can get a International Driving Permit if needed (not license) in Bangkok but many people going to the UK have not needed it.

You will need a IDP for driving in non-English speaking countries as the IDP is translated into there language.

Sorry you are correct. For the OP confirmed in the following URL http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022561

I am Britiah and last year I rented a car from Europcar and they were happy to accept a thai driving licence with

I recently asked a rental company in UK the same question.. I emailed them my licence and they said it would be fine because it has English as well as Thai..

I have the 5 year photocard licence.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

When I rented a car from Avis in The UK the price was almost double the original quote when I used my Thai driving licence at the desk.

My UK driving licence is no longer valid as the actual photo card is more than ten years old, and you cannot renew it from an overseas address.

Basically the same both drive on the left should be ok when somebody is pulling out from a side road in front of you just flash your lights that your coming through whatever and it will be fine no problem.

not true...... flashing your lights in the uk means 'come on through' not I'm coming through.....

Basically the same both drive on the left should be ok when somebody is pulling out from a side road in front of you just flash your lights that your coming through whatever and it will be fine no problem.

not true...... flashing your lights in the uk means 'come on through' not I'm coming through.....

No flashing your lights means 'I am here' it dooes not mean come on although many people misinterpret it as that.

The current Highway Code is clear and unambiguous about the use of flashing headlights; Rule 110 states:

'Flashing headlights. Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users.'

Rule 111 adds:

'Never assume that flashing headlights is a signal inviting you to proceed. Use your own judgement and proceed carefully.'

When I rented a car from Avis in The UK the price was almost double the original quote when I used my Thai driving licence at the desk.

My UK driving licence is no longer valid as the actual photo card is more than ten years old, and you cannot renew it from an overseas address.

If you're hiring a car then you may face the same problem as this.

My mate bought a car for a 6 months stay and when he went to insure it with his TGF as a driver also the insurance cost was greater than the car cost.

I am Britiah and last year I rented a car from Europcar and they were happy to accept a thai driving licence with

I too used my Thai driving licence in the UK

When I rented a car from Avis in The UK the price was almost double the original quote when I used my Thai driving licence at the desk.

My UK driving licence is no longer valid as the actual photo card is more than ten years old, and you cannot renew it from an overseas address.

Aren't you old enough to have a pink or green license? Or are you so old they expired??

Aren't you old enough to have a pink or green license? Or are you so old they expired??

I still have to have a man walking in front of my car waving a flag

Edited May 6, 201214 yr by theoldgit

Basically the same both drive on the left should be ok when somebody is pulling out from a side road in front of you just flash your lights that your coming through whatever and it will be fine no problem.

not true...... flashing your lights in the uk means 'come on through' not I'm coming through.....

Actually your both wrong... Flashing your lights according to the Highway code serves only as a warning to other motorists that you are there..

but I do flash lights to let people out of junctions in UK, but the concept of doing something nice or being courteous when driving is a concept that is alien to Thais.

dam_n English with their duel pricing! When will they ever learn....

When I rented a car from Avis in The UK the price was almost double the original quote when I used my Thai driving licence at the desk.

My UK driving licence is no longer valid as the actual photo card is more than ten years old, and you cannot renew it from an overseas address.

If you're hiring a car then you may face the same problem as this.

My mate bought a car for a 6 months stay and when he went to insure it with his TGF as a driver also the insurance cost was greater than the car cost.

Basically the same both drive on the left should be ok when somebody is pulling out from a side road in front of you just flash your lights that your coming through whatever and it will be fine no problem.

not true...... flashing your lights in the uk means 'come on through' not I'm coming through.....

Actually your both wrong... Flashing your lights according to the Highway code serves only as a warning to other motorists that you are there..

but I do flash lights to let people out of junctions in UK, but the concept of doing something nice or being courteous when driving is a concept that is alien to Thais.

yeah i know it s not in the highway code einstein but a thai person flashing their lights in the uk and then just driving through as they do in los will cause problems in the uk, where it is universally accepted as a signal to pass on through by the 'flasher' whether in the highway code or not

When I rented a car from Avis in The UK the price was almost double the original quote when I used my Thai driving licence at the desk.

My UK driving licence is no longer valid as the actual photo card is more than ten years old, and you cannot renew it from an overseas address.

Aren't you old enough to have a pink or green license? Or are you so old they expired??

There was a bit of a "kerfuffle" when I went and got my Thai d/l and proffered my original green non-photo driving license. They took a bit of convincing that it was legit. Basically I'm 44 years old and passed my car and bike tests when I was 17 in 1984 and that was the last time it was updated.

Basically the same both drive on the left should be ok when somebody is pulling out from a side road in front of you just flash your lights that your coming through whatever and it will be fine no problem.

not true...... flashing your lights in the uk means 'come on through' not I'm coming through.....

Actually your both wrong... Flashing your lights according to the Highway code serves only as a warning to other motorists that you are there..

but I do flash lights to let people out of junctions in UK, but the concept of doing something nice or being courteous when driving is a concept that is alien to Thais.

yeah i know it s not in the highway code einstein but a thai person flashing their lights in the uk and then just driving through as they do in los will cause problems in the uk, where it is universally accepted as a signal to pass on through by the 'flasher' whether in the highway code or not

The current Highway Code is clear and unambiguous about the use of flashing headlights; Rule 110 states:

'Flashing headlights. Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users.'

Rule 111 adds:

'Never assume that flashing headlights is a signal inviting you to proceed. Use your own judgement and proceed carefully.

When I rented a car from Avis in The UK the price was almost double the original quote when I used my Thai driving licence at the desk.

My UK driving licence is no longer valid as the actual photo card is more than ten years old, and you cannot renew it from an overseas address.

Aren't you old enough to have a pink or green license? Or are you so old they expired??

There was a bit of a "kerfuffle" when I went and got my Thai d/l and proffered my original green non-photo driving license. They took a bit of convincing that it was legit. Basically I'm 44 years old and passed my car and bike tests when I was 17 in 1984 and that was the last time it was updated.

I had a similar problem as I didn't have an IDP also so I had to sit the test. They would have acepted it with the IDP.

Driving in the UK is totally different to here in Thailand and much less fraught as there are still drivers who understand and practice road etiquette there. Best thing is to wait if someone flashes their headlights at you near a junction as quite often they`ll slow and wave you through as well. On the motorway you have road gods flashing to get past you just as you do here with some HiSo prat in his blacked out overpriced penis extension. So, there are idiots driving around in the UK as well, just nowhere near as many as there are here. When my tart accompanied me to England she was advised she`d be able to drive there on her 5 year licence. The insurance quote was so high though that if we`d wanted to we could have had a chauffer driven limo for the duration of our visit.

Edited May 7, 201214 yr by BirdsandBooze

I know Thai's who have driven in the UK. There is no issue whatsoever - All they require in addition to their DL is an International Driving permit (I believe a link has already been posted for that).

With regards to the Thai's driving safely in the UK. They'll learn quickly to adapt to the idiosyncrasies of driving in the UK which aren't significant.

I suspect its a much shallower learning curve for Thai to drive in the UK, than it is for a Brit to drive in Thailand.

Basically the same both drive on the left should be ok when somebody is pulling out from a side road in front of you just flash your lights that your coming through whatever and it will be fine no problem.

not true...... flashing your lights in the uk means 'come on through' not I'm coming through.....

Actually your both wrong... Flashing your lights according to the Highway code serves only as a warning to other motorists that you are there..

but I do flash lights to let people out of junctions in UK, but the concept of doing something nice or being courteous when driving is a concept that is alien to Thais.

yeah i know it s not in the highway code einstein but a thai person flashing their lights in the uk and then just driving through as they do in los will cause problems in the uk, where it is universally accepted as a signal to pass on through by the 'flasher' whether in the highway code or not

Not true, in the UK the meaning depends on the circumstances. It can be 'watch out, im coming thorugh' or 'go ahead, I'm waiting'.

Driving in the UK is totally different to here in Thailand and much less fraught as there are still drivers who understand and practice road etiquette there. Best thing is to wait if someone flashes their headlights at you near a junction as quite often they`ll slow and wave you through as well. On the motorway you have road gods flashing to get past you just as you do here with some HiSo prat in his blacked out overpriced penis extension. So, there are idiots driving around in the UK as well, just nowhere near as many as there are here. When my tart accompanied me to England she was advised she`d be able to drive there on her 5 year licence. The insurance quote was so high though that if we`d wanted to we could have had a chauffer driven limo for the duration of our visit.

Maybe because there's a lot of roundabouts in UK and the insurance companies are aware of how Thais don't understand how to negotiate roundabouts.

Providing they already hold a Thai driving licence with Picture , no problem what so ever.I recently had lost the paper part of my UK licence and hired a car on Thai licence easy, also had police pull us over and they just checked licence was written on hire agreement and waved us on.

This was only last month.

In future I will always use the Thai licence for car hire, it has its pluses

Edited May 7, 201214 yr by stiggy

Basically the same both drive on the left should be ok when somebody is pulling out from a side road in front of you just flash your lights that your coming through whatever and it will be fine no problem.

Your joking right, it means exactly the opposite its a polite gesture to let them come out. Totally the opposite to here.