Driving In The Uk

[martyh01]

I am a long time resident in Thailand and my UK driving licence is expired can i drive in UK on either my thai licence or a international licence issed with my Thai Licence?

Thanks

[richb2004]

I am a long time resident in Thailand and my UK driving licence is expired can i drive in UK on either my thai licence or a international licence issed with my Thai Licence?

Thanks

My Thai wife drove in UK for five years with only an international license. I felt a little concerned about it, but we told the insurance company who said it was fine. I also called the local police station and a ‘not to sure’ policemen told me it was fine also. However I always felt that had she had an accident tit might have all gone wrong.

The international license cost 1050 Baht in Bangkok, near JJ market.

[Crossy]

Yes you can, for up to 12 months, with a Thai licence you should get an IDP although not mentioned on this page it's worth the money for security with a UK copper who probably can't read Thai

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/drvingb.htm...her%20countries

[Rinrada]

Yes be carefull here.

The Thai IDP (permit) and national license is only good for the first 12 months of your stay in the UK.

After that you got to get a UK provisional D.L and believe (-dont quote me )that you have to sit your test within believe 12 months....

actually just found some info................

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.

If you are the holder of a vocational licence (minibus, bus, lorry entitlement) and a new resident, you must not drive large vehicles until you have passed the relevant GB driving test. Driving test candidates are required to pass a motor car (category test first before applying for provisional entitlement for larger vehicles.

[rcalsop]

Yes be carefull here.

The Thai IDP (permit) and national license is only good for the first 12 months of your stay in the UK.

After that you got to get a UK provisional D.L and believe (-dont quote me )that you have to sit your test within believe 12 months....

actually just found some info................

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.

If you are the holder of a vocational licence (minibus, bus, lorry entitlement) and a new resident, you must not drive large vehicles until you have passed the relevant GB driving test. Driving test candidates are required to pass a motor car (category test first before applying for provisional entitlement for larger vehicles.

From personal experience your wife or you can drive for 12 months on a non UK (eu ) licence and with the insurance companies permission you are covered .. however 364days 23 hours and 59 minutes and you have anoaccident okay insurance cover and legal ... have the accident 365 days and 10 seconds you are not legal as the insurance is invalid and you are driving with out correct documentation .. Travelling in and out you should be okay like visa runs but the insurance may get dodgy .... A crazy law okay and legal 1 minute then not the next ...if you are going to allow a person to drive for 12 months without checking .. why do the check later .....

I collect driving licences ..I have a UK licence , a French permit de conduire , a Moroccan licence, a Bangladeshi Licence ( actually the first chipped photo ID hi tech licence like a credit card ) A Thailand Licence plus bike licence for most of the above and some where a Korean licence .. I took the test in each case good fun a stupid hobby but no worse than stamp collecting and it really throws the boys in blue /brown / kahki / black / as you slowly and theatrically take licence after licence from your wallet they do not have terms of reference to compute that and start to be a little unsure what or who you are and that gives the upper hand ...seriously unbalances them and they cannot wait to get rid of you .or in the UK it develops into a good discussion and a friendly chat as to why you do it ..that has saved a few points from the licence for speeding . .

[aiir]

Hi all

I have just spoken to the DVLA here in the UK, If you are the holder of a full driving licence from Thailand you can legally drive in the uk for upto 1 year from the date of entry into the UK....

Hope this helps...

[terdsak_12]

Hi all

I have just spoken to the DVLA here in the UK, If you are the holder of a full driving licence from Thailand you can legally drive in the uk for upto 1 year from the date of entry into the UK....

Hope this helps...

I just got back from the UK, first trip in 13 years. No one would let me touch their car, even though I'm a car dealer here, and drive everything under the sun!!! I have no UK license, only a Thai, and moody international which I'll up-grade to a Thai international. Will that allow me to drive over there for a year? I'm from the UK by the way.

[moonoi]

Hi all

I have just spoken to the DVLA here in the UK, If you are the holder of a full driving licence from Thailand you can legally drive in the uk for upto 1 year from the date of entry into the UK....

Hope this helps...

I just got back from the UK, first trip in 13 years. No one would let me touch their car, even though I'm a car dealer here, and drive everything under the sun!!! I have no UK license, only a Thai, and moody international which I'll up-grade to a Thai international. Will that allow me to drive over there for a year? I'm from the UK by the way.

If you have a Thai license with an IDP your good for 12 months as previously mentioned. But insurance in the UK is differant from here, so probably the reason they wouldn't let you drive is because you wouldn't have been insured too.

Just to clarify a point made by a previous poster, if you have an EU licence you do not need to get a UK licence within 12 months, if you want to then you can just exchange it (no test to take). I lived in France for 3 years and had no problem using my UK licence, the only stipulation is that if you get caught doing something wrong then you have exchange your UK/EU licence for the host country licence so that they can apply the endorsements

Its for this reason that all EU driving licenses look the same (except for France, they were supposed to implement the same format as the rest of Europe back in 2000, but as we all know what the French are like they are still dragging there heels and still use a stupid lump of cardboard thats too big to fit in your wallet )

[GU22]

Just to clarify.

All drivers in the UK must hold a valid, full licence for the category of vehicle they are driving, ether a UK one or one issued by an EU/EEA country (or certain other countries).

As a concession, holders of a full licence issued by all other countries may drive a vehicle of the appropriate category for a maximum period of 12 months. If in the UK as a visitor, this 12 month period starts on the last date of entry, but if in the UK as a resident it starts on the first. Obtaining an IDP does not change or extend this period.

See my post here for more details and links to the appropriate government websites.

[doctormann]

My Thai wife drove in UK for five years with only an international license. I felt a little concerned about it, but we told the insurance company who said it was fine. I also called the local police station and a ‘not to sure’ policemen told me it was fine also. However I always felt that had she had an accident tit might have all gone wrong.

The international license cost 1050 Baht in Bangkok, near JJ market.

JJ market - that's the one at Mo Chit, yes?

Can you remember just where you got it?

Alternatively, anyone know where a Thai IDP is obtainable in Pattaya?

Thanks

DM

[Phil Conners]

In Pattaya you go to the motor office on the Rayong road. It was discussed within the last week or two here, search for it

[doctormann]

In Pattaya you go to the motor office on the Rayong road. It was discussed within the last week or two here, search for it

I did a search - that's where the quote in my previous post came from.

Are you sure that you can get a Thai IDP from the office on the New Rayong Road? I got the normal 5-year licence from there but I wasn't aware that they issued IDPs.

DM

[Phil Conners]

Yes I am sure, I got one.

It's not instant though, first you do the paperwork then you wait two weeks then you go and pick it up. I think they have it made in Bangkok.

[Maejo Man]

There seems to be a lot of conflicting posts here regarding International Driving Permits and "licences"

The "The international license cost 1050 Baht in Bangkok, near JJ market." is not worth the card it's printed on. They clain they are good for five years, and all they do in actual fact is restate the conditions on your original driving licence in english. They are NOT a legal document. You see companies all over the web offering international driving "licences"

You can obtain an english translation of your Thai driving licence from the Dept. of Lands and Transport in Bangkok on presentation of your original current licence and a fee of twenty baht, and two passport size photos.

The only recognised document is the International Driving Permit which is accepted in most countries. Also available at the Dept. of Lands and Transport in most major cities in Thailand. (See below) The cost is 500 baht plus stamp duty.

As far as English coppers not being able to read Thai, there are pages in Chinese English Arabic and several others, so it poses no problem.

It is valid for one year only, and after that period, if you are still in that country, the law normally requires you to obtain a local licence.

Driving for five years on an international driving licence is sheer madness in any country.

[doctormann]

There seems to be a lot of conflicting posts here regarding International Driving Permits and "licences"

The only recognised document is the International Driving Permit which is accepted in most countries. Also available at the Dept. of Lands and Transport in most major cities in Thailand. (See below) The cost is 500 baht plus stamp duty.

Belated Update on the IDP Situation:

Maejo Man, you are certainly correct in what you say about the IDL / IDP confusion - the IDP is the document that you need.

I have just obtained one from the Department of Land Transport in BKK.

For Info:

The Department is located at 1032 Phaholyothin Road, just about 100 metres from the Morchit Sky Train Station and about the same distance from the Chatuchak Park MRT. It's directly across the road from Chatuchak market. From Morchit Bus Terminal it is either a taxi ride or a walk across Chatuchak Park.

The Department consists of a large compound with several major buildings - the trick is to find the right one, which is Building 4. This seems to be the one furthest from the main gate but the whole site is a bit confusing and I tried a couple of buildings before finding the right one.

Once inside, go up to the second level and into the main hall. Directly across from the entrance you will see some desks that will have queues in front of them. Join one of the queues and present your documents to the official. If the docs are in order you will be given a numbered ticket - wait until your number appears on the display. Then present your documents at the window, pay the fee and wait to be called back to collect your licence. There are no forms to fill out and the whole process, for me, only took about 30 minutes - once I found the right building.

You will need:

Your Thai Driving Licence - must be a pink one, not a green one, which means that you will have held it for at least one year and then renewed it.

A photocopy of the licence - front and back sides - signed by you.

Your passport, with non-immigrant visa, and current TM6 card.

A copy of the passport - all relevant pages - signed by you.

An original document certifying your place of residence in Thailand - available from your local Immigration Office.

505 Baht.

I was asked if I had a Work Permit - I don't as I am retired - but it didn't seem to matter that I didn't have one.

The validity of the IDP is 1 year, from the issue date and, as has been pointed out previously, the document is only valid when accompanied by your normal Thai licence.

DM