Do I need a Thai driving license for an insurance claim?

[onthemoon]

The most amusing aspect of this debate for me is the number of long term "residents" who insist that using an oversea,s license is ok and legal, my .question for them is ? Are you really that cheap Charlie you don't want to spend the THB 500 odd to get a Thai DL, then there is no debate about insurance if your in a prang

And for those who wish to be at one with you Thainess, this document gets you just one step closer so you can show all your fellow farangs in Nakhon nowhere how "thai" you really are....you have an official government document with you photo on Almost like real thai with thei ID,s, and with pride you can whip out your DL when asked for identification, unlike those pesky farang tourists who carry there PP every where

I also don't get it its just 1 or 2 days out of your life getting it. (depending on the documents). Saves so much hassle.

Because its kinda of a PITA and the fine for driving without one is only B 2000 I recall. And if your insurance company doesn't require one, why bother. Plus I don't care about getting local prices at various roadside attractions.

Ah well. You are saying that the law is a PITA, so let's ignore it.

In fact, I have no words for this attitude.

[trucking]

At last. an informative thread where everyone is in complete agreement ...................um ....not to agree on anthing .

My ten cents worth. I was always told that is the car that is insured not the driver. However, there is sometimes a difference between third party policies and fully comprehensive policies. Some fully comp policy holders opt to save a bit by only insuring a named driver. If anyone else drives and has an accident in the car they are not covered.

I hypotheticaly asked my insurer what would happen if my neighbors 8 year old son found my car keys, went for a drive and had a non fatal accident. He told me I would be covered despite the kid not having a license. But this was an old car that only qualified for third party cover.

As for an international driving permit., providing you leave the country every 90 days and re enter is should be revalidated and you can use it for a year. I went to my insurance companies head office in Silom and asked for this to be confirmed to my face by someone in authority. They did so. Do I trust them ....no. Like most insurance companies they will go to great lengths to try to get out of paying....whatever they say. In Thailand you can often find two people with identical cases but different experiences both willing to call the other one an ill informed idiot. TIT.

[stevenl]

At last. an informative thread where everyone is in complete agreement ...................um ....not to agree on anthing .

My ten cents worth. I was always told that is the car that is insured not the driver. However, there is sometimes a difference between third party policies and fully comprehensive policies. Some fully comp policy holders opt to save a bit by only insuring a named driver. If anyone else drives and has an accident in the car they are not covered.

I hypotheticaly asked my insurer what would happen if my neighbors 8 year old son found my car keys, went for a drive and had a non fatal accident. He told me I would be covered despite the kid not having a license. But this was an old car that only qualified for third party cover.

As for an international driving permit., providing you leave the country every 90 days and re enter is should be revalidated and you can use it for a year. I went to my insurance companies head office in Silom and asked for this to be confirmed to my face by someone in authority. They did so. Do I trust them ....no. Like most insurance companies they will go to great lengths to try to get out of paying....whatever they say. In Thailand you can often find two people with identical cases but different experiences both willing to call the other one an ill informed idiot. TIT.

Regarding the kid driving, that is joyriding, a different clause in the policy. The named driver clause (normally 2 named drivers) is valid for normal driving, not for joyriding, theft, etc.

And no, somebody leaving the country every 90 days has a non-immigrant visa. In that case get a Thai licence or you may face trouble.

[bangkokrick]

From the AA in the UK.

An AA spokesperson told us: "Some people mistakenly refer to International Driving Permits (IDP) as 'international driving licences'. However, there is no such thing as an international driving licence – they are not legally recognised – so don’t be fooled into buying one, as they are not worth the paper they are printed on.

"An IDP, on the other hand, is required or recommended in 140 countries and is recognised internationally – they are issued in accordance with Road Traffic Conventions, which stipulate that they can only be issued by motoring organisations or motoring authorities."

[Lancashirelad]

I'm a UK resident who visits Thailand for up to 2 months. I have often rented vehicles.

I used to get an IDP from the UK Post Office but stopped doing so when I learned that if your home country license has: a photo, vehicles groups in pictorial format, address, and is in English you do not need an IDP in Thailand.

I just checked the Post Office website to see what they say about requirements: links to the AA site. Round in circles again.

There is so much discussion, hearsay and incorrect knowledge in this thread I think we really do need to track down a definitive answer. (Has NomadJoe already done so)?

Edited September 15, 2013 by Lancashirelad

[stevenl]

I'm a UK resident who visits Thailand for up to 2 months. I have often rented vehicles.

I used to get an IDP from the UK Post Office but stopped doing so when I learned that if your home country license has: a photo, vehicles groups in pictorial format, address, and is in English you do not need an IDP in Thailand.

I just checked the Post Office website to see what they say about requirements: links to the AA site. Round in circles again.

There is so much discussion, hearsay and incorrect knowledge in this thread I think we really do need to track down a definitive answer. (Has NomadJoe already done so)?

Yes, correct answer has been given here, in your case you do not need an IDP.