danphuket Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I have both car and motorbike Thai driving licences. Is there any way to convert them to international in Phuket? Conditions: 1) Holding student visa 2) Driving licences were issued for a year (first time) 3) At the time the driving licence will expire I will most probably be in another country, and my student visa will expire. Therefore it would be good for me if it is possible to make the document before leaving (which will happen in a couple of months) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 You need a permanent (so 5 year) license to get an IDP. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinginKata Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 You need a permanent (so 5 year) license to get an IDP. Correct - you cannot apply for an International Driving Permit with only a Provisional One year Thai license. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedkellylives Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 (edited) A international driving permit is only valid with a current driving license from the country where it is issued, you need both A genuine one is only valid for 1 year not 5 or 10 years Edited January 13, 2014 by nedkellylives 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NomadJoe Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 All correct info above. What country do you need to drive in with your Thai DL? Many if not most will accept it without the need of an IDP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danphuket Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 Thank you all for your replies! I will have to make a new one in another country then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NomadJoe Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Thank you all for your replies! I will have to make a new one in another country then Maybe not. As I said, it depends on the country you are planning to drive in. It will also depend if you are going to be a tourist/visitor or are you going to be a resident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NomadJoe Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) BTW, there are entities in Phuket which claim to be able to get an international license for you. These licenses are not legal and not too long ago a foreigner was arrested after presenting one to police. In Thailand only the Land Transport Dpt. can issue them and back home, in most western countries, only your auto club can issue them. Edited January 17, 2014 by NomadJoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveke Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I will be traveling in the usa this year and may need a international drivers license (to rent a car) my us license has expired. i have the Thai 5 year license and a valid one year retirement visa. will i be able to get a international drivers license in Phuket from the Land Transport Dpt. Thanks info appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinginKata Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I will be traveling in the usa this year and may need a international drivers license (to rent a car) my us license has expired. i have the Thai 5 year license and a valid one year retirement visa. will i be able to get a international drivers license in Phuket from the Land Transport Dpt. Thanks info appreciated. Yes. Go to the building on the right hand side for license enquiries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I will be traveling in the usa this year and may need a international drivers license (to rent a car) my us license has expired. i have the Thai 5 year license and a valid one year retirement visa. will i be able to get a international drivers license in Phuket from the Land Transport Dpt. Thanks info appreciated. Yes, you will be able to get it. But do you need it? You 5 year Thai DL is in English and has a photo, for most US states enough and for car rental agencies in the USA enough. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddlehead Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 'But do you need it? You 5 year Thai DL is in English and has a photo, for most US states enough and for car rental agencies in the USA enough." No, it will not work in the USA. I asked a state cop that question this past year in Pennslvania. He said NO! I tried to tell him that Thailand honors US's. he said "the answer is NO!" Not friendly about it either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) 'But do you need it? You 5 year Thai DL is in English and has a photo, for most US states enough and for car rental agencies in the USA enough." No, it will not work in the USA. I asked a state cop that question this past year in Pennslvania. He said NO! I tried to tell him that Thailand honors US's. he said "the answer is NO!" Not friendly about it either. Your post contradicts many others. I think in the US it depends on the state. A quick search on Google seems to indicate that in e.g. California IDP is not required, in Pennsylavia it is. So the question for the OP remains: do you need it? Is there any harm in getting an IDP? No. Edited January 17, 2014 by stevenl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedkellylives Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I will be traveling in the usa this year and may need a international drivers license (to rent a car) my us license has expired. i have the Thai 5 year license and a valid one year retirement visa. will i be able to get a international drivers license in Phuket from the Land Transport Dpt. Thanks info appreciated. Google Phuket provincial Land Transport Office Government Driving Licenses Information Phuket Thailand Its the official web site with all the information for obtaining 1 and 5 year driving licenses,renewing, canceellation and replacement of driving licenses and obtaining a international driving license/permit Maybe a mod can pin the site so people get accurate information Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinginKata Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Google Phuket provincial Land Transport Office Government Driving Licenses Information Phuket Thailand Its the official web site with all the information for obtaining 1 and 5 year driving licenses,renewing, canceellation and replacement of driving licenses and obtaining a international driving license/permit Maybe a mod can pin the site so people get accurate information Not a bad idea. I have added it under Useful Information - http://phuketdir.com/pkttransport/ http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/231734-tourist-police-other-important-contact-information/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NomadJoe Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 'But do you need it? You 5 year Thai DL is in English and has a photo, for most US states enough and for car rental agencies in the USA enough." No, it will not work in the USA. I asked a state cop that question this past year in Pennslvania. He said NO! I tried to tell him that Thailand honors US's. he said "the answer is NO!" Not friendly about it either. Your post contradicts many others. I think in the US it depends on the state. A quick search on Google seems to indicate that in e.g. California IDP is not required, in Pennsylavia it is. So the question for the OP remains: do you need it? Is there any harm in getting an IDP? No. The cop was wrong. In most states, including Pennsylvania, no IDP is required. If the license is already in English and has a photo (Like Thai lcenses do) I wouldn't bother. If it's in another language, I would recommend getting an IDP. "Individuals who possess a valid foreign driver's license from their country are authorized to drive in Pennsylvania for up to one year from their date of entry into the United States, or upon expiration of their foreign license, whichever comes first. International driving permits are strongly recommended, but not required." http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/faq/faq-misc.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveke Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 International Driving Permt every thing they want Present resident address certify from Embassy this means a trip to the embassy in bangkok to have them confirm a my address? Passport with non-immigrant visa original & photo copy. Thai driver license (private) original & photocopy. Present resident address certify from Embassy 2 photo 2.5 inches Postal order receipt 500 Baht and postal order receipt 5 Baht Authorize letter with fee of stamp 10 Baht (if don't come by yourself) Stamp 14 Baht (@ 7 Baht) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 International Driving Permt every thing they want Present resident address certify from Embassy this means a trip to the embassy in bangkok to have them confirm a my address? Passport with non-immigrant visa original & photo copy. Thai driver license (private) original & photocopy. Present resident address certify from Embassy 2 photo 2.5 inches Postal order receipt 500 Baht and postal order receipt 5 Baht Authorize letter with fee of stamp 10 Baht (if don't come by yourself) Stamp 14 Baht (@ 7 Baht) In stead of from embassy you can also get this from immigration. Yellow housebook or workpermit waivers this requirement. Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NomadJoe Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 International Driving Permt every thing they want Present resident address certify from Embassy this means a trip to the embassy in bangkok to have them confirm a my address? Passport with non-immigrant visa original & photo copy. Thai driver license (private) original & photocopy. Present resident address certify from Embassy 2 photo 2.5 inches Postal order receipt 500 Baht and postal order receipt 5 Baht Authorize letter with fee of stamp 10 Baht (if don't come by yourself) Stamp 14 Baht (@ 7 Baht) Yes, as steve said, a letter of residency from Thai immigration will work and in most cases is much easier and cheaper than getting one from you home country's embassy. And a work permit or your name in a yellow housebook (which very few people have) also fulfills this requirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 i have rented cars on a thai license in Ca an even was stopped once by a cop and showed him my thai license and all we talked about was what Thailand was like What do u think thai people do when they go to the states an want to rent a car?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveke Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 i have rented cars on a thai license in Ca an even was stopped once by a cop and showed him my thai license and all we talked about was what Thailand was like What do u think thai people do when they go to the states an want to rent a car?? i do not know what Thai people do when they rent a car overseas how would i? I know in Thailand you can rent a car with a us license but you need a international license to be truly legal. All states have deferent laws! i will not be in california . I emailed a car rental agency in my state they told me i would need more than aThai license to rent from them. california is a very liberal state and even a illegal immigrant can rent a car their with a mexican license. thanks for all those that posted the help i thought a address confirmation from Thai immigration might work that is what i will try first. I have spent a lot of time trying to deal with thai bureaucracy and i now try to have every thing the might need before i visit them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I know in Thailand you can rent a car with a us license but you need a international license to be truly legal. wow; thanks for that, i guess with just my Thai license i have been illegal for 30 years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 i have rented cars on a thai license in Ca an even was stopped once by a cop and showed him my thai license and all we talked about was what Thailand was like What do u think thai people do when they go to the states an want to rent a car?? <snip> I know in Thailand you can rent a car with a us license but you need a international license to be truly legal. <snip> No, you do not need an IDP to be truly legal in Thailand. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NomadJoe Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 i have rented cars on a thai license in Ca an even was stopped once by a cop and showed him my thai license and all we talked about was what Thailand was like What do u think thai people do when they go to the states an want to rent a car?? <snip> I know in Thailand you can rent a car with a us license but you need a international license to be truly legal. <snip> No, you do not need an IDP to be truly legal in Thailand. Correct. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/590616-international-driver-permit-from-aaa-in-us-is-it-worth-anything-in-thailand/?p=5750239 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedkellylives Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Google Phuket provincial Land Transport Office Government Driving Licenses Information Phuket Thailand Its the official web site with all the information for obtaining 1 and 5 year driving licenses,renewing, canceellation and replacement of driving licenses and obtaining a international driving license/permit Maybe a mod can pin the site so people get accurate information Not a bad idea. I have added it under Useful Information - http://phuketdir.com/pkttransport/ http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/231734-tourist-police-other-important-contact-information/ If the official web site is correct the staff at the PPLTO do not know the rulles for renewing a 5 year license They demand a letter from immagration confirming your address Went and got one and by the time i had returned to the PPLTO at 10AM protesters had blocked entry to the site TIT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Google Phuket provincial Land Transport Office Government Driving Licenses Information Phuket Thailand Its the official web site with all the information for obtaining 1 and 5 year driving licenses,renewing, canceellation and replacement of driving licenses and obtaining a international driving license/permit Maybe a mod can pin the site so people get accurate information Not a bad idea. I have added it under Useful Information - http://phuketdir.com/pkttransport/ http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/231734-tourist-police-other-important-contact-information/ If the official web site is correct the staff at the PPLTO do not know the rulles for renewing a 5 year license They demand a letter from immagration confirming your address Went and got one and by the time i had returned to the PPLTO at 10AM protesters had blocked entry to the site TIT As has been written here many, many times, the rules for renewing or applying for a license require address confirmation: from your embassy, immigration, yellow housebook or workpermit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedkellylives Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Google Phuket provincial Land Transport Office Government Driving Licenses Information Phuket Thailand Its the official web site with all the information for obtaining 1 and 5 year driving licenses,renewing, canceellation and replacement of driving licenses and obtaining a international driving license/permit Maybe a mod can pin the site so people get accurate information Not a bad idea. I have added it under Useful Information - http://phuketdir.com/pkttransport/ http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/231734-tourist-police-other-important-contact-information/ If the official web site is correct the staff at the PPLTO do not know the rulles for renewing a 5 year license They demand a letter from immagration confirming your address Went and got one and by the time i had returned to the PPLTO at 10AM protesters had blocked entry to the site TIT As has been written here many, many times, the rules for renewing or applying for a license require address confirmation: from your embassy, immigration, yellow housebook or workpermit. The official web site should have the correct information and the staff should follow it What you post many times does not interest me, you are not a representative of the Thai govt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 (edited) Not a bad idea. I have added it under Useful Information - http://phuketdir.com/pkttransport/ http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/231734-tourist-police-other-important-contact-information/ If the official web site is correct the staff at the PPLTO do not know the rulles for renewing a 5 year license They demand a letter from immagration confirming your address Went and got one and by the time i had returned to the PPLTO at 10AM protesters had blocked entry to the site TIT As has been written here many, many times, the rules for renewing or applying for a license require address confirmation: from your embassy, immigration, yellow housebook or workpermit. The official web site should have the correct information and the staff should follow it What you post many times does not interest me, you are not a representative of the Thai govt Good on you. You decided to rely on the information from the Thai government in stead of the trusted information given by others here. The result is you had to run some additional errands and could not achieve what you were aiming for. The staff are following the correct procedure BTW. Edited January 20, 2014 by stevenl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis1234 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Hi Can I get thai motorbike drive licence having tourist visa? I dont have licence from my country. How easy is to get proof of residency if I will tell them I need it for drive licence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinginKata Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Hi Can I get thai motorbike drive licence having tourist visa? I dont have licence from my country. How easy is to get proof of residency if I will tell them I need it for drive licence? No would be the correct answer. however I have talked to folks who have been granted a Thai driver licence with a Tourist Visa. Really all depends if Immigration will issue the necessary Certificate of Residence. Need to supply rental contract and owners house papers (for official address). Assuming you have that in hand then the Transport department should allow you to take the driving test. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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