How to drive or ride legally for holidaymakers

[RandomSand]

I've hired cars and motorbikes in the past and not had any problems.

Now my nephew is asking for advice about a 2 week holiday in Phuket.

Well; knowing about the taxi mafia I've told him that it would be better if he got either a hire-car at the airport or arranged a bike near the hotel.

Bearing in mind he doesn't want to spend a day of his holiday getting a Thai license; my questions are...

1) Is it really legal to drive a car in Thailand on a IDP issued in the UK ?

2) Is there a way to get a temp permit for a motorbike that would enable him to stay within the clauses of his holiday insurance ?

-he doesn't have a UK motorcycle license, only normal car.. AFAIK.

-I presume an UK IDP is at least needed to drive a car legally... and keep within the terms of his medical cover.

Thanks.

Edited January 18, 2014 by RandomSand

[ukrules]

An international driving license is fine if you're in Thailand for less than 90 days at a time. Any more than that and you're required to get a Thai license.

If you have car entitlement on the UK license then you can drive a car, if you have a UK motorbike license then you can drive a motorbike.

As for insurance you would need to check the policy as they are all very different.

Having said that I bought a new car last summer and drove it for nearly six months with just my UK license until I finally got around to getting a Thai license.

[BKK Blues Brother]

An international driving license is fine if you're in Thailand for less than 90 days at a time. Any more than that and you're required to get a Thai license.

If you have car entitlement on the UK license then you can drive a car, if you have a UK motorbike license then you can drive a motorbike.

As for insurance you would need to check the policy as they are all very different.

Having said that I bought a new car last summer and drove it for nearly six months with just my UK license until I finally got around to getting a Thai license.

6 months is very commendable.

Foreigners in the U.K drive around for years on international licences and the police are powerless to stop them.

Is there not a law on riding motorbikes in Thailand where you need a motorbike licence??

[CharlieH]

Whats required "technically" and what happens in reality are two different worlds here. To make it more interesting it also varies by where you are and the mood of the individual you encounter.

For most situations a big smile, pleasant manner and a few baht will cover most situations.

[wym]

Until there is an accident and insurance doesn't pay up.

[robblok]

Until there is an accident and insurance doesn't pay up.

Correct, you can do what you want here.. and pay off the cops.. only when there is an accident your in trouble.

For most expats its easy to get a MC or car license usually just a bit of lazyness not to make it. Different story for short time tourists.

[Tomtomtom69]

Tourists can obtain 1-year car and motorcycle licenses upon showing their passports with valid entry stamps and visas (if required, but those on 15, 30 or 90 day stamps depending on their nationality are eligible too) at the nearest DMV equivalent which is known as the department of land transport here. It's best if you go to a big province with lots of tourists/expats such as Bangkok, Phuket, Chonburi (Pattaya) or Chiang Mai for this. As your nephew is talking about going to Phuket, that should be as good a place as any to get a local license. It shouldn't take more than an hour or so, provided a valid foreign license is presented, otherwise theory and practical tests are required which could take all day. However, in nearly all cases Thai photo card licenses with 1 year validity from the date applied are available on the spot at the end of the ID verification process and/or after you have passed your tests (if applicable).

But for most tourists this ain't necessary. A Thai license also makes a good ID to use for other purposes like for hotel check-ins, when you get stopped by the police and in some places where there is discriminatory pricing you can get the local price. But for most tourists a valid foreign license (preferably in English or at least Roman characters) and/or an international license is all that's required.

Thailand's tourist industry is huge and so is the car rental business. Thailand is, despite what some people may think quite open for foreigners and especially foreign motorists and I don't know why so many tourists question whether foreign licenses are valid in Thailand, of course they are! Thai authorities are notoriously weak on enforcement of road rules and together with the tourist industry there is no way they would ever require everyone to possess a local license like their Vietnamese and Chinese counterparts demand - the car rental business would collapse and there would be serious repercussions and not much point to such a law. Thailand is an open society and allows, for example Chinese registered vehicles to enter the country and travel freely for a defined period without a guide, when at the same time the Chinese only allow Thai cars to enter if they have pre-approval and then only with a guide. Fair? No, but that's the way it is.

Also, I'm almost certain insurance companies pay up in the event of an accident if you show ANY VALID license. Car rental companies here (the big international ones anyway) have good insurance policies all of which cover foreign renters renting on non-local licenses. There is no problem here and although I've never been in anything other than a very minor fender bender that occurred after some idiot reversed into my PARKED car, my license was not important - the policy was and the rental car company in question covered everything of course.

[Sceptict11]

A valid UK car licence + an IDP will permit a car to be legally driven in Thailand without invaliding travel insurance.

Riding a motorbike/scooter without a valid licence is illegal and instantly invalidates any insurance !

[Tomtomtom69]

In general, I wouldn't make a big deal about licenses, we're talking about Thailand here. Nobody cares. All you need for renting a car is a valid license of the correct class, forget about an international driving permit as most companies don't care about them and would rather you showed a foreign credit card (photo card) license. I do have a Thai license, but in the past when my Thai license expired or before I had a Thai license, showing my Aussie (or other foreign) license always worked - although car rental companies generally don't want to see Cambodian, Chinese or Vietnamese licenses but licenses issued in places like Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Europe, Australia, the USA, Canada, Japan etc. are all fine. However, the latter should be accompanied by an IDP because it's not in English (unless Japanese licenses are now also bilingual, I have no idea).

However, once you get on the road, the possibility of getting stopped and being asked for your license is so remote I wouldn't even spend 1 second worrying about it. In the unlikely event you were stopped, it doesn't matter if you have a license or not. If you speak Thai you might be able to talk your way (nicely) out of a fine. If you speak only English the officer might give up anyway and you'll also be let go. It's Thailand guys...enforcement of road rules is very very lax here...you really need a valid license more for covering your travel insurance policy than anything else.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Tomtomtom69

[jocko]

If you have accident on a motorbike and you have no licence your travel insurance company will be over the moon as they won't have to pay a penny.

So make sure you have a healthy bank balance.

[Tomtomtom69]

A valid UK car licence + an IDP will permit a car to be legally driven in Thailand without invaliding travel insurance.

Riding a motorbike/scooter without a valid licence is illegal and instantly invalidates any insurance !

Yes that's true. I would worry more about your travel insurance policy than your rental car policy. Basically if you show a valid license to a car rental firm, you'll be covered in the event of an accident subject to the usual conditions of fault, excess etc. but for international policies you better check the fine print and have an IDP on hand because they are notoriously fickle when it comes to the finer details. However, for the simple purpose of renting a car in Thailand, nobody cares about an IDP as already mentioned.

[Tomtomtom69]

Another thing worth mentioning is that most travel insurance companies demand that you pay an EXTRA premium for getting coverage for riding motorcycles, which will be covered but only under the conditions that 1) a helmet is worn 2) the driver possesses a valid motorcycle license and 3) the motorcycle is of 200cc capacity or less. For larger bikes you might have to speak to your insurer about other options as I haven't seen a policy that covers larger bikes yet. Maybe there are other insurers out there that insure you for accidents occurred when riding bikes bigger than 200cc.

However, I'd like to make the suggestion that the OP considers telling his nephew to rent a car instead of a motorcycle. Thailand is not a good place to start learning how to ride a motorcycle and driving a car is much safer and way more convenient anyway. Plus it's not that expensive. Rent through say Avis on the local site and go for the lowest class (say class A) and we're talking perhaps 700 Baht a day or about USD23 or GBP15 or something. That's quite affordable I'd say.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Tomtomtom69

[evadgib]

Most 'Chicken-chasers' are 110-125cc which often invalidates UK travel insurance/licencing rules which usually has a 50cc ceiling.

[wym]

There have been many specific instances of visitors here not checking the fine print of their travel/accident/drivers insurance where they thought they were covered, ended up in a horrific and very expensive accident and only THEN found out they weren't covered.

Insurance companies are not charities, driven by a combination of accountant-bookmakers calculating odds, and lawyers devising sneaky fine print - in other words scamming sharks that make bargirls and jetski operators look like angels.

Make SURE all your i's are dotted and t's crossed yourself before getting on a bike here, it's probably the riskiest thing you can do in Thailand, unprotected sex with streetwalkers is 5000% safer.

[Tomtomtom69]

There have been many specific instances of visitors here not checking the fine print of their travel/accident/drivers insurance where they thought they were covered, ended up in a horrific and very expensive accident and only THEN found out they weren't covered.

Insurance companies are not charities, driven by a combination of accountant-bookmakers calculating odds, and lawyers devising sneaky fine print - in other words scamming sharks that make bargirls and jetski operators look like angels.

Make SURE all your i's are dotted and t's crossed yourself before getting on a bike here, it's probably the riskiest thing you can do in Thailand, unprotected sex with streetwalkers is 5000% safer.

Absolutely. Do check the fine print. My example was from an Australian insurer, most of which insure motorcycles and scooters with an engine capacity of 200cc or less - the UK may be different.

[topt]

Tourists can obtain 1-year car and motorcycle licenses upon showing their passports with valid entry stamps and visas (if required, but those on 15, 30 or 90 day stamps depending on their nationality are eligible too) at the nearest DMV equivalent which is known as the department of land transport here. It's best if you go to a big province with lots of tourists/expats such as Bangkok, Phuket, Chonburi (Pattaya) or Chiang Mai for this. As your nephew is talking about going to Phuket, that should be as good a place as any to get a local license. It shouldn't take more than an hour or so, provided a valid foreign license is presented, otherwise theory and practical tests are required which could take all day. However, in nearly all cases Thai photo card licenses with 1 year validity from the date applied are available on the spot at the end of the ID verification process and/or after you have passed your tests (if applicable).

But for most tourists this ain't necessary. A Thai license also makes a good ID to use for other purposes like for hotel check-ins, when you get stopped by the police and in some places where there is discriminatory pricing you can get the local price. But for most tourists a valid foreign license (preferably in English or at least Roman characters) and/or an international license is all that's required.

Thailand's tourist industry is huge and so is the car rental business. Thailand is, despite what some people may think quite open for foreigners and especially foreign motorists and I don't know why so many tourists question whether foreign licenses are valid in Thailand, of course they are! Thai authorities are notoriously weak on enforcement of road rules and together with the tourist industry there is no way they would ever require everyone to possess a local license like their Vietnamese and Chinese counterparts demand - the car rental business would collapse and there would be serious repercussions and not much point to such a law. Thailand is an open society and allows, for example Chinese registered vehicles to enter the country and travel freely for a defined period without a guide, when at the same time the Chinese only allow Thai cars to enter if they have pre-approval and then only with a guide. Fair? No, but that's the way it is.

Also, I'm almost certain insurance companies pay up in the event of an accident if you show ANY VALID license. Car rental companies here (the big international ones anyway) have good insurance policies all of which cover foreign renters renting on non-local licenses. There is no problem here and although I've never been in anything other than a very minor fender bender that occurred after some idiot reversed into my PARKED car, my license was not important - the policy was and the rental car company in question covered everything of course.

Sorry but for accuracy I would have to take some issue with parts of your first paragraph. I do not know specifically for Phuket but from my own and others experiences you would be in for a lot longer than an hour. Also the main requirement that seems to cause people issues is the residency certificate which you appear to have forgotten to mention plus of course the "thouroughly tested" medical certificate

[bendejo]

When traveling around Thailand by bus you'll regularly see farang guys banged up: head bandaged, arm in a sling, faced bashed up, leg in a cast, etc. Good bet it happened on a rented motorbike.

[Dogbarker]

In the UK you can get an IDP by downloading and sending the form off with piccie and money. This will cover .. you know the old saying if you do not do it then it will go wrong for abut £5.50 - do it !

why risk ..???

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/international-driving-permit

and all the TV readers without a licence please get one after all it is the law do you have a problem with getting one .. ?..... then you can criticize the Thais systems .. help stop the need for bribery etc .. come on play real .

[Mousehound]

Avis - Phuket airport is excellent. I have never had a problem with them. I do take out theft, no excess and personal insurance. If you do this and are over 25 I would say a Vios would work out at closer to 1200 per day. Still well worth it for me. No dreaded took took mafia and you can cover so much more territory with your own wheels. I love scooters/bikes but would not recommend them in Phuket. The traffic on the island can be hairy and the hills pretty steep and twisty. I have been offered cars (best insurance - no problem) from the hole in the wall outfits for as low as 600 bht a day. Tell him to run away from these as fast as you can. I would rather pay double than risk it. Driving a car on the island is not too bad and if he goes further afield - Khao Sok, Krabi etc the roads are pretty good and well signed. I really enjoyed driving there.

[crazydrummerpauly]

When traveling around Thailand by bus you'll regularly see farang guys banged up: head bandaged, arm in a sling, faced bashed up, leg in a cast, etc. Good bet it happened on a rented motorbike.

...or one leg or arm fewer than normal !

[crazydrummerpauly]

There's a lot of waffle on here which can be cleared up by a very simple paradigm : Businesses & people who are after your money (car-rentals, bent cops, and Insurance Companies BEFORE an accident & anyone else on the supply side) won't give a damn about what licence you've got. Businesses & people who are being asked to pay YOU money - Insurance companies AFTER an accident, will suddenly get VERY interested in the precise type of licence held. Simple !!! Even if this is not 100% true, it is a bloody good 'precautionary' way to proceed here.

Edited January 20, 2014 by crazydrummerpauly

[Russ McD]

In the UK you can get an IDP by downloading and sending the form off with piccie and money. This will cover .. you know the old saying if you do not do it then it will go wrong for abut £5.50 - do it !

why risk ..???

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/international-driving-permit

I got all excited when I read this .. I mean the Post Office making things easy !! But alas, I followed your link and the status quo has not changed .... you still have to go in and get the form, and you still have to apply in person, and the nearest "participating" Post office is still miles away in a town where parking is an arse !

Or am I missing something ?

[mxer90]

In the UK you can get an IDP by downloading and sending the form off with piccie and money. This will cover .. you know the old saying if you do not do it then it will go wrong for abut £5.50 - do it !

why risk ..???

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/international-driving-permit

and all the TV readers without a licence please get one after all it is the law do you have a problem with getting one .. ?..... then you can criticize the Thais systems .. help stop the need for bribery etc .. come on play real .

i got a IDP by walking into my local main post office, filled in the form, showed my licence, paid the 5.50, and photo. Easy. It is valid for one year, I will be getting another in a few weeks as mine expires soon. The website tells you where local place is based on your postcode.

The clerk will check your entitlements on the back and stamp the necessary boxes on the permit, eg, car or motorbike entitlement. So to get bike entitlement you will need to have a full UK bike licence, which I have.

Edited January 20, 2014 by mxer90

[edwinchester]

An international driving license is fine if you're in Thailand for less than 90 days at a time. Any more than that and you're required to get a Thai license.

If you have car entitlement on the UK license then you can drive a car, if you have a UK motorbike license then you can drive a motorbike.

As for insurance you would need to check the policy as they are all very different.

Having said that I bought a new car last summer and drove it for nearly six months with just my UK license until I finally got around to getting a Thai license.

6 months is very commendable.

Foreigners in the U.K drive around for years on international licences and the police are powerless to stop them.

Is there not a law on riding motorbikes in Thailand where you need a motorbike licence??

Foreigners are not allowed to drive more than a year in the UK on a foreign license. I personally know two Thais who have been prosecuted and banned from driving there because they didn't get a UK license within the first year of living in UK.

[bangon04]

Most 'Chicken-chasers' are 110-125cc which often invalidates UK travel insurance/licencing rules which usually has a 50cc ceiling.

Yes a UK Category P licence, which most car licences include, is valid up to 50cc. But presumably 50cc bikes do exist in Thailand?

[wym]

Foreigners are not allowed to drive more than a year in the UK on a foreign license. I personally know two Thais who have been prosecuted and banned from driving there because they didn't get a UK license within the first year of living in UK.

But that's not the way it works in Thailand.

I've driven here on a US license for over a dozen years. Had insurance pay out too.

Only problem came when I hadn't been back home for so long I let it expire - could've renewed by mail, just fluffed it.

But yes, best policy is to simply comply with the law. . .

[Dogbarker]

In the UK you can get an IDP by downloading and sending the form off with piccie and money. This will cover .. you know the old saying if you do not do it then it will go wrong for abut £5.50 - do it !

why risk ..???

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/international-driving-permit

I got all excited when I read this .. I mean the Post Office making things easy !! But alas, I followed your link and the status quo has not changed .... you still have to go in and get the form, and you still have to apply in person, and the nearest "participating" Post office is still miles away in a town where parking is an arse !

Or am I missing something ?

[Dogbarker]

In the UK you can get an IDP by downloading and sending the form off with piccie and money. This will cover .. you know the old saying if you do not do it then it will go wrong for abut £5.50 - do it !

why risk ..???

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/international-driving-permit

I got all excited when I read this .. I mean the Post Office making things easy !! But alas, I followed your link and the status quo has not changed .... you still have to go in and get the form, and you still have to apply in person, and the nearest "participating" Post office is still miles away in a town where parking is an arse !

Or am I missing something ?

Well get all excited again as the fact do it by mail and I believe if you Google so will the aa... I think they will even send it internationally...but you need a UK licence....

[topt]

In the UK you can get an IDP by downloading and sending the form off with piccie and money. This will cover .. you know the old saying if you do not do it then it will go wrong for abut £5.50 - do it !

why risk ..???

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/international-driving-permit

I got all excited when I read this .. I mean the Post Office making things easy !! But alas, I followed your link and the status quo has not changed .... you still have to go in and get the form, and you still have to apply in person, and the nearest "participating" Post office is still miles away in a town where parking is an arse !

Or am I missing something ?

Well get all excited again as the fact do it by mail and I believe if you Google so will the aa... I think they will even send it internationally...but you need a UK licence....

Thars how I did it 3 years or so ago - http://www.theaa.com/getaway/idp/motidp002.html - applied by post from Thailand

[MW72]

Most 'Chicken-chasers' are 110-125cc which often invalidates UK travel insurance/licencing rules which usually has a 50cc ceiling.

Yes a UK Category P licence, which most car licences include, is valid up to 50cc. But presumably 50cc bikes do exist in Thailand?

I believe that if you have a car license and an IDP but no bike license you can drive up to a 100 cc bike in Thailand. Can anyone confirm this? In the UK it is only up to 50cc when you are 16 but 125 when over 16.