What Thai licence is needed for a Tuk-tuk or 3 wheeled vehicle?

[DiDiChok]

I have Thai car and motorcycle driving licences but nobody seems to know if this is sufficient for three wheeled vehicles like a "Sam-lor" or a "Tuk-tuk" or a motorcycle and side-car. I'd only be wanting to use such a vehicle for personal use. In the UK it seems that a full motorcycle licence is what's needed for anything three wheeled up to a certain weight plus you can have a small trailer.

What are the licence entitlements in Thailand and what would I need?

[PoorSucker]

You will need to get a 3-wheel driving license.

• Type 1 - Temporary Private Car: This licence is issued to those who have successfully completed the driving test. This licence is valid for a period of one year. Licence holders are not permitted to drive outside the country.
• Type 2 - Private Car: This licence is issued to those who have possessed Temporary Licence for a period of one year. This licence is valid for a period of five years. Private Lifetime Car is no longer issued to new applicants but remains valid to existing holders.
• Type 3 - Private three-wheel vehicle: This licence is issued to those who wish to drive three-wheel vehicle, commonly known as Tuk-Tuk.
• Type 4 - Commercial Car: This licence is issued to those who wish to commercially operate private car such as taxi and other privately owned taxi.
• Type 5 - Commercial three-wheel: This licence is issued to those who wish to commercially operate three-wheel vehicle such as Tuk-Tuk drivers.
• Type 6 - Motorcycle: This licence is issued to those who wish to drive motorcycle.
• Type 7 - Road work licence: This licence is issued to road construction vehicle drivers.

[DiDiChok]

Thanks for the very quick answer! It raises three more small questions to my mind, as follows:

(1) Does the 1 then 5 year licence process apply in the same way to the three wheel licence?

(2) Must the test be taken as there is no exemption carried forward from the International Driving Permit as it was for cars and bikes?

(3) If a test is needed, would it matter on which kind of three wheeler on which you came to do the test

Sorry about the typo - it sent the message before I'd completed it!

Edited August 15, 2014 by DiDiChok

[NomadJoe]

I have never heard of a three-wheeled license issued to a foreigner. Best is to call your local LTD.

[BSJ]

A Welsh chap who I rented a condo from in Pattaya had a tuk tuk license....and a 3 wheeler with the obligatory one wheel at the front to enhance instability. I saw him using it a few times.

[ll2]

but you cannot buy and use a tuk tuk on the streets anymore individually. Only the current official tuk tuk owners can buy them and they dont issue anymore tuk tuk license even for Thai citizens.

Only way is registering it through your company such as a hotel or tour, lets say business about tourism and then you cannot ride it as a foreigner as it will be green license. Green plate means, it is used for business with a Thai driver - as foreigners are not allowed to work as drivers here in Thailand.

or you can get one a ride it illegally if you will use it in a small village.

How do i know? I was interested in buying one and did some research.

for Sam lor etc, i am not sure but there are some difficulties on licensing them too all i know.

good luck.

[DiDiChok]

Thank you 'RockerC' for your informative reply. I'm not in Thailand at the moment as I'm in the UK but I shall be there in November. I need to renew my Car and Bike licences then and I will enquire at the DLT in Pattaya about a motor tricycle licence. Given previous comments and the recent revisions to driving tests they'll probably have to go and have a conference.

Obviously, a commercial motor tricycle licence isn't something I need but I have trouble thinking that Thailand wants to rid itself of an iconic part of its transport history as a previous responder suggested.

I see that my UK licence has groups A which corresponds to "Any size motorcycle with or without a sidecar" and B1 which corresponds to 'Motor tricycles and quadricycles up to 550 Kg unladen'.

I also note that my one year UK green "International Driving Permit" (IDP) obtained from a main UK Post Office has five categories and that I am permitted all five, category A being "Motor cycles, with or without a side-car, invalid carriages and three-wheeled motor vehicles with an unladen weight not exceeding 400 Kg".

The initial enquiry was brought about after the 'boys in brown' stopped me on a bike with a sidecar and said that the Thai car and bike licences were 'no good' and that I needed another licence. I have also experienced them saying that the IDP wasn't any good, but that's usually just a 'tea money' excuse and I was beginning to think the same for a tricycle license as I didn't know there was such a thing. Fortunately, when stopped I had the IDP with me as well as the Thai licences and so talked my way out of having to pay up.

Although I have towed a small trailer containing a tent with a 'combo' (UK slang for a motorcycle and sidecar) I dare not even think what the Thais would think of that. I should think it would cause as much head scratching as a Segway! I have driven an 'Invacar' in the UK but that was before they were banned from our roads in 2003 and the 'Invalid carriage' category doesn't now appear on UK licences.

To get my car and bike licences, I didn't have to do the driving tests or lecture, just the colour, stop and depth tests as the IDP seemed proof enough for them. So I was surprised that you were made to take a test driving around in a Tuk Tuk but as ever in Thailand, the good thing about the rules is that there are so many to choose from.

I'll try to report back as and when on the progress made, but thanks to everyone for your help to date

[PhuketGreenbike]

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Thank you 'RockerC' for your informative reply. I'm not in Thailand at the moment as I'm in the UK but I shall be there in November. I need to renew my Car and Bike licences then and I will enquire at the DLT in Pattaya about a motor tricycle licence. Given previous comments and the recent revisions to driving tests they'll probably have to go and have a conference.

Obviously, a commercial motor tricycle licence isn't something I need but I have trouble thinking that Thailand wants to rid itself of an iconic part of its transport history as a previous responder suggested.

I see that my UK licence has groups A which corresponds to "Any size motorcycle with or without a sidecar" and B1 which corresponds to 'Motor tricycles and quadricycles up to 550 Kg unladen'.

I also note that my one year UK green "International Driving Permit" (IDP) obtained from a main UK Post Office has five categories and that I am permitted all five, category A being "Motor cycles, with or without a side-car, invalid carriages and three-wheeled motor vehicles with an unladen weight not exceeding 400 Kg".

The initial enquiry was brought about after the 'boys in brown' stopped me on a bike with a sidecar and said that the Thai car and bike licences were 'no good' and that I needed another licence. I have also experienced them saying that the IDP wasn't any good, but that's usually just a 'tea money' excuse and I was beginning to think the same for a tricycle license as I didn't know there was such a thing. Fortunately, when stopped I had the IDP with me as well as the Thai licences and so talked my way out of having to pay up.

Although I have towed a small trailer containing a tent with a 'combo' (UK slang for a motorcycle and sidecar) I dare not even think what the Thais would think of that. I should think it would cause as much head scratching as a Segway! I have driven an 'Invacar' in the UK but that was before they were banned from our roads in 2003 and the 'Invalid carriage' category doesn't now appear on UK licences.

To get my car and bike licences, I didn't have to do the driving tests or lecture, just the colour, stop and depth tests as the IDP seemed proof enough for them. So I was surprised that you were made to take a test driving around in a Tuk Tuk but as ever in Thailand, the good thing about the rules is that there are so many to choose from.

I'll try to report back as and when on the progress made, but thanks to everyone for your help to date

So now the question what license do you need for an electric bike with pedals,max speed 35 km/h and 500 W power..or what do you need for an electric 3 wheeler with speed of 25 km/h?

or what license do you need for a mini scooter with less than 50 cc???

are there any regulations for this???

[cnx355]

You will need to get a 3-wheel driving license.

• Type 1 - Temporary Private Car: This licence is issued to those who have successfully completed the driving test. This licence is valid for a period of one year. Licence holders are not permitted to drive outside the country.
• Type 2 - Private Car: This licence is issued to those who have possessed Temporary Licence for a period of one year. This licence is valid for a period of five years. Private Lifetime Car is no longer issued to new applicants but remains valid to existing holders.
• Type 3 - Private three-wheel vehicle: This licence is issued to those who wish to drive three-wheel vehicle, commonly known as Tuk-Tuk.
• Type 4 - Commercial Car: This licence is issued to those who wish to commercially operate private car such as taxi and other privately owned taxi.
• Type 5 - Commercial three-wheel: This licence is issued to those who wish to commercially operate three-wheel vehicle such as Tuk-Tuk drivers.
• Type 6 - Motorcycle: This licence is issued to those who wish to drive motorcycle.
• Type 7 - Road work licence: This licence is issued to road construction vehicle drivers.

Very intresting but what about license type for city bus ,long distance bus, tour bus, truck ( 6 wheels-10 wheels , 18 wheels etc , semi trailer truck )?

Do they have more licence type ?

[Kwasaki]

You will need to get a 3-wheel driving license.

• Type 1 - Temporary Private Car: This licence is issued to those who have successfully completed the driving test. This licence is valid for a period of one year. Licence holders are not permitted to drive outside the country.
• Type 2 - Private Car: This licence is issued to those who have possessed Temporary Licence for a period of one year. This licence is valid for a period of five years. Private Lifetime Car is no longer issued to new applicants but remains valid to existing holders.
• Type 3 - Private three-wheel vehicle: This licence is issued to those who wish to drive three-wheel vehicle, commonly known as Tuk-Tuk.
• Type 4 - Commercial Car: This licence is issued to those who wish to commercially operate private car such as taxi and other privately owned taxi.
• Type 5 - Commercial three-wheel: This licence is issued to those who wish to commercially operate three-wheel vehicle such as Tuk-Tuk drivers.
• Type 6 - Motorcycle: This licence is issued to those who wish to drive motorcycle.
• Type 7 - Road work licence: This licence is issued to road construction vehicle drivers.

Very intresting but what about license type for city bus ,long distance bus, tour bus, truck ( 6 wheels-10 wheels , 18 wheels etc , semi trailer truck )?

Do they have more licence type ?

Yes they do but you have to google it from memory frangies can't hold such licences because it includes work that only Thais can do.

I can't think why any foreigner would want this licence but a wife or family member could get one if you bought such a vehicle and maybe you could then drive it , TIT.

[DiDiChok]

Well, it seems that the list of licence types a previous poster got from Wikipedia falls somewhat short. I have found a site that gives more details and these are listed below:

1 Provisional driving license Personal Private Automobile (Temporary)
2 Auto rickshaw driver's license, temporary personal Private Motor Tricycle (Temporary)
3 Provisional motorcycle license to drive Motorcycle (Temporary)

4 License for one year Personal Private Automobile (One Year)
5 License, personal auto rickshaws, one of Private Motor Tricycle (One Year)
6 motorcycle license to drive a year and Motorcycle (One Year)

7 Driving license Personal Private Automobile (Five Years)
8 Driving License tricycle Personal Private Motor Tricycle (Five Years)
9 Motorcycle License Motorcycle (Five Years)

10 Driving license Personal Life Private Automobile (Life)
11 License, personal auto rickshaws Lifetime Motor Tricycle (Life)
12 Lifetime license to drive motorcycles Motorcycle (Life)

13 Driving License Public Public Automobile.
14 Driving license public Tuk Public Motor Tricycle.
15 license to drive a motorcycle Public Public Motorcycle.

16 International driving license. International Driving Permit

17 License Rollers Tractor.
18 License to drive tractor Tractor Driving Licence
19 License for Agriculture Farm Vehicle Driving Licence
20 License, etc. Vehicles (Other than above) Driving Licence

21 Type 1 Truck & Bus (Class I)
22 Type 2 Truck & Bus (Class II)
23 Type 3 Truck & Bus (Class III)
24 Type 4 Truck & Bus (Class IV)

25 Inspector Licence 2
26 Fares Conductor Licence
27 Service Bus Hostess

You can see for yourself in English in this rather long link:

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=th&u=http://www.insure.co.th/stat/Dec56/2/drvlic_31dec13.xls&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%25E0%25B9%2583%25E0%25B8%259A%25E0%25B8%25AD%25E0%25B8%2599%25E0%25B8%25B8%25E0%25B8%258D%25E0%25B8%25B2%25E0%25B8%2595%25E0%25B8%2582%25E0%25B8%25B1%25E0%25B8%259A%25E0%25B8%25A3%25E0%25B8%2596%25E0%25B8%25A2%25E0%25B8%2599%25E0%25B8%2595%25E0%25B9%258C%25E0%25B8%25AA%25E0%25B8%25B2%25E0%25B8%25A1%25E0%25B8%25A5%25E0%25B9%2589%25E0%25B8%25AD%25E0%25B8%25AA%25E0%25B9%2588%25E0%25B8%25A7%25E0%25B8%2599%25E0%25B8%259A%25E0%25B8%25B8%25E0%25B8%2584%25E0%25B8%2584%25E0%25B8%25A5%2Bsongkhla%26lr%3D%26hl%3Den%26as_qdr%3Dall%26biw%3D1920%26bih%3D982

It's a spreadsheet containing details of how many licences were issued to 31 Dec 2556 in each category for each province. I think you may need Microsoft Excel or a similar program to see it.

I'm surprised that Chonburi has as many motor tricycle licences as it has. It does look like they ARE still being issued, so there's hope yet. It also answers some other poster's questions about other types of vehicle.