Temporary license - can I ride out of Thailand ?

[ALFREDO]

Regarding =only last for a year=

I extend my Int. Drivers license since some years,

-myself-, with increasing thicker ink - for some fitting year in the future,

was never since long in my home country.

Worked well for me.

There is no international drivers licence.

There is an international drivers permit valid for 1 year, cannot be extended, only re issued. You must have a valid licence from the country that issues the IDP.

You can get an IDP by post from some country's. Other country's require you to attend in person to get an IDP.

Anything else is a fake.

Traffic police in some country's are very relaxed. Others are not. YMMV

Regarding

"There is no international drivers licence."

My home countries paper you get when you ask for a International driving permit has written on its first page.

=INTERNATIONALER FUEHRERSCHEIN= translated means that =INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE=

Yes, Thailand is relaxed, I drive here since 1990 and for 15+? years only with my home countries license.

Stopped, I was sometime asked, "Is that a International drivers license?"

I always answered, yes, look the languages.

As that license has many languages on it stating Drivers license in all EU languages,

-EU license- with EU insignia, I had never a problem.

After I have now the INT. license no questions are asked.

I show my home countries and the INT. license

and that these licenses are only permitted for a year, was not known from any policeman,

who stopped me until now.

Anyway I extend the license dates by myself, but the paper, looks already a bit worn.

Next year, I have the chance to get a new Int. permit (license) in my home country, but if that is new style plastic card, I cannot extend that.

[Gweiloman]

Regarding =only last for a year=

I extend my Int. Drivers license since some years,

-myself-, with increasing thicker ink - for some fitting year in the future,

was never since long in my home country.

Worked well for me.

There is no international drivers licence.

There is an international drivers permit valid for 1 year, cannot be extended, only re issued. You must have a valid licence from the country that issues the IDP.

You can get an IDP by post from some country's. Other country's require you to attend in person to get an IDP.

Anything else is a fake.

Traffic police in some country's are very relaxed. Others are not. YMMV

Regarding

"There is no international drivers licence."

My home countries paper you get when you ask for a International driving permit has written on its first page.

=INTERNATIONALER FUEHRERSCHEIN= translated means that =INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE=

Yes, Thailand is relaxed, I drive here since 1990 and for 15+? years only with my home countries license.

Stopped, I was sometime asked, "Is that a International drivers license?"

I always answered, yes, look the languages.

As that license has many languages on it stating Drivers license in all EU languages,

-EU license- with EU insignia, I had never a problem.

After I have now the INT. license no questions are asked.

I show my home countries and the INT. license

and that these licenses are only permitted for a year, was not known from any policeman,

who stopped me until now.

Anyway I extend the license dates by myself, but the paper, looks already a bit worn.

Next year, I have the chance to get a new Int. permit (license) in my home country, but if that is new style plastic card, I cannot extend that.

The main issue here is not being stopped by the police. Before I had my bike licence, I only ever showed my home country's licence (car only) and the police accepted it.

The main issue is whether insurance will cover in the event of an accident / claim. IDP's / IDL's are normally valid for only 6 months to a year. If you are driving on one such document for longer than the stipulated period, you are allowing insurance companies a possibility to get out of paying a claim.

[ALFREDO]

The main issue here is not being stopped by the police. Before I had my bike licence, I only ever showed my home country's licence (car only) and the police accepted it.

The main issue is whether insurance will cover in the event of an accident / claim. IDP's / IDL's are normally valid for only 6 months to a year. If you are driving on one such document for longer than the stipulated period, you are allowing insurance companies a possibility to get out of paying a claim.

I believe, I drive on my home countries licence.

That Int. licence is a possible problem with police and a fine, but not with the insurer.

I remember to have read, that Thailand and my home country have signed an International agreement to accept the other countries drivers license, but Thailand want to have a International licence with it.

I think, as many decades ago, when that treaties had been signed, licences where much more difficult to read and to understand.

So to make it more easy for the police to check a licence, a Int. one was at that time a good idea.

Today, usually police look at my home countries licence as she is the more easy understandable one.

I would not give to much in that paragraph,

as long as you have a valid licence accepted by TH, which i have.

As you know, Rent a Car companies in TH do not care if you have a Int. license, their insurers pay, if your home countries licence is ok.

I have, had Number 1 full covering insurance in TH on cars and two accidents, all paid, no discussions.

Had also two motorbike accidents, one just recently, no problems with police.

In my home country, you can as a Thai, drive with a Thai drivers licence for 6 month, should your visit be longer, than you have to change the licence to my home countries one.

Only a driving test, practice test is necessary to do that.

[sometimewoodworker]

Regarding =only last for a year=

I extend my Int. Drivers license since some years,

-myself-, with increasing thicker ink - for some fitting year in the future,

was never since long in my home country.

Worked well for me.

There is no international drivers licence.

There is an international drivers permit valid for 1 year, cannot be extended, only re issued. You must have a valid licence from the country that issues the IDP.

You can get an IDP by post from some country's. Other country's require you to attend in person to get an IDP.

Anything else is a fake.

Traffic police in some country's are very relaxed. Others are not. YMMV

Regarding

"There is no international drivers licence."

My home countries paper you get when you ask for a International driving permit has written on its first page.

=INTERNATIONALER FUEHRERSCHEIN= translated means that =INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE=

Yes, Thailand is relaxed, I drive here since 1990 and for 15+? years only with my home countries license.

Stopped, I was sometime asked, "Is that a International drivers license?"

I always answered, yes, look the languages.

As that license has many languages on it stating Drivers license in all EU languages,

-EU license- with EU insignia, I had never a problem.

After I have now the INT. license no questions are asked.

I show my home countries and the INT. license

and that these licenses are only permitted for a year, was not known from any policeman,

who stopped me until now.

Anyway I extend the license dates by myself, but the paper, looks already a bit worn.

Next year, I have the chance to get a new Int. permit (license) in my home country, but if that is new style plastic card, I cannot extend that.

Just because it is mistranslated or misnamed as an international licence does not make it one.

Because you changed the dates did not extend it.

It is only a supporting document for a national licence. By itself without a valid national licence it is not accepted as a driving licence and is not valid. However a driving licence does not need an IDP to make it valid

http://www.oeamtc.at/portal/internationaler-fuehrerschein+2500+1133654

"Der Internationale Führerschein ist eine offizielles Zusatzdokument zum nationalen Führerschein."

"The International Driving Licence is an official supporting document for national driving license."

It seems that the German language can't distinguish between a Driving Licence and a Driving Permit.

The "Internationale Führerschein" is an IDP not an IDL

Attached is an example IDP

The language does not change the nature of the document

You have an Internationale Führerschein which is an international driving permit.

Edited October 13, 2014 by sometimewoodworker

[ALFREDO]

Because you changed the dates did not extend it.

Works well with the Thai police. Enough for me.

But as I stay now sometimes, 5 month in TH.

In the future, even longer, I will get a Thai licence. No rush.