New law when driving without license ?

[Ghostnigel]

Why not just use an international driving license issued by your home country?

Look up the rules on that mate, they are only valid for driving in Thailand for 3 months, even if it is issued for 1 year, so you would be breaking the law after that period. also, your insurance would be invalid, if they find out you were driving illegally.

Like anyone would know the fine print. How would someone determine how long a foreigner has been in Thailand? Everything is skin deep here once they see a foreigner they'll be like ok he has a valid international driving permit - check off you go then.

Remember where you are this is Thailand not Australia or the USA.

It's the same thing with tax refunds at the airport. In theory resident foreigners aren't eligible nor is anyone who has spent more than 180 days in the country. But do they check that? Nooo...a foreigner in Thailand is always a tourist even if they live and work here and so just showing your foreign passport validates that in the minds of the tax refund people - once they sight your foreign passport your tax refund will be processed.

i think its called a visa mate....that's how they know how long you have been here, if you have an accident which involves insurance, you can be damn sure they will check if its valid or not. Any reason not to pay out. Read the law on permits, if you want to take the risk, its up to you, go for it. But if you harm one of my family outside the law, you better like hospital food...

[Tomtomtom69]

Why not just use an international driving license issued by your home country?

Look up the rules on that mate, they are only valid for driving in Thailand for 3 months, even if it is issued for 1 year, so you would be breaking the law after that period. also, your insurance would be invalid, if they find out you were driving illegally.

Like anyone would know the fine print. How would someone determine how long a foreigner has been in Thailand? Everything is skin deep here once they see a foreigner they'll be like ok he has a valid international driving permit - check off you go then.

Remember where you are this is Thailand not Australia or the USA.

It's the same thing with tax refunds at the airport. In theory resident foreigners aren't eligible nor is anyone who has spent more than 180 days in the country. But do they check that? Nooo...a foreigner in Thailand is always a tourist even if they live and work here and so just showing your foreign passport validates that in the minds of the tax refund people - once they sight your foreign passport your tax refund will be processed.

i think its called a visa mate....that's how they know how long you have been here, if you have an accident which involves insurance, you can be damn sure they will check if its valid or not. Any reason not to pay out. Read the law on permits, if you want to take the risk, its up to you, go for it. But if you harm one of my family outside the law, you better like hospital food...

Yeah I'm sure a cop would spend an hour reading through your passport trying to figure out how to read immigration stamps not even in Thai - they'd probably need to ask you or call an interpreter. Would be too complicated, time consuming and just doesn't happen in the real world.

If you have first class insurance, they'll pay for everything. Drive up a tree and they'll still pay.

No insurance no pay.

It's that simple here in Thailand. Don't make assumptions that don't exist here...mate.

[Ghostnigel]

Why not just use an international driving license issued by your home country?

Look up the rules on that mate, they are only valid for driving in Thailand for 3 months, even if it is issued for 1 year, so you would be breaking the law after that period. also, your insurance would be invalid, if they find out you were driving illegally.

Like anyone would know the fine print. How would someone determine how long a foreigner has been in Thailand? Everything is skin deep here once they see a foreigner they'll be like ok he has a valid international driving permit - check off you go then.

Remember where you are this is Thailand not Australia or the USA.

It's the same thing with tax refunds at the airport. In theory resident foreigners aren't eligible nor is anyone who has spent more than 180 days in the country. But do they check that? Nooo...a foreigner in Thailand is always a tourist even if they live and work here and so just showing your foreign passport validates that in the minds of the tax refund people - once they sight your foreign passport your tax refund will be processed.

i think its called a visa mate....that's how they know how long you have been here, if you have an accident which involves insurance, you can be damn sure they will check if its valid or not. Any reason not to pay out. Read the law on permits, if you want to take the risk, its up to you, go for it. But if you harm one of my family outside the law, you better like hospital food...

Yeah I'm sure a cop would spend an hour reading through your passport trying to figure out how to read immigration stamps not even in Thai - they'd probably need to ask you or call an interpreter. Would be too complicated, time consuming and just doesn't happen in the real world.

If you have first class insurance, they'll pay for everything. Drive up a tree and they'll still pay.

No insurance no pay.

It's that simple here in Thailand. Don't make assumptions that don't exist here...mate.

Seems like you have no regard for the law. Are you the type that drives drunk, and then just buys your way out of trouble? Probably.

Maybe one day you could kill someone, then say "how much to get off officer?" No regard for other people.

[stevenl]

Yeah I'm sure a cop would spend an hour reading through your passport trying to figure out how to read immigration stamps not even in Thai - they'd probably need to ask you or call an interpreter. Would be too complicated, time consuming and just doesn't happen in the real world.

If you have first class insurance, they'll pay for everything. Drive up a tree and they'll still pay.

No insurance no pay.

It's that simple here in Thailand. Don't make assumptions that don't exist here...mate.

The problem with your reasoning is that no valid DL possibly also means no insurance. If your insurance company checks everything out you may be in for a nasty surprise.

Edited September 8, 2015 by stevenl

[chiang mai]

i think its called a visa mate....that's how they know how long you have been here, if you have an accident which involves insurance, you can be damn sure they will check if its valid or not. Any reason not to pay out. Read the law on permits, if you want to take the risk, its up to you, go for it. But if you harm one of my family outside the law, you better like hospital food...

Yeah I'm sure a cop would spend an hour reading through your passport trying to figure out how to read immigration stamps not even in Thai - they'd probably need to ask you or call an interpreter. Would be too complicated, time consuming and just doesn't happen in the real world.

If you have first class insurance, they'll pay for everything. Drive up a tree and they'll still pay.

No insurance no pay.

It's that simple here in Thailand. Don't make assumptions that don't exist here...mate.

"Yeah I'm sure a cop would spend an hour reading through your passport trying to figure out how to read immigration stamps not even in Thai - they'd probably need to ask you or call an interpreter. Would be too complicated, time consuming and just doesn't happen in the real world."

It strikes me that you're simply Thai bashing and that any answer involving even the remotest competency on the part of BIB, will get pooed upon. Shame on you, if you had half way reasonable experience of Thailand, outside of the tourist towns, you'd know that wasn't even close to appropriate.

[tamsloon]

[tamsloon]

I took a copy of this 2 weeks ago on the counter of Pattaya beach road police station.

[PixelPac]

I have unfortunately been pulled over twice in the last month at police road blocks. And in both cases they said that my Australian Driver's Licence is no longer valid in Thailand. And that I needed to have an International Drivers Permit/Licence. The first cop said the fine was 400Baht but they would let me off with a 200Baht as a warning. My wife asked where we could get an International Driver's Permit/Licence and he said in Bangkok.

The second time just a few days ago, the cop didn't mention 400Baht and said it was a 200Baht fine for not having an international Driver's Permit/Licence. My wife asked again about having to go to Bangkok to get this International Permit and he said we could get it at the local Licensing Office.

I intend to go and get a Thai Driver's Licence soon it will make life easier.

[cornishcarlos]

I have unfortunately been pulled over twice in the last month at police road blocks. And in both cases they said that my Australian Driver's Licence is no longer valid in Thailand. And that I needed to have an International Drivers Permit/Licence. The first cop said the fine was 400Baht but they would let me off with a 200Baht as a warning. My wife asked where we could get an International Driver's Permit/Licence and he said in Bangkok.

The second time just a few days ago, the cop didn't mention 400Baht and said it was a 200Baht fine for not having an international Driver's Permit/Licence. My wife asked again about having to go to Bangkok to get this International Permit and he said we could get it at the local Licensing Office.

I intend to go and get a Thai Driver's Licence soon it will make life easier.

Pretty sure you can only get an IDP, for an Australian license, in Australia. Same for a U.K licence, you have to get the IDP in U.K.

Just get a Thai licence, so easy and a few hundred baht... It's a fun day out too

[stevenl]

I have unfortunately been pulled over twice in the last month at police road blocks. And in both cases they said that my Australian Driver's Licence is no longer valid in Thailand. And that I needed to have an International Drivers Permit/Licence. The first cop said the fine was 400Baht but they would let me off with a 200Baht as a warning. My wife asked where we could get an International Driver's Permit/Licence and he said in Bangkok.

The second time just a few days ago, the cop didn't mention 400Baht and said it was a 200Baht fine for not having an international Driver's Permit/Licence. My wife asked again about having to go to Bangkok to get this International Permit and he said we could get it at the local Licensing Office.

I intend to go and get a Thai Driver's Licence soon it will make life easier.

Are you living here? If so, Thai license is required.