My Thai License in the UK gets me out of trouble.

[glanville63]

I've just returned from the UK and had a worrying time there, which thankfully has now been resolved.

I was clocked by a speed camera doing 36 mph in a 30 mph limited area and sent a form to complete, which I did and returned it to The Fixed Penalty Office. They wrote back to me saying I would be fined £100.00 and my license would have 3 endorsement stamped on it. They told me to pay the fine on line and to send back my driving license for processing which I did. I flew back to Thailand and asked my brother to send me back my license when it was returned. My brother emailed me a few days later to say that the police had sent a letter to my UK address saying that the license was almost three years of date. To explain, I renewed the license when I became 70 but I had forgotten that after that, one has to renew the license every three years. I'm almost 76 now. It was well and truly passed its sell by date. The police also said that the fixed penalty was no longer an option and that the case would be referred to the Crown Prosecution Office. Needless to say I was very concerned, as it probably meant my car insurance was also null and void. I was in a flap. Then suddenly I remembered I had a Thai driving license. I called my brother and asked him to speak to the fixed penalty office. and they said I could send a scanned copy of my Thai license to their email address and they would consider it. Yesterday they emailed me to say they accepted my Thai license and they would impose the £100.00 fine and endorse my Thai license and my case is now closed.

I have to say I'm much relieved. I was also able to apply on line at the DVLA for a new UK driving license and that will be sent to my brother's address in about two weeks time. No doubt it will have the 3 endorsements stamped on it but I'm not complaining.

An almost happy ending for a change !!

Sorry if this posting is in the wrong place but I couldn't find the Start New Topic button in the driving license section ???

[ubonjoe]

Moved to the home country forum

[loppylugs1]

I'd tell them to stuff the £100 fine too

[vogie]

Thailand is not that bad after all, I got a speeding ticket in Bangkok and was fined 500 baht and no endorsement. Goodbye nanny state.

[Sutty]

Think you will find there will be nothing reordered against Thai licence. Can't be endorsed in a foreign country if you pay the fine that's up to you. Most foreign drivers and you would be treated as such with Thai licence have to go straight to court for fine if they haven't left the country long before!!!!!!

[swampdonkey]

Thailand is not that bad after all, I got a speeding ticket in Bangkok and was fined 500 baht and no endorsement. Goodbye nanny state.

On average 80 people die on Thailand's road every day in the UK it is 5

[Sutty]

Annual United States Road Crash Statistics

Over 37,000 people die in road crashes each year

An additional 2.35 million are injured or disabled

Over 1,600 children under 15 years of age die each year

Nearly 8,000 people are killed in crashes involving drivers ages 16-20

Road crashes cost the U.S. $230.6 billion per year, or an average of $820 per person

Road crashes are the single greatest annual cause of death of healthy U.S. citizens traveling abroad

We could go on quoting figures forever !!!!

Thailands road deaths have been falling year on year.http://www.thaiwebsites.com/caraccidents.asp

Edited October 16, 2015 by Sutty

[i claudius]

Thailand is not that bad after all, I got a speeding ticket in Bangkok and was fined 500 baht and no endorsement. Goodbye nanny state.

On average 80 people die on Thailand's road every day in the UK it is 5

Still ,would no longer want to live in a nanny state , we grew up in a time when you became a man ,not a child ,monitored every day of your life,

[Eff1n2ret]

"Yesterday they emailed me to say they accepted my Thai license and they would impose the £100.00 fine and endorse my Thai license and my case is now closed"

​

I am curious as to who "they" are in this instance, and how they propose to endorse a Thai licence. It's obviously of no great consequence in this case, but I recall a few cases from 5 or 6 years ago where drivers stopped by the police who had a foreign licence were told that they had to go to court because the fixed penalty procedure could not be applied as their licence could not be endorsed. Having therefore been found guilty at magistrates court, one or two people then found their applications for British citizenship had to be postponed until the criminal conviction was spent.

In this case the OP was not stopped by the police, but the authorities seem to have got themselves into a right old muddle.

[Sutty]

"Yesterday they emailed me to say they accepted my Thai license and they would impose the £100.00 fine and endorse my Thai license and my case is now closed"

​

I am curious as to who "they" are in this instance, and how they propose to endorse a Thai licence. It's obviously of no great consequence in this case, but I recall a few cases from 5 or 6 years ago where drivers stopped by the police who had a foreign licence were told that they had to go to court because the fixed penalty procedure could not be applied as their licence could not be endorsed. Having therefore been found guilty at magistrates court, one or two people then found their applications for British citizenship had to be postponed until the criminal conviction was spent.

In this case the OP was not stopped by the police, but the authorities seem to have got themselves into a right old muddle.

Not enforceable if they did not issue you a court summons as you gave them a Thai licence (you say a photocopy which in my experience would not be acceptable in uk) basically the cops have illegally fined you 100 pounds but where that figure comes from is debatable when I left 66 pounds and 3 points can't see it gone up that much for an sp30 offence my thoughts are if you haven't paid don't pay. If you have nothing you can do but there will be no points on Thai licence

Just rang mate in UK correctionn on my behalf it is now £100 but he agrees he would not accept photocopy and would have proceed with no valid ukk licence (expired) so therefore no insurance either so you are in the end a lucky chap

Edited October 16, 2015 by Sutty

[manarak]

Thailand is not that bad after all, I got a speeding ticket in Bangkok and was fined 500 baht and no endorsement. Goodbye nanny state.

On average 80 people die on Thailand's road every day in the UK it is 5

The UK could reduce that to zero by simply banning driving :-)

For me it is a question of balance between reasonable safety rules and preserving the feeling of liberty and quiet.

IMO, many countries have gone way over the top with traffic regulations and unreasonably put their citizens under pressure. I feel stressed when driving in Europe.

[swampdonkey]

They can not indorse your Thai license. There is no agreement in place between Uk and Thailand to allow it.

They also can not in force the fine.

[emilymat]

Interesting. I am aware that I can drive legally on UK roads with a Thai licence - as it is in English. I even use it for car hire on my annual trips over. However, when I tried to renew my UK licence (on the 3 year over 70 rule) I was told quite forcibly by DVLA I was not entiltled to a UK licence because I was a non-resident.

So, depending on the OP's honesty with the authorites, (assuming he lives in Thailand and is a non UK resident) he could not legally have had a UK licence anyway.

[simon43]

Totally off-topic, but for several years when living in the UK, I drove a Grand Jeep Cherokee that had registration plates from Andorra (small tax haven between France and Spain). I also had an Andorran driving licence, complete with royal coat of arms that were prominently displayed on my car plate.

I never had any problems about illegal parking or driving too fast. Everyone assumed that I was some sort of Andorran diplomat

Great fun!!

(As to why I was driving a car with Andorran plates, you need to Google W G Hill and the 6 flags theory...)

[anto]

Used to be that you could drive a Republic of Ireland registered car in the UK ,and they could not fine you for speeding or parking .They would try to but they would not have access to your address from the registration number.That has probably changed by now .

[swampdonkey]

Used to be that you could drive a Republic of Ireland registered car in the UK ,and they could not fine you for speeding or parking .They would try to but they would not have access to your address from the registration number.That has probably changed by now .

Yes it has all changed now

Fine and penalty points for driving offenses

[MAJIC]

Annual United States Road Crash Statistics

Over 37,000 people die in road crashes each year

An additional 2.35 million are injured or disabled

Over 1,600 children under 15 years of age die each year

Nearly 8,000 people are killed in crashes involving drivers ages 16-20

Road crashes cost the U.S. $230.6 billion per year, or an average of $820 per person

Road crashes are the single greatest annual cause of death of healthy U.S. citizens traveling abroad

We could go on quoting figures forever !!!!

Thailands road deaths have been falling year on year.http://www.thaiwebsites.com/caraccidents.asp

The USA has a population of 318.86 million,compared with Thailands 65 million population!

Edited November 3, 2015 by MAJIC

[NeverSure]

Annual United States Road Crash Statistics

Over 37,000 people die in road crashes each year

An additional 2.35 million are injured or disabled

Over 1,600 children under 15 years of age die each year

Nearly 8,000 people are killed in crashes involving drivers ages 16-20

Road crashes cost the U.S. $230.6 billion per year, or an average of $820 per person

Road crashes are the single greatest annual cause of death of healthy U.S. citizens traveling abroad

We could go on quoting figures forever !!!!

Thailands road deaths have been falling year on year.http://www.thaiwebsites.com/caraccidents.asp

This needs a little more math applied to it.

Road Deaths Per 100,000 population:

USA 11.6

Thailand 38.1

Thailand has the 4th highest road deaths per capita in the world!!

LINK

And don't forget. Thailand counts only those pronounced dead at the scene, and not those who die later in a hospital.

Cheers.

[CharlieH]

It would have been 3 points NOT 3 endorsements.

You need to be a UK resident to obtain a UK driving licence, so I assume you have used a family members address.

Very lucky you werent prosecuted for no current licence, and therefore no valid insurance, Had that been a roadside stop they would have impounded the vehicle too!

Lucky guy !

[Sayonarax]

Annual United States Road Crash Statistics

Over 37,000 people die in road crashes each year

An additional 2.35 million are injured or disabled

Over 1,600 children under 15 years of age die each year

Nearly 8,000 people are killed in crashes involving drivers ages 16-20

Road crashes cost the U.S. $230.6 billion per year, or an average of $820 per person

Road crashes are the single greatest annual cause of death of healthy U.S. citizens traveling abroad

We could go on quoting figures forever !!!!

Thailands road deaths have been falling year on year.http://www.thaiwebsites.com/caraccidents.asp

Thailands road accident statistics are outdated.

[Sayonarax]

Annual United States Road Crash Statistics

Over 37,000 people die in road crashes each year

An additional 2.35 million are injured or disabled

Over 1,600 children under 15 years of age die each year

Nearly 8,000 people are killed in crashes involving drivers ages 16-20

Road crashes cost the U.S. $230.6 billion per year, or an average of $820 per person

Road crashes are the single greatest annual cause of death of healthy U.S. citizens traveling abroad

We could go on quoting figures forever !!!!

Thailands road deaths have been falling year on year.http://www.thaiwebsites.com/caraccidents.asp

This needs a little more math applied to it.

Road Deaths Per 100,000 population:

USA 11.6

Thailand 38.1

Thailand has the 4th highest road deaths per capita in the world!!

LINK

And don't forget. Thailand counts only those pronounced dead at the scene, and not those who die later in a hospital.

Cheers.

thai.jpg

Using wikipedia as source is like referring to fox news.

[Sutty]

Statistics coming out of my ears safe driving on your behalf will go a long way to reducing the chances of you dying don't just drive your vehicle look at the rest and anticipate. Oh and keep off your bloody mobile phones don't care if Thais do it I'm not thai so I dont

[sumrit]

Thailand is not that bad after all, I got a speeding ticket in Bangkok and was fined 500 baht and no endorsement. Goodbye nanny state.

On average 80 people die on Thailand's road every day in the UK it is 5

Figures can say whatever you want.

How many of those 80 Thai deaths are people on motor bikes?

By comparison the UK has (virtually) no motor bikes on the road.

I'll agree that UK roads are safer though and when I go back to the UK driving seems much more orderly and organized BUT, on average, drivers in the UK drive much faster than they do in Thailand. When driving on a dual carriageway in Thailand if I'm doing 100 KPH I'm generally one of the faster cars on the road, while if I'm doing the same speed (62 MPH) in the UK (even on a two lane dual carriageway) I'm one of the slowest with others flashing their lights at me to get out of their way. It can be scary at first.

Edited November 23, 2015 by sumrit