International Drivers License vs Thai Drivers License

[Ace of Pop]

These IP supporters are like a dripping tap, just have a genuine one from a non 3 rd World and job done.

[chiang mai]

Update from the OP.

Okay, so I took the advise of many here and made an attempt at getting a Thai Drivers license. Again, taking advise from this forum, and from neighbors we went to the Rayong office vs the Pattaya office. Per the advise of neighbors we left at 6am to get a good spot in line. We took along a neighbor who needed to renew her drivers license, and my wife and I intended on applying for new licenses, as my wife's last Thai DL expired 7 years ago.

We arrived at 7am and got a place in line. The line grew longer and longer as the 8am opening approached. At approximately 7:50 forms were put out on a table, and everyone in line was informed they should have a completed one upon arriving at the (still closed) window. Mayhem broke out as the line disintegrated, and re-formed putting us substantially farther back. Finally at 8am the window opened, and we waited our turn. Arriving at the window, the neighbor was scheduled for a 10am movie session, and the wife and I were told that in order to apply for a new license, we must make an appointment, and the earliest available in Rayon was some time in August, at which time we will be back home in the states. We were told that these appointments can be made on line, BTW, and we were told that if we drove 1 hour farther from home the office in Tha Chang? may be able to accommodate us earlier.

We decided to wait for the neighbor to finish the "easy" task of renewing her license, and drive back home. After the neighbor was done with her gore movie, we drove home stopping at our insurance office and enquiring about whether or not our insurance is valid in if the driver is using an International Drivers Permit. We were told that it absolutely is.

So for now, the plan is for my wife to possibly make an attempt at getting a license in her up country home town, where she knows people and things always are theoretically accomplished more easily, and I dropped all plans of getting a Thai license. Per the OP we are only here 3 months per year, and plan to keep our US license's up to date indefinitely. Getting an International Drivers Permit is a 20 minute job in the US, and we spent half a day two days in a row preparing documents (Dr Cert and Residency Permit), walking away from the local bureaucracy empty handed.

And I have yet to see any compelling reason why having a Thai license is of benefit to someone like me, spending 3 months per year here.

"And I have yet to see any compelling reason why having a Thai license is of benefit to someone like me, spending 3 months per year here".

Substitutes as a passport for ID purposes in many if not most situations, hotel check in, domestic airline travel.

Serves as ID for banking purposes, ditto the above.

If you lose it it's easy and cheap to replace, unlike a passport.

Easier for local police to interpret compared to a foreign license, lower hassle factor.

Can be used for overseas vehicle rental purposes, the cops don' know where to send the tickets!!! (that was a semi-joke/semi-true)

[stevenl]

OK, browsing the "Requirements for Obtaining and Renewing a 1 Year Driving License" in the Pattaya Forum;

1) I need a Residency Certificate issued by the US Embassay in BKK, cost $50.

2) If I have a short term Visa, including ME Tourist or O, I can only get a 1 year licenses, and upon renewal can again only get a 1 year license.

3) Cost of the license is 500TB + 200TB for health cert + US$50 for residency cert + cost of translating documents. Not to mention the cost of traveling to BKK. Not to mention the frustration of doing all this.

And again, I can get the International Permit in 10 minutes, at a location 10 minutes from my home in the US, for $20.

So getting the Permit is far cheaper and exponentially more convenient.

I just want to know if there are any pitfalls in case of an accident or serious traffic violation.

in any traffic situation having a thai license is a bonus. Cops see that and they pretty much let you go unless you are something my something majorly wrong (from experience). They are also useful for many things otherwise like getting discounts at national parks (sometimes) and can be used instead of a passport for checking my into hotels (sometimes)

It's much better to have it than an international driving permit which is basically useless.

"1) I need a Residency Certificate issued by the US Embassay in BKK, cost $50." - I think it's been decided that this isn't necessary - you can get from immigration.

"2) If I have a short term Visa, including ME Tourist or O, I can only get a 1 year licenses, and upon renewal can again only get a 1 year license." - I thought it had also been pointed out that it is a 2 year licence?

Yes, temporary is 2 years. Non immigrant O can yield 5 years BTW.

[1BADDAT]

OK, browsing the "Requirements for Obtaining and Renewing a 1 Year Driving License" in the Pattaya Forum;

1) I need a Residency Certificate issued by the US Embassay in BKK, cost $50.

2) If I have a short term Visa, including ME Tourist or O, I can only get a 1 year licenses, and upon renewal can again only get a 1 year license.

3) Cost of the license is 500TB + 200TB for health cert + US$50 for residency cert + cost of translating documents. Not to mention the cost of traveling to BKK. Not to mention the frustration of doing all this.

And again, I can get the International Permit in 10 minutes, at a location 10 minutes from my home in the US, for $20.

So getting the Permit is far cheaper and exponentially more convenient.

I just want to know if there are any pitfalls in case of an accident or serious traffic violation.

in any traffic situation having a thai license is a bonus. Cops see that and they pretty much let you go unless you are something my something majorly wrong (from experience). They are also useful for many things otherwise like getting discounts at national parks (sometimes) and can be used instead of a passport for checking my into hotels (sometimes)

It's much better to have it than an international driving permit which is basically useless.

"1) I need a Residency Certificate issued by the US Embassay in BKK, cost $50." - I think it's been decided that this isn't necessary - you can get from immigration.

"2) If I have a short term Visa, including ME Tourist or O, I can only get a 1 year licenses, and upon renewal can again only get a 1 year license." - I thought it had also been pointed out that it is a 2 year licence?

Yes, temporary is 2 years. Non immigrant O can yield 5 years BTW.

when you apply the second time right? Still have to get 2 year first.

[stevenl]

in any traffic situation having a thai license is a bonus. Cops see that and they pretty much let you go unless you are something my something majorly wrong (from experience). They are also useful for many things otherwise like getting discounts at national parks (sometimes) and can be used instead of a passport for checking my into hotels (sometimes)

It's much better to have it than an international driving permit which is basically useless.

"1) I need a Residency Certificate issued by the US Embassay in BKK, cost $50." - I think it's been decided that this isn't necessary - you can get from immigration.

"2) If I have a short term Visa, including ME Tourist or O, I can only get a 1 year licenses, and upon renewal can again only get a 1 year license." - I thought it had also been pointed out that it is a 2 year licence?

Yes, temporary is 2 years. Non immigrant O can yield 5 years BTW.

when you apply the second time right? Still have to get 2 year first.

Yes.