Driving in Thailand

[edwarda909]

I was pulled over at a place traffic stop and was given  a 400 baht ticket becauseI did not have  Thai or International Driver,s license. I thought the Geneva Convention of 1966 allowed for one's home country license to be valid provided it had a picture ID.  What's changed? Is this an illegal racket or what? BTW, the stop was right before the gas station on east side of Thae Pae Gate.

[Honkie]

So if one's home country license is  valid ,  what is international Driver License for ?

[tifino]

 

Because it is an International Drivers Permit, not a License.

There are individual countries around the Earth, who let you simply drive on your native License.

Others require you to hold your License as a means of verifying the validity of the IDP

[petermik]

Count yourself lucky it was only a 400 baht fine...

[Kwasaki]

22 hours ago, edwarda909 said:

home country license to be valid provided it had a picture ID.  What's changed?

 

Depends what country your DL is from,  photo-card type full DL's with your photo on also information written in English, stating the categorizes of vehicles you can drive.

These are valid up to 90 days from entry in Thailand.

If your DL is as described above you can enquire at CM main police station when going to pay the fine maybe a policeman on duty there will know the correct rule and interpretation of foreign DL's that can be used in Thailand.

That said the main consensus and advice to tourists who want to drive in Thailand to save travel inconvenience is to come with an IDP accompanied with your home countries DL.

To try argue the case here and the roadside is far too difficult.  

  

[akirasan]

You were unlucky, simple as that.  If you have a licence from your home country, it needs to be accompanied by a certified translation, I believe from the embassy.

I was the same as you, thought I was fine, then one day I got stopped by a roadside revenue raising police stop and told this very thing.  Checked with my lawyer Mr Google and turns out the cop was right.   

Why you got fined for not having one, probably the cop wanted to buy some beer, but I believe he was probably within his right to do so unfortunately.  The time before last I got stopped I just presented my aussie DL and got waved through no problem.  

Also, I don't know about your area but the police generally have a christmas revenue raising  safety blitz so might be an idea to stay out of the car between xmas and new years if you can.

Edited December 23, 2016 by akirasan

[wildewillie89]

I was told by a copper at a checkpoint that you can use your license for so long (like a few months or so/cant remember) before you either have to get the international or Thai license. The wife talked sense into him so I didnt have to pay anything but he did ask for a payment to begin with. 

 

So i got the Thai license. I dont understand why farang refuse to get the Thai license a lot of the time. It's what, like 200 baht. I am from Australia so all i had to do was translate my drivers license (get your wife/friends to do it and then just pay like stuff all baht for the 'official' translation stamp at the translation shop as your wife did the work). Then go there, show them the license, do a reaction and eye test and pay the minimal fee it costs to get it. Whole process took about an hour. 

Edited December 23, 2016 by wildewillie89

[malt25]

Did you get a receipt for the 400 baht ?

[thehelmsman]

Typically this is a 200bht offense. Least that's what I pay for motorbike.

[wildewillie89]

14 minutes ago, thehelmsman said:

Typically this is a 200bht offense. Least that's what I pay for motorbike.

 

Unless you're far from home, so most Thai and I guess farang would prefer to pay the 400, rather than having to travel all that way again to pay the fine and collect your license from the police station. 

[thehelmsman]

42 minutes ago, wildewillie89 said:

 

Unless you're far from home, so most Thai and I guess farang would prefer to pay the 400, rather than having to travel all that way again to pay the fine and collect your license from the police station. 

 

The times I've paid, it's done on the scene. Park and go to table, sign ticket and pay.

[Kwasaki]

On 12/23/2016 at 11:36 AM, akirasan said:

If you have a licence from your home country, it needs to be accompanied by a certified translation, I believe from the embassy.

 

The OP hasn't said where his from,  if Oz then yes IDP is required.

IDP are obtained from home DL countries transport dept's or home countries Automobile associations.

[NanLaew]

Is the OP living here or just a tourist?

[robertthebruce]

 

 

Demolition Derby comes to mind......

[William Osborne]

Google... and get yourself an international driving licence online with photo (in the small print it will say it is a translation of your home licence)... i got one years ago and used it for car rental and through checkpoints ! (but as said if you are here longterm and have a visa definitely get yourself a thai one)

[Boon Mee]

400 baht is a bit steep for that kind of shakedown.  The normal 'gratuity' is half that .

A good point for you boys to remember is to always speak English to the BIB.  They will invariably get tired of hassling with you and cut you loose much sooner than if Farang Thai is spoken. 

[edwarda909]

On 12/22/2016 at 0:19 PM, Honkie said:

So if one's home country license is  valid ,  what is international Driver License for ?

Really, international drivers license is such a scam. In America, I go down to AAA and I pay them something like $10 and they give me the international drivers permit. There is no test nothing, I just have to show my US license.

[edwarda909]

On 12/24/2016 at 4:18 PM, Boon Mee said:

400 baht is a bit steep for that kind of shakedown.  The normal 'gratuity' is half that .

A good point for you boys to remember is to always speak English to the BIB.  They will invariably get tired of hassling with you and cut you loose much sooner than if Farang Thai is spoken. 

 The cop that pulled me over was actually an Aussie. 

[Patong2]

The reason to get an International Driving Permit is for your Travel Insurance co.

 

Just one more excuse they can use to not pay a claim if you have an accident. Not driving on a legal licence.

 

Yes you can argue with them but if you are in need of treatment, that is not an argument you want to be having.

 

Got stopped yesterday in Kathu and pulled IDP out of side pocket, went to pull my wallet out for home licence and the cop never even opened the IDP, just handed it back and waved me through.

[mogandave]

I used the license I got from Disneyland's Auropia for a few years until a cop insisted on giving me a ticket and held my "license" to make sure I made it to the station to pay the fine.

[MrKFC]

I'm in Chiang Mai and am willing to get an International or Thai license. Anyone know how or where to do that?

Thanks,

DS

[MrKFC]

http://www.donslifeinthailand.com/Thai-Drivers-License-2.html

[Jdiddy]

Meh, the last checkpoint i encountered on the moat road i slowed down abit, put a confused look on my face and then twisted the throttle and took off

[jmhogan]

We were pulled over at a toll booth. Apparently moving from fast pass to cash was a no no. They wanted a 1000b my wife went nuts the cop then asked how much we wanted to pay! The licensing is easy you may have to do a computer test mine was chalked full of errors. Sometimes the same question having different answers so be patient.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[oldgent]

can,t understand why people don,t do their homework on laws and

rules before they come. its so easy to get an IDP a couple of photo,s

fill out the required form if UK either post it to the AA or at a designated Post Office

[Kwasaki]

On 1/22/2017 at 7:24 PM, oldgent said:

can,t understand why people don,t do their homework on laws and

rules before they come. its so easy to get an IDP a couple of photo,s

fill out the required form if UK either post it to the AA or at a designated Post Office

Well what l can understand is why Thai road police don't there homework.

 

Homework says for a tourist a UK photocard licence is OK for 90 days.

 

[Kwasaki]

On 1/18/2017 at 4:57 PM, MrKFC said:

http://www.donslifeinthailand.com/Thai-Drivers-License-2.html

In reply to that web site.

 

Another opinion from internet sites and everybody believes the internet don't they. 

 

Many tourist DL's are not the same obvious yes,  some countries need translations which an IDP provides.

If a person intents staying in Thailand get a Thai DL,  makes sense yes,  depending on where your from a person may need an IDP to get one.

 

The main consensus on this topic that has mileage to the moon and back is to save inconvenience deliver by road police as explained in ID.5. 

[MrKFC]

Got a 2 year 'temporary' for both car and motorcycle with a 60 day Tourist Visa.

 

The only tricky part was getting the Residency Certificate, but when the hotel I'm staying at gave me a receipt that has their legal name, address, phone etc. it was no problem.

 

They just transferred the car license because my US license is valid, 305 baht.

 

Had to take the written and driving exams for the scooter, was 205 baht.

 

Needed to make photocopies of my passport, residency certificate and US license and there's a guy who does it there, it's cheap and easy.

 

Chiang Mai Buddy helped with the Residency Certificate and they also have most, if not all, of the written test on their site. Had to sit  through an hour long video that wasn't nearly as helpful as the CMBuddy test questions. 50 questions, some are duplicated, I think all were on the CMBuddy site.

 

Took all day. I transferred the car license first, two hours, 8:30 to 10:30, then had to watch the film.

 

They do the driving test in the afternoon, but there might be a morning session too.

 

Told me to come back at 13:00, but they do cars first, didn't do the cycles till 3:30. It's a real short course, no one seems to pay any attention ... the last 'test' is driving on a 2x10 plank that's about 20' long ... I botched it, right in front of the guy who then handed me back my test ... passed, no problem.

 

Went and found a checkpoint first thing this morning just to be sure it works as advertized. It does.