driver license

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gprit
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Re: driver license

Post by gprit » January 3, 2018, 1:06 pm

You can use your UK driving licence for 90 days. I was stopped in this period and told it was not valid - we went to the head man at stop point and he told the road policeman it was valid. I did not have time to get International Driving Permit before I came (which is valid for 12 months). Regardless of that, If you are here for any length of time just get a Thai license. Very easy. Medical certificate (max 200 baht, probably cheaper), simple reaction and color test at centre, then sit through a 45 minute video in Thai.....

I was again stopped at roadside check and was quite smug to show the Thai licence and get waved on!!



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vidmaster
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Re: driver license

Post by vidmaster » January 3, 2018, 1:56 pm

IDP only valid for 90 days

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Hoopoe
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Re: driver license

Post by Hoopoe » January 3, 2018, 3:41 pm

An international driving permit (IDP) can be obtained in your home country. Basically, it is a translation in English of your original driving license, so if your national driving license is not in English, it can save some hassle with the police if you can produce an IDP

Right ,i've found more as the question has not been answered ,The IDP or as some get confused IDL , is merely a translation of your driving license into English , IT IS NOT A LEGAL DRIVING License ,SO if you are from an English speaking nation who issue Driving license in English ,do you necessarily need a IDP , if not where is there a THAI driving law ( web link )that states this ,, Some one has asked for my advise on this as a tourist , i wont advise on anything unless i have experienced it first hand( which in this case i have ,but queeried the legality of it , to then be waved on at a police stop ,)So for me to assist here i would like an official Thai /police traffic law web site stating the fact , Cheers guy's it would seem no one has yet come up with a site ,

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Barney
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Re: driver license

Post by Barney » January 3, 2018, 4:05 pm

What ever your friends are doing and I'll assume coming as tourist, they should just get the IDP and be done with it. Why stress with out it. Carry there home country license with the IDP. It will cover them for any vehicle rentals and insurance etc.
The IDP which is for 12 months, will cover them for their tourist visa, 60 or 90 day or visa exempt, 30 day, duration while here. And any return visits during the 12 months.

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Re: driver license

Post by wazza » January 3, 2018, 6:01 pm


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sometimewoodworker
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Re: driver license

Post by sometimewoodworker » January 3, 2018, 6:44 pm

Hoopoe wrote:
January 3, 2018, 12:18 pm
Hi guy's , i'm sure this has been covered ,but i can't find the link ,on the subject of home country driving license use in Thailand ,i believe there is a limit of time you can do this ( 3 Months) i'm finding conflicting sites ,saying you need an international driving permit and other sites stating you dont ,all these sites were foreign site's , eg AA , post office etc ,is there a Thai web site that states yes or no ,,as i'd sooner listen to the country i'm in's version of this as it's they who are going to enforce it ( maybe ) also to shorten the vast country's eligiable could you please use the UK as an example
You are permitted to drive in Thailand for 90 days from your arrival using an IDP (see under) and valid UK licence.

All insurance policies I have seen carry the requirement to use a Thai licence if you have been in Thailand for more than 90 days.

It is very common (I haven't heard of a case where it was not accepted) for police to accept an in-date IDP with an in-date foreign licence however long you have been in Thailand, even many years of residence.

The problem will probably come to light if you are (in any way) involved in a serious accident, have been in Thailand more than 90 days, and do not have a Thai licence. As your "valid insurance" is void as you are not in compliance with the terms of you insurance. This will possibly leave you with a bill in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Baht.

It depends on the area you are in if your UK photo licence will be accepted without an accompanying IDP. There are certainly areas where you will be fined if you don't have an IDP (possibly Phuket and Pattaya). Equally there are some areas where the photo licence is enough. There is no website that will give a more definitive answer than that.
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Hoopoe
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Re: driver license

Post by Hoopoe » January 4, 2018, 8:54 pm

Hi guy's ,i've got the madness bug with this one , , thanx for all the replies ,
here's what else i found ,


If you are a farang and possess your home drivers license, that is enough. If a policeman (especially in Udon Thani) stops you, you simply show him your drivers license"

So bottom line, if a BIB does try one on and attempt to do you for no IDP as a tourist, all you need to do is point to your English license with a photo and repeat "International already." Show them your passport/copy with your tourist visa/visa exempt stamp. Speaking Thai to him will only work against you. If he decides that you are a resident and not a tourist/visitor, he may try to cite you for not having a Thai DL, but that has nothing to do with IDP's.

Do the above and I guarantee the BIB will not cite you for diving on just your home license if:

1) You are a tourist/visitor.

2) It is in English.

3) It has a photo.

4) It is current

5) It is for the class of vehicle you are diving.

6) Your home country and Thailand have a mutual agreement on licenses. (See here to determine if they are: http://www.unece.org/trans/conventn/leg ... T1949.html

More info: http://bangkok.angloinfo.com/informatio ... g-licences
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat ... 955/2.html
http://www.unece.org/trans/conventn/leg ... T1949.html

So after reading all of these it would appear Ha ( appear ) that if your in possession of a driving license with your photo on it & in English that it is perfectly legal to use without a IDP for a max of 3 months

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sometimewoodworker
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Re: driver license

Post by sometimewoodworker » January 5, 2018, 9:05 am

Hoopoe wrote:
January 4, 2018, 8:54 pm
Hi guy's ,i've got the madness bug with this one , , thanx for all the replies ,
here's what else i found ,


If you are a farang and possess your home drivers license, that is enough. If a policeman (especially in Udon Thani) stops you, you simply show him your drivers license"

So bottom line, if a BIB does try one on and attempt to do you for no IDP as a tourist, all you need to do is point to your English license with a photo and repeat "International already." Show them your passport/copy with your tourist visa/visa exempt stamp. Speaking Thai to him will only work against you. If he decides that you are a resident and not a tourist/visitor, he may try to cite you for not having a Thai DL, but that has nothing to do with IDP's.

Do the above and I guarantee the BIB will not cite you for diving on just your home license if:

1) You are a tourist/visitor.

2) It is in English.

3) It has a photo.

4) It is current

5) It is for the class of vehicle you are diving.

6) Your home country and Thailand have a mutual agreement on licenses. (See here to determine if they are: http://www.unece.org/trans/conventn/leg ... T1949.html

More info: http://bangkok.angloinfo.com/informatio ... g-licences
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat ... 955/2.html
http://www.unece.org/trans/conventn/leg ... T1949.html

So after reading all of these it would appear Ha ( appear ) that if your in possession of a driving license with your photo on it & in English that it is perfectly legal to use without a IDP for a max of 3 months
If you are in Udon you will probably be OK

You seem to forget that the police ( and other departments) in Thailand can and do make thier own rules.

Try that attitude in Phuket or Pattaya and see if it works (probably not)

Unless your friends are only staying in the local 100km from Udon area then, if your friends are coming from the UK tell them to pop onto a post office and cough up the less than £10 and avoid any possible problems.
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Hoopoe
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Re: driver license

Post by Hoopoe » January 6, 2018, 1:41 pm

sometimewoodworker wrote:
January 5, 2018, 9:05 am

]
If you are in Udon you will probably be OK

You seem to forget that the police ( and other departments) in Thailand can and do make thier own rules.

Try that attitude in Phuket or Pattaya and see if it works (probably not)

Unless your friends are only staying in the local 100km from Udon area then, if your friends are coming from the UK tell them to pop onto a post office and cough up the less than £10 and avoid any possible problems.


I searched all through the other forums ,,phuket /TV/pattaya , chiang mai etc ,down in Phuket there are a lot of long term guys still using their country of issuance driving license ,according to them they don't have a problem most of my last post was copied and pasted from a forum in 2013 , the list numbered and wording etc , i can only presume he lived/lives in Udonthani by his ref to Udon , i my self have been the victim off the mountain monkey's (34 rd between Korat &Kabin Buri ,several times over the years , 2 years ago ,( his name is Anan he sapeaks vary gud inglis ) stopped me yet again LIcense , license , was the cry , so on opening my wallet he grabbed the English license , with a big grin sapeaks NO INTERNATIONAL 200 bht ,i explaining that because it's in English with a photo on it thee was no need for the IDP ,Now the cry is 500 bht , also he called over some other officer's for back up / moral support ,? who knows ,they discussed the issue some agreed some didn't ,so i pointed out that he'd snatched the license out of my hand , also he hadn't asked to see my passport to see how long i'd been in thailand on the understanding that a maximum of 90 day's driving on my own countrys issuing license ,( quite a few of the officers agreed on this , but they wern't 100 % sure,) so being as you rudely snatched it out of my hand ,HERE is my Thai driving license which given a moment you would have recieved ,After the other officers had finally stopped laughing the senior officer waved me on , To say Anan was not pleased would be an understatement , but hey ho everyone else had a good laugh ,
POP into a post office ( it's 5 pounds 60 p , ) but ya see the post office is telling them the IDP is not neccessary for such a short duration , , i have written to them to verify it as their web site puts you onto a confusing out of date AA site that say's IDP is neccessary but they also offer to issue one for you at an exagerated cost , , i'm still waiting to hear from them , i'm out of the country for awhile so wont be re plying to anything in the near future ,

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Re: driver license

Post by wazza » January 6, 2018, 1:56 pm

Yes you are still driving on your UK licence, BUT its the IDP that Thailand accepts , ( Treaty etc ) as that is the " Drivers Passport " to confirm your legit licence has been verified.

What most of the forums are discussing etc is when you get stopped by the BIB

My question would be, after you have had an accident involving serious injury to occupants or 3rd parties and extensive damage to an Insured vehicle , will the Thai Insurance Company use the law and refuse to compensate or repair ??

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rickfarang
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Re: driver license

Post by rickfarang » January 6, 2018, 3:21 pm

Maybe the police in some places don't have a problem with long stay foreigners driving on out-of-country driving licenses but in the case of a claim, insurance companies might use the fact that the driver was not legally licensed as a valid reason to deny the claim. (My personal opinion.)

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sometimewoodworker
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Re: driver license

Post by sometimewoodworker » January 6, 2018, 3:42 pm

Both rikfarang and wazza have got the exactly correct point. It's not a risk that is worth while running for the very small effort of being legal.

Hooppoe is barking up the wrong tree in that nothing that is said by anyone from the UK makes any difference to the BIB and they are the ones making the rules.

It is what the police in Thailand will actually accept and that is different in different areas.

And as I have said under 90 days visiting, IDP (easy and cheap to get) and licence will always be OK.
In Udon and area U.K. Photo licence will usually be OK.

Over 90 days (to be safe) you must have a Thai licence. That also includes anyone who is usually resident in Thailand where there is no 90 days on a foreign licence exception.
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Re: driver license

Post by sometimewoodworker » January 6, 2018, 3:49 pm

Duplicate post removed
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Re: driver license

Post by 1crore » January 22, 2018, 5:23 pm

Thanks for all information.

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stattointhailand
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Re: driver license

Post by stattointhailand » February 22, 2018, 3:29 pm

Just issued by gov.uk

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/depa ... -nationals

not seen the 45 min video in english, but I hope it stresses the need to understand that a vast number of Thais are driving without any license or training whatsoever and that many will drive the wrong way along a duel carriageway without any thought whatsoever for oncoming traffic.

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Re: driver license

Post by Nigglyb » February 22, 2018, 4:14 pm

I just read this article too. Call me an old cynic but won't the majority of foreign nationals involved in reported RTAs be passengers in buses & vans driven by sleep deprived, yabba'd up & possibly drunk Thai nationals?
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Re: driver license

Post by stattointhailand » February 22, 2018, 5:08 pm

Have written to embassy Niggly suggesting some of the things the 45 min video MUST include, if it is to help British drivers adapt to driving here, and pointed out that they may as well save their money if they intend to reproduce the Thai video in English, as this would only lead to the Brits playing on their phones in the same way that the Thais do while it is being shown.

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Hoopoe
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Re: driver license

Post by Hoopoe » May 3, 2018, 11:38 am

Just an heads up , my step son is here from BKK ,he went to re- new his driving license in Kumphawapi , ,,they have made him sit the written test ,get the new cassette implanted in his heed , and now he's going to borrow the Truck to do the driving test tomorrow ,
I thought this was strange ,so went on as many web site as possible to check this out , i gleaned from these sites ,that to re-new your license (5 year ) take all documents ( i dont list as it keeps changing ) do the stop test , sit or sleep through the video ,Pay the fee , have photo taken , your done , but what i did pick up on in the web pages i searched was if your license has expired more than 90 days you have to do the whole test again ,i think this is the case here , but will try to find out when he comes home ,

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Re: driver license

Post by parrot » May 3, 2018, 12:39 pm

From a few Thai webpages I've read, if your license has expired for 1 year but less than 3 years, you have to retake the written test.
If your license has expired for more than 3 years, you have to start all over.

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Re: driver license

Post by sometimewoodworker » May 3, 2018, 2:00 pm

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