The Merry Monk

International licence - apply to the AA or RAC valid for 12 months
THai licence - take a Thai friend with you as paperwork is all in Thai, need (if memory serves me right) completed form, passport, passport photo, current licence, medical certificate and 110 baht

pauleddy

Thanks, but what do I need to drive in LOS?

Must it be Int or Thai? Or just my UK EU one.

I am not in UK now, so going to RAC etc. difficult

aging one

You need an international or a Thai licence. As stated above its easy to get one in BKK. But not to worry a hundred baht note will solve most of your problems save being in an accident. You can now get a 5 year drivers licence in Thailand as well as the normal one green color is only valid for a year.

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Peabody

In addition to all of the above (and that want multiple copies and photos), I believe they will also want to see your work permit, if you want a Thai driver's license.

An international license can be issued in your home country. That PLUS your home country license entitles you to drive. You do NOT get that in Thailand to drive in Thailand.

100 baht might buy your way out of a parking ticket. However, a serious accident involving an unlicensed farang will cost you big time. It might also negate your insurance.

First Thai license is good for a year. Renewal gets you the purple 5 year license.

And, in that wonderfully Thai way- you cannot renew until your current license has actually expired! Go down the day it expires and they'll tell you to come back later.

ElectrO

I've been stopped twice in 5 days now on my motorbike. Although I have a fake International licence, I reserve it just in case. Anyway both times, they looked at my UK Driving Licence (the old style huge A4 paper one) and they say fine off you go.

Depends how serious you want to be about buying/driving a car. In Thailand if you crash the car into someone/something it is 99% always your fault. Even if the guy rams you from behind on is on your side of the road, they will try and make it your fault. Kill someone in an accident, and you have to pay on how much money they think you are worth. So if you are Thai and you kill someone, you have to pay like 10k baht. If you are Foreign, expect that to be well into 100k +

E

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edmat

I got my Thai driving licence last week. I needed:

WP copy (all printed pages)
passport copy (pic page, visa page, last stamp page)
medical certificate
UK licence (+copy of all pages)
two 1x1 pics (got them at the testing place)

I think that was it. I went to the place on Rama 2. I had to press a pedal down until a green light went red; do a colour test; and do a depth perception test. Then I paid up and got my licence two hours later. The delay was due to all staff downing tools at 12:00 in order to eat somtam and jabber loudly.

Some kerrazy renegades remained at their desks, working through their lunch. Ja baaa!

You do need a Thai with you unless your reading Thai is fluent. Oh, and there are some board displays of human roadkill, which fair put me off my khao mun gai.

ElectrO

is a WP really needed?

E

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Reg Young

No. A WP is not needed, but you do need some way to verfiy your address. A letter from Immigration will do, but that requires you take some documents around to them. A letter from the landlord and a photocopy of the house registration is what I used and I got mine licence before I got my first WP.
- Reg

mrsquirrel

Uk will do it.

Wp was needed when I went -

Added after 2 minutes:

sorry UK driving licence is fine but you need a WP

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kenkannif

Surely it's more down to the Visa than the WP as I'd have thought those married to Thais and retirees would be able to get one, and they generally won't have a WP?

Maybe it's just any extended Visa???

Ooops I see Reg has just said it's not needed.....duh!

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Reg Young

All I can say (all anyone can say in Thailand) is anecdotal. It may vary from office to office or even officer to officer.

I was in Chiang Mai, and I took a photocopy of my landlady's ownership papers and a letter from her affirming that I lived there to Immigration. They gave me a letter (and charged me a small fee) which I then took over to the Ministry of Transportation (accompanied by said landlady's son). I turned in the Immigration letter, my International and my home licence, and a couple of photos, along with two photocopies of everything except my left foot. I got my licence the next day.

This was before my WP had been sorted by the well-meaning, very pleasant, but thoroughly incompetent office staff where I was supposed to be working.
- Reg

PeaceBlondie

Agreeing with Reg, as always. The transport license office in CMai gives you an English list of what's required. Work permit's not there.

OK, so I just moved. Aside from the small detail that I LOST MY PASSPORT!!!!!, I did find the CMai residence certificate. I assume that's worthless and I'll now need to go to the local Immigration office (on non-odd Thursdays not immediately following non-even Wednesdays other than Buddhist holidays) with my new rental lease, to get a residence certificate in my new province.

grasshopper

still using my UK euro licence card, been stopped and had it checked 9 times by Songkhla old bill (they're keen here, might be something to do with the Pattani number plate!) and they seem perfectly satisfied. Once they said 'international' and of course I didn't disagree, in fact I said nothing at all :smile:

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pauleddy

Yep, I spoke to my mate who spends winters in Pattaya (rather him than me!) and bought a 2nd hand car some time ago. He has been stopped at least twice, and each time showed his UK folding thing no problems.

I am wondering whether it is worth the hassle of being ultra-correct.