International Drivers License

Post by **Udon Map** » February 23, 2015, 9:55 pm

Actually, there are International Drivers Licenses, established by the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, to which Thailand is a signatory. I believe that they must be accompanied by a valid license from your country of residence.

Post by **fdimike** » February 24, 2015, 6:31 am

UM
You are referring to an International Driving Permit which is the same thing sometimeswoodworker is referring to. My wife and both obtained one here in Thailand before our trip to Europe last year. I had no problem renting a car in Rome with my Thai DL and International Driving Permit.

Post by **Udon Map** » February 24, 2015, 7:32 am

fdimike wrote:UM
You are referring to an International Driving Permit which is the same thing sometimeswoodworker is referring to. My wife and both obtained one here in Thailand before our trip to Europe last year. I had no problem renting a car in Rome with my Thai DL and International Driving Permit.

Yes, exactly.

Post by **Jello** » February 27, 2015, 4:49 pm

Just got my IDL at the AEK Udon DLT office.
Don't know if this info will be good tomorrow, but this is what happened today.

Brought in Passport, copy of picture page & latest Visa page, copy of Thai DL front and back, two passport sized photos, letter of residence from the immigration office and 505 Baht.

They took everything EXCEPT the letter from immigration. I was grumbling about having to pay 500 baht for this letter (exactly why I was looking for a alternative way to get the IDL) when he asked me who told me I needed this letter. I just happened to have a copy of their webpage (http://www.dlt.go.th/th/index.php?optio ... &Itemid=88) which he carefully read through and then told me it was old information.

I asked if I could use the letter when I renew my license 6 months from now, he said "no, the letter is only valid for one month."

Anyway, the process was easy and could have been even easier had I known that I could have bypassed the Udon Immigration office 500 Baht screw-job.

Post by **fdimike** » February 27, 2015, 5:20 pm

Great info Jello. I didn't realize you could obtain an IDP there. I thought they only handled things for motorcycles. Is the one they issued good for a car or just for a motorcycle.

Post by **Jello** » February 27, 2015, 5:31 pm

Correction to my post, it's a IDP (permit) not a IDL (license) as I wrote above.

Yes mike, it's stamped for motor vehicles. The permit looks very similar to the one I got from triple-A when I was in the states.

Post by **fdimike** » February 27, 2015, 5:45 pm

Thanks Jello. I'm waiting for immigration to approve my annual visa extension which should be completed by 20 Mar and will head in to AEK to get my IDP afterwards. My wife and i are headed back to the US this year to visit our son and grandkids.

Post by **jingjai** » August 6, 2015, 3:12 pm

Jello wrote:Just got my IDL at the AEK Udon DLT office.
Don't know if this info will be good tomorrow, but this is what happened today.
Brought in Passport, copy of picture page & latest Visa page, copy of Thai DL front and back, two passport sized photos, letter of residence from the immigration office and 505 Baht.
They took everything EXCEPT the letter from immigration. I was grumbling about having to pay 500 baht for this letter (exactly why I was looking for a alternative way to get the IDL) when he asked me who told me I needed this letter. I just happened to have a copy of their webpage (<a class="linkification-ext" href="http://www.dlt.go.th/th/index.php?optio" title="Linkification: http://www.dlt.go.th/th/index.php?optio ... p?optio</a> ... &Itemid=88) which he carefully read through and then told me it was old information.

I asked if I could use the letter when I renew my license 6 months from now, he said "no, the letter is only valid for one month."

Anyway, the process was easy...

fdimike wrote:Thanks Jello. I'm waiting for immigration to approve my annual visa extension which should be completed by 20 Mar and will head in to AEK to get my IDP afterwards. My wife and i are headed back to the US this year to visit our son and grandkids.

fdimike, were you able to obtain your International Driving Permit at AEK?

A few questions for anyone who may have the answers:
My current 5 year Thai Driving License expires mid-November. Will I be able to obtain an IDP with with only three and half months left on my current license?
My wife and I will be visiting the States in Sept./Oct.
My driving license in the States expired a few years ago.
Will I have any problems using the IDP in the States, with only three and half months left on my current Thai license?
I will be able to use the vehicles of family and friends while we are there.
I may also want to rent a car. Is that doable?
Thanks.

Post by **Khun Paul** » August 6, 2015, 5:42 pm

Just a thought for what it is worth. If for example you were a UK citizen living in Thailand, and you came to the UK for a holiday , then you would be expected to use a UK Driving Licence. I f you stated you did not have one , then enquires would be made to see why you did not have one. The only time you might gat away with it in the UK was if you were over 70 and as your UK licence would automatically expire then it would be deemed to be acceptable.
So I ask those of you who are Americans maybe the same would apply to you in the States, it might be worth checking . Just a thought.

Post by **reddevil** » August 6, 2015, 6:12 pm

Khun Paul wrote:Just a thought for what it is worth. If for example you were a UK citizen living in Thailand, and you came to the UK for a holiday , then you would be expected to use a UK Driving Licence. I f you stated you did not have one , then enquires would be made to see why you did not have one. The only time you might gat away with it in the UK was if you were over 70 and as your UK licence would automatically expire then it would be deemed to be acceptable.
So I ask those of you who are Americans maybe the same would apply to you in the States, it might be worth checking . Just a thought.

I have rented cars in the UK over the last 3 years when visiting and each time Used my Thai Licence. On each occasion Enterprise checked me out for driving convictions etc as I was hiring a premium car. Never a problem and I have not held a UK licence for 30 + years

Point is would they allow me to rent a E class Merc if they thought there was a problem with my Thai Licence ?

Post by **Jello** » August 6, 2015, 9:39 pm

jingjai wrote: A few questions for anyone who may have the answers:
My current 5 year Thai Driving License expires mid-November. Will I be able to obtain an IDP with with only three and half months left on my current license?
My wife and I will be visiting the States in Sept./Oct.
My driving license in the States expired a few years ago.
Will I have any problems using the IDP in the States, with only three and half months left on my current Thai license?
I will be able to use the vehicles of family and friends while we are there.
I may also want to rent a car. Is that doable?
Thanks.

I got my IDP in late Feb and my Thai license expired in June. So I don't think you will have a problem there.

I didn't get stopped while driving in the US, but as long as your Thai license and IDP are still valid, I don't see why it should be an issue.

An IDP is essentially a official translation of the license your holding. The two need to be presented together if your stopped. (Just make sure you'll be insured on any car that you borrow from friends).

Renting a car should be OK with any valid drivers license (best to call the rental company and ask).

Post by **Khun Paul** » August 6, 2015, 10:16 pm

If as many say they can use the International Driving permit with a Thai driving license. being that Thailand is your then country of residence then you also need to take documentation to show that it is your country of residence. yellow Book etc. being ex-plod, coming across a driver with an IDP and a Thai License and he says I live there, I would say OK prove it, as I have you disqualified here. Just make to make a point. years ago we had people popping over to Europe to get a DL from lets say Germany, then getting an International Driving permit and coming back. They were disqualified due to either drunk driving or the totting up procedure. That is why the UK stated if your a citizen of the UK you use your own countries DL.
Carrying on from that I suspect but do not know that the American system might just be the same , if not then a drunk driver could get a driving licence and come back to the States and drive. So take proof with you ( when you are going to your own country) to be on the safe side chaps.

Post by **papaguido** » August 7, 2015, 6:06 am

In the US, IDP requirements vary from state to state, e.g. California does not recognize an IDP, but recognizes a valid drivers from a forign country.

The State of California does not recognize an International Driving Permit (IDP) as a valid driver license. California does recognize a valid driver license that is issued by a foreign jurisdiction (country, state, territory) of which the license holder is a resident.

The IDP is only a translation of information contained on a person's foreign driver license and is not required to operate a motor vehicle in California. Citations issued to a person in California who has an IDP, but does not have a California driver license will be placed on the Department of Motor Vehicle database.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy& ... ernational

To look up state DMV requirements:

https://www.usa.gov/motor-vehicle-services

Post by **jingjai** » August 7, 2015, 5:47 pm

Thanks for all the replies.

I'll be going to AEK after next weeks holiday, to renew my 5 year license, and to obtain an IDP.

Off topic but... Do I still need a doctors certificate to renew my 5 year?

Post by **samster** » August 7, 2015, 7:21 pm

Renewed mine a couple of weeks back and was sent away to get a doctors cert as we didn't have one, so, yes.

Post by **Jello** » August 7, 2015, 7:31 pm

samster wrote:Renewed mine a couple of weeks back and was sent away to get a doctors cert as we didn't have one, so, yes.

They didn't ask me for one. Maybe a new requirement? Better safe than sorry I guess.

Brought residence letter, passport with copy of cover page and visa, old license and fee.

Had to take a color test and sit through a one hour driving safety video (in Thai).

Post by **jingjai** » August 13, 2015, 2:24 pm

Jello wrote:February 27, 2015-Just got my IDP at the AEK Udon DLT Office.
Don't know if this info will be good tomorrow, but this is what happened today....

Jello, you must have been very lucky, or happened to be the right place at the right time on Feb. 27...

Went to AEK this morning, and was told by three employees of the DLT, and Kanjana (AEK's International Hospital's Customer Service Rep), that the AEK Udon DLT Office does not issue International Driving Permits, and never has.
As I have already written Jello, you must have been very lucky on February 27, 2015.
Anyway, it's out to Nong Soong next week...

FYI. While making inquiries with various rental car companies in the U.S., about using my Thai Driving License in conjunction with an IDP to rent a car, I received this from Avis:

Avis wrote: Thank you for contacting Avis in regards to your rental inquiry.

I appreciate the opportunity to answer your question, and we look
forward to assist you in the future.

Avis locations in the United States accept driver's licenses issued by:

-Any United States State, Territory, or Possession -Any Canadian
Province
-A participating country in the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
or the 1943 Convention on the Regulation of Inter-American Automobile
Traffic, or has a reciprocal agreement with the U.S.
Thailand is listed as a country that we accept a valid driver's license
from...
An International Driving Permit (IDP) serves only as a translation of a
valid driver's license. While helpful when the renter is presenting a
driver's license printed in a foreign language, it is not mandatory in
order to rent an Avis car. The IDP is valid only when presented in
conjunction with the official license of the acceptable issuing country.
If we can be of any further assistance please let us know.

Post by **Jello** » August 13, 2015, 7:26 pm

jingjai wrote:Went to AEK this morning, and was told by three employees of the DLT, and Kanjana (AEK's International Hospital's Customer Service Rep), that the AEK Udon DLT Office does not issue International Driving Permits, and never has.
As I have already written Jello, you must have been very lucky on February 27, 2015.
Anyway, it's out to Nong Soong next week...

Sorry to hear that Jingjai. Something I didn't report in my initial post is that I also had to talk to 3 people in the office before they understood what I wanted. First lady didn't know what a IDP was, 2nd lady steps up and starts telling me that I need to go to Nong Soong for my license, while I was going into my second explanation of "I already have a TDL I need a IDP" a third (male) employee steps in and knew exactly what to do, and I had my IDP 10 minutes later.

Seems odd they would say they never issued IDP's (rather than saying they no longer issue IDP's). Perhaps like in my case, even though you were saying "International Driving Permit", in there mind they were thinking first year drivers license.

Post by **jingjai** » August 20, 2015, 3:34 pm

Renewed my 5 year license at user friendly AEK DLT this week. Usual documents required.

Today, went to Nong Soon for my IDP. Requirements: valid Thai license and one copy front and back, copy of passport photo page and current visa, two photos. 500THB. That was it.

While at AEK, I noticed a poster in the front window for ITP (International Travel Permit), which is basically a passport for your vehicle so you can take it legally into Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
Jello, perhaps this is what you referred to in an earlier post?