europtimiste wrote: ↑Thu Dec 06, 2018 6:42 pm
The real problem is that most farang coming here for holidays (couple of weeks or months) are not willing to pay for an international driving license in their country. It's just a question of spending some more money for driving abroad.
Another problem is that they only last for a year and seeing as how I don't actually live in my home country, they're not that convenient to obtain. I try to keep one in date but I invariably find that it's not when needed.
Incidentally, you can generally avoid Thai traffic stops by the cunning ploy of driving after midday when they've gone home!
There is no such thing as an International Driving License,
But there are International Driving Permits but you must have the one that covers Thailand as I understand that there are two different versions.
The real problem is that most farang coming here for holidays (couple of weeks or months) are not willing to pay for an international driving license in their country
air fare ........ say £700
hotel ........... say£1400
food drink etc. say£700
other stuff......say£500
international driving permit. £5.50 at any uk post office, it takes 5 minutes.
europtimiste wrote: ↑Thu Dec 06, 2018 6:42 pm
The real problem is that most farang coming here for holidays (couple of weeks or months) are not willing to pay for an international driving license in their country. It's just a question of spending some more money for driving abroad.
IDP is free in France, just need to go to the Prefecture and it only takes a couple of days and sometimes you can get it the same day if you show your plane ticket
and anyway if you intend to drive during your holiday in another country you should know the rules and laws, as being a foreigner you sure will get fined if you get caught even if the locals don't
if you intend to drive during your holiday in another country you should know the rules and laws,
And the law is: (but not followed)
Title 3: Driver’s License
Section 42
Anyone who wishes to drive a motor vehicle on public roads must possess an appropriate driver’s license. The driver must carry the driver’s license and a photocopy of the registration book and show them to competent officers upon request. This does not apply for those who are learning to drive a motor vehicle according to the provision of Section 57.
If the driver is an alien who doesn’t have an immigrant visa, he may drive a motor vehicle with a driver’s license specified in the Section 42-2. In such a case, he must carry documents specified by the treaty between the Thai government and the government which issued such driver’s license, and show them to competent officers upon request.
Section 42-2
In case there’s a treaty between the Thai government and a foreign government regarding mutual acceptance of driver’s license, an alien who doesn’t have an immigrant visa may drive a motor vehicle with a driver’s license issued by such a foreign government, or an automobile association authorized by such a foreign government.
if you intend to drive during your holiday in another country you should know the rules and laws,
And the law is: (but not followed) Actually it is
Title 3: Driver’s License
Section 42
Anyone who wishes to drive a motor vehicle on public roads must possess an appropriate driver’s license.........
........Thai or IDP
The driver must carry the driver’s license and a photocopy of the registration book and show them to competent officers upon request. This does not apply for those who are learning to drive a motor vehicle according to the provision of Section 57.
If the driver is an alien who doesn’t have an immigrant visa, he may drive a motor vehicle with a driver’s license specified in the Section 42-2. In such a case, he must carry documents specified by the treaty between the Thai government and the government which issued such driver’s license, and show them to competent officers upon request.
Section 42-2 In case there’s a treaty between the Thai government and a foreign government ..........
......ASEAN countries only HAVE an agreement, I think
regarding mutual acceptance of driver’s license, an alien who doesn’t have an immigrant visa may drive a motor vehicle with a driver’s license issued by such a foreign government, or an automobile association authorized by such a foreign government.
It's a shame how things have changed. Although Thailand signed the treaties but never ratified them, it was followed for the first 25 years and became the status quo, until this last decade. In many cases, it would be difficult to overturn the 'status quo' but this is Thailand.
Even though Thailand never ratified these treaties, the UK seems to follow the status quo in allowing a Thai driver's licence as being sufficient to drive in the UK.
A UK police friend of mine, who was here on holiday earlier in the year, was appalled at being fined for not having an IDP when a Thai licence was valid in the UK.
HHTel wrote: ↑Sun Dec 09, 2018 8:11 am
It's a shame how things have changed. Although Thailand signed the treaties but never ratified them, it was followed for the first 25 years and became the status quo, until this last decade. In many cases, it would be difficult to overturn the 'status quo' but this is Thailand.
Even though Thailand never ratified these treaties, the UK seems to follow the status quo in allowing a Thai driver's licence as being sufficient to drive in the UK.
A UK police friend of mine, who was here on holiday earlier in the year, was appalled at being fined for not having an IDP when a Thai licence was valid in the UK.
I got stopped about 15 years ago driving a scooter and showed the police my UK driving license - no problem, so as HHTel says, it’s a more recent thing with the BIB - maybe they didn’t drink much tea back then?
OR .... maybe they've been instructed by higher ups to enforce the law, make sure the ding dong farangs stop coming here and getting in accidents, injured and or killed, because it shows Thailand in a bad light.
People might realize it's not the safest place to come, and go elsewhere, effecting tourism, and that ฿฿฿฿ that won't be spent here.
Since some BIB aren't fluent in English, or can tell one intern'l license from the other, simply ask for the one they can correctly tell if you are qualified to ride a scooter, and not kill yourself and or make the front page back at home.
Hmm....a uniform policy of acceptance and enforcement. Not the lack of, and what many here complain about.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
15 or 25 years ago, you didn't read every week about another tourist dying or starting a 'go fund my stupidity' page, because the authorities didn't enforce the need for license to drive or rent a scooter.
Think outside the prejudice / box ...... just once in a while.
Just like the scammers at immigration, the few screwing the rest of us law abiders, so now enforcing the rules, you apparently can't let the children run amok on scooters, so again, the few, makes it hard for the rest of the experienced drivers who aren't a danger to themselves and others.
I have a Thai friend, a female Dr. who married a Canadian business guy and has lived in Canada for over 20 years, She is an unofficial meeter/greeter to young Thai Drs who come for training in Toronto. She helps them settle in and adjust. The adjustments are obvious, the weather, food, language which they manage well. They rarely try to drive, the well-disciplined traffic, the cops who obviously mean business and all the rules terrifies them. She says that by the time they leave they are self-confident, they start to drive and have nothing but praise for the orderliness of life but it is a big shock at first.
