ASEAN driving licenses in Thailand

[limbu]

Passing the daily traffic police inspection opposite Market Village reminded me that countries in ASEAN agreed in 1985 https://asean.org/?static_post=agreemen ... -july-1985 to recognise each other's driving licenses. Thailand is a signatory to the agreement. Has anybody shown an ASEAN license to the traffic police in Hua Hin? What was the reaction?
Thank you.

[oakdale160]

A friend who worked for the UN has a UN International license. He showed it to a Thai cop and his Thai companion explained to the cop what it was. Unfortunately, the cop had never heard of the UN (Founded in 1945, but the news has not got to Thai) but was confused enough to wave him on.

[T.O.M.]

Rented a car in Indonesia on a Thai license....No problem
Was stopped once at a roadblock ...presented my Thai license...No problem...

[buksida]

Hua Hin police only recognize Thai licenses.

IDPs and ASEAN licenses work elsewhere though, as they should. I've driven/ridden in Cambodia, Burma, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia on a Thai license without issue.

[HHTel]

It's one of those annoying quirks in Thailand. You can drive all over Europe for up to 12 months on a Thai licence but in Thailand, unless you have an IDP then it has to be Thai.

[laphanphon]

Thai license is in English, so it makes sense if the officer of any country that is fluent enough to understand it, then accepted, if they wish to. Accepting it is not mandatory.

Simple enough. Why the IDP was developed. No need for all signatory countries to have a bilingual traffic police force. Last page, and stamps tell you all you need to know.

[HHTel]

Accepting it is not mandatory.

Thailand is a signatory to the 1949 convention and the 1968 convention (amended 2011). This argument has been brought up many times. I had no problem using my UK licence when I came here years ago, but now seems to have gone by the wayside.

As I've said, Thai driving licencies are recognised in other member countries but Thailand doesn't reciprocate. TIT

[laphanphon]

And, IF you actually read the agreement, it is not mandatory to accept any license except the IDP.

[HHTel]

I've read it thoroughly several times:

An IDP is not required if the driver's domestic licence meets the requirements of the 1968 convention; the domestic licence can be used directly in a foreign jurisdiction that is a party to that convention.

Article 41 of the convention describes requirements for driving licences. Key of those are:

every driver of a motor vehicle must hold a driving licence;
driving licences can be issued only after passing theoretical and practical exams, which are regulated by each country or jurisdiction;
Contracting parties shall recognize as valid for driving in their territories:
domestic driving licence conforms to the provisions of annex 6 to the convention;
International Driving Permit conforms to the provisions of annex 7 to the convention, on condition that it is presented with the corresponding domestic driving licence;
driving licences issued by a contracting party shall be recognised in the territory of another contracting party until this territory becomes the place of normal residence of their holder;
all of the above does not apply to learner-driver licences;
the period of validity of an international driving permit shall be either no more than three years after the date of issue or until the date of expiry of the domestic driving licence, whichever is earlier;
Contracting parties may refuse to recognise the validity of driving licences for persons under eighteen or, for categories C, D, CE and DE, under twenty-one;
an international driving permit shall only be issued by the contracting party in whose territory the holder has their normal residence and that issued the domestic driving licence or that recognised the driving licence issued by another contracting party; it shall not be valid for use in that territory.

[laphanphon]

Then you need to read a bit more, as IDP is accepted. Home license is not mandatory to be excepted, but 'may' be. At the discretion of the officer.

[laphanphon]

1968 convention (original)
The Convention on Road Traffic has been ratified by 72 countries/jurisdiction. Examples of countries/jurisdictions that have not ratified the Convention include Chile, Taiwan (Republic of China), Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Holy See, Indonesia, Ireland, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, and Venezuela.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internati ... d_in_2011)

[HHTel]

Haha. I knew that Thailand had not ratified the agreement. However, it was honoured for many many years. Technically it does mean that a Thai licence is not recognised in member countries. The fact is that it is recognised. Because the agreement was honoured in principle for so many years, it became the status quo.

Which copy of the agreement are you reading. There are many and some are paraphrased.
There were amendments made in 2011

You need to read the full text taking note of article 41 and new article 43.
Annexes 6 (domestic licence) and 7 (international permit) lay down full descriptions of what needs to be shown on the permits.

As far as I know, contracted parties cannot refuse to recognise permits providing they fit the requirements, except on the basis of age and the driving of certain motor vehicles. Holders of permits can be prevented to drive for other reasons - deemed unfit - proven that the licence/permit is from a country where the driver is not normally resident.
etc.........

It's all academic really as in recent years, the Thai authorities have chosen to not recognise it. In fact you'll not find a policeman who even knows about it except some senior members.

[laphanphon]

I guess we're in agreement then. Officer may or may not accept a countries licence .

One of the main issues, whether fluent in English or not, would any, myself included, know what a country's license, of any, looks like. And the convention states 'country license', not state / province license. So yet another wrench thrown in the works.

How many countries actually issue a national driver's license ? I personally haven't a clue.

USA for instance, has at least 50 different, some very different, state licenses. Is anyone supposed to know or understand them, whether fluent or not. Without the state name, I couldn't tell you which is which, except for PA and TN, since living there.

Today's computers and printers can pop out anything; paper, plastic, metal.

Hence the uniformed 'idiot / back page' of the IDP. And it's so inexpensive to get, not worth trying to counterfeit it.

[buksida]

The 'law' and official rulings are irrelevant. Hua Hin's highway thugs (traffic police) will interpret things their own way in order to extract as much money from foreigners as they can. It doesn't happen elsewhere in Thailand or the region.

[HHTel]

I guess we're in agreement then. Officer may or may not accept a countries licence .

Not without reason and they are well defined:

2. Contracting Parties shall recognize:

(a) Any domestic permit drawn up in their national language or in one of
their national languages, or, if not drawn up in such a language, accompanied by a
certified translation;

(b) Any domestic permit conforming to the provisions of Annex 6 to this
Convention; and

(c) Any international permit conforming to the provisions of Annex 7 to
this Convention;

(a) Where the validity of the driving permit is made subject by special
endorsement to the condition that the holder shall wear certain devices or that
the vehicle shall be equipped in a certain way to take account of the driver's
disability, the permit shall not be recognized as valid unless those conditions
are observed;

(b) Contracting Parties may refuse to recognize the validity in their
territories of driving permits held by persons under eighteen years of age;

(c) Contracting Parties may refuse to recognize the validity in their
territories, for the driving of motor vehicles or combinations of vehicles in
categories C, D and E referred to in Annexes 6 and 7 to this Convention, of
driving permits held by persons under twenty-one years of age.

1. Contracting Parties or subdivisions thereof may withdraw from a driver the
right to use his domestic or international driving permit in their territories if
he commits in their territories a breach of their regulations rendering him liable
under their legislations to the forfeiture of his permit.