happyme Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 I am going to UK I understand for my stay there I am able to use my Thai driving licence Any 1 with advise please do I need to get it translated or will transport dept give me 1 in English any help thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HullyGully Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 Last time I was in the UK I used my Thai License to hire a car The Thai License is in Thai & English 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainiain101 Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 The Thai driving license is in English and Thai. You may need to show a return flight when hiring a car in the UK. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill97 Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 Careful some places the license is valid only if you have your passport with it.Sent from my iPod touch using Thaivisa Connect 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
narkeddiver Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 (edited) Another option is to get an international driving licence from the diving licence office on Hang Dong Road I used this to hire a car in the UK this summer Also had to show my passport Edited December 24, 2018 by narkeddiver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 The Thai DL needs to be the full, 5-year DL to be accepted by UK car rental shops at airports. The current 2-year license is considered the same as the old UK 'provisional' license and is thus restricted. However, both the Thai 2-year and 5-year DL's are legal for a visitor to drive a non-rental vehicle for up to 12 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredob43 Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 All the above post are correct. Just one thing some hire companies charge a bit more for insurance if you don't have a UK licence. I know the one I used did. Saying that you will more than likely find if you get a hire car from the airport they will be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jane Dough Posted December 24, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted December 24, 2018 I shall try that next time I am in the UK. Do they hoot you when you undertake though? Rooster 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 5 hours ago, HullyGully said: Last time I was in the UK I used my Thai License to hire a car So do I, every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spidey Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 Can you use it if you also have a valid UK licence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 10 hours ago, Spidey said: Can you use it if you also have a valid UK licence? Yes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyme Posted December 25, 2018 Author Share Posted December 25, 2018 Thank you all for your comments but my thai driving licence is the old type paper not plastic and except for my name all thai as this is a life time driving licence no age limit . i will visit the office in hang dong see if I can get the plastic 1 and International permit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baansgr Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 19 hours ago, Spidey said: Can you use it if you also have a valid UK licence? Why would you want to use your Thai licence if your UK licence is valid....why complicate things 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 52 minutes ago, happyme said: Thank you all for your comments but my thai driving licence is the old type paper not plastic and except for my name all thai as this is a life time driving licence no age limit . i will visit the office in hang dong see if I can get the plastic 1 and International permit If you get a plastic one you will presumably then have to renew it every 5 years. So you may be better off sticking with what you have, if possible. That plus an IDP (which is only a translation) should do you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 37 minutes ago, baansgr said: Why would you want to use your Thai licence if your UK licence is valid....why complicate things If you use a UK licence for a rental then you are supposed to get a DVLA code online before doing so, to show what endorsements your licence may have. Using a Thai licence avoids having to do that, thus simplifying things. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jip99 Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 6 minutes ago, KittenKong said: If you use a UK licence for a rental then you are supposed to get a DVLA code online before doing so, to show what endorsements your licence may have. Using a Thai licence avoids having to do that, thus simplifying things. +1 A rental company at Heathrow preferred to use my Thai D/L as the paperwork was easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henryford Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 22 hours ago, NanLaew said: The Thai DL needs to be the full, 5-year DL to be accepted by UK car rental shops at airports. The current 2-year license is considered the same as the old UK 'provisional' license and is thus restricted. However, both the Thai 2-year and 5-year DL's are legal for a visitor to drive a non-rental vehicle for up to 12 months. Do you mean a rental vehicle? Visitors would want to rent a car from one of the big firms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackdd Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 On 12/25/2018 at 8:32 AM, KittenKong said: If you get a plastic one you will presumably then have to renew it every 5 years. So you may be better off sticking with what you have, if possible. That plus an IDP (which is only a translation) should do you. I've seen plastic card life time licenses, so i would expect that if he gets a plastic card version he will be given a life time one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 15 minutes ago, jackdd said: I've seen plastic card life time licenses, so i would expect that if he gets a plastic card version he will be given a life time one I didnt know they did those. I want one! Renewing mine every 5 years is a complete pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 59 minutes ago, jackdd said: I've seen plastic card life time licenses, so i would expect that if he gets a plastic card version he will be given a life time one Until 20+ years ago they were handing those out, but not anymore. These days only temporary or 5 years. Legally a 5-year license is valid for temporary use in UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 23 hours ago, Henryford said: Do you mean a rental vehicle? Visitors would want to rent a car from one of the big firms. Or borrow one from friends/family, like I always do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Weird Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 On 12/24/2018 at 11:10 PM, KittenKong said: Yes. You can use a non-UK licence and it would be accepted as long as you do not disclose that you have a valid UK licence but it would be illegal. If you have a valid UK licence and you are driving in the UK, by law, you have you have to use your UK one. Why would you not? Stop a police officer next time you're there using a foreign licence when you have a UK one and ask him, I dare you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Weird Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 (edited) On 12/24/2018 at 12:27 PM, Spidey said: Can you use it if you also have a valid UK licence? Not legally, no. Of course, if you don't tell anyone no one would know...until you get pulled over and the police are curious about why a British citizen would be using a Thai driving licence in the UK and they check you out! Edited December 27, 2018 by Just Weird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 21 minutes ago, Just Weird said: You can use a non-UK licence and it would be accepted as long as you do not disclose that you have a valid UK licence but it would be illegal. Really. Which law does it break? And how can a licence be both acceptable and illegal at the same time? I also have a valid licence from another EU country. I suppose you are telling me I cant use that either? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Weird Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 1 minute ago, KittenKong said: Really. Which law does it break? And how can a licence be both acceptable and illegal at the same time? I also have a valid licence from another EU country. I suppose you are telling me I cant use that either? UK law that says that if you have a valid UK licence you must use it, not a foreign licence, to drive with if you are in the UK! Look it up yourself. A Thai licence (if you are also holding a UK licence while driving in the UK)would not be legally acceptable so in the circumstances that are being discussed here the licence is not "acceptable and legal at the same time! "I also have a valid licence from another EU country. I suppose you are telling me I cant use that either?" I do not know the regulations regarding licences from EU countries so, no, I am not saying that, but I would not be surprised if it was the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 (edited) 3 minutes ago, Just Weird said: UK law that says that if you have a valid UK licence you must use it, not a foreign licence, to drive with if you are in the UK! Look it up yourself. No, you look it up. You are the one who thinks it exists. Besides which, using a licence to rent a car and using a licence to drive with are two completely different things. Edited December 27, 2018 by KittenKong 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Weird Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 6 minutes ago, KittenKong said: No, you look it up. You are the one who thinks it exists. Besides which, using a licence to rent a car and using a licence to drive with are two completely different things. No, I am the one who knows that situation exists, you are the one who thinks it doesn't. "Besides which, using a licence to rent a car and using a licence to drive with are two completely different things". Obviously, but why would anyone rent with a foreign licence and then drive not use it to drive the car? Why would a UK citizen with a UK licence not use it to drive in the UK, doesn't make any sense at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 3 minutes ago, Just Weird said: No, I am the one who knows that situation exists, you are the one who thinks it doesn't. If you know it, tell me which law applies. Until you do I will just have to assume that you made it up. 4 minutes ago, Just Weird said: Obviously, but why would anyone rent with a foreign licence and then drive not use it to drive the car? Why shouldn't they? There's no law against it. An obvious reason to use a foreign licence to rent with is because that way one avoids the irritating DVLA online code requirement, as I mentioned. Another reason could be that the address on the UK licence doesn't match the address of the credit card being used. Rental companies check that sort of thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesofa Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 2 minutes ago, KittenKong said: If you know it, tell me which law applies. Until you do I will just have to assume that you made it up. Why shouldn't they? There's no law against it. An obvious reason to use a foreign licence to rent with is because that way one avoids the irritating DVLA online code requirement, as I mentioned. Another reason could be that the address on the UK licence doesn't match the address of the credit card being used. Rental companies check that sort of thing. I remember looking at this a couple of years ago. According to the DVLA, it is illegal to drive in the UK with a foreign licence if you are disqualified from driving with a UK licence. You are libel to arrest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 20 minutes ago, bluesofa said: I remember looking at this a couple of years ago. According to the DVLA, it is illegal to drive in the UK with a foreign licence if you are disqualified from driving with a UK licence. You are libel to arrest. I think that's slightly different. Being disqualified in the UK is a blanket disqualification that applies regardless of what licence(s) you may or may not have. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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