Jump to content

using my Thai driving licence in UK


happyme

Recommended Posts

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

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

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

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.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 by Just Weird
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

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

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 by KittenKong
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

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.

  • Confused 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

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.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.





×
×
  • Create New...