UK hire what driving licence to use

[colinchaffers]

I'm going back the UK and want to hire a car, I have a full UK licence and also a Thai licence, so I'm wondering which to use. I seem to remember I read somewhere that my UK licence is invalidated if I hold a Thai licence? but I cant find the details.  My UK licence is still valid with the DVLA as I've done a check on their website. Any thoughts or experiences?

[NanLaew]

If it's a full, 5-year Thai DL, use that as it avoids the need to get a OTP or PIN online from the UK DVLA so the car rental agent can access you UK DL record for prohibitive penalties or suspension. It also reduces the amount of secondary ID one may be asked to produce such as UK utility bills or UK credit card statements.

[colinchaffers]

Yes its a 5 year full licence, If I use this I will need a International driving permit. IDP, anyone know the process?

[sharktooth]

My company hired me a car with my uk license in Aberdeen last year. And I haven’t lived there for 20 years.

[colinchaffers]

1 hour ago, colinchaffers said:

Yes its a 5 year full licence, If I use this I will need a International driving permit. IDP, anyone know the process?

Here is the requirement for the IDP issued in Thailand from the Land Transports website:

 

INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE UNDER GENEVA CONVENTION A.D.1949

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• INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE UNDER GENEVA CONVENTION A.D.1949

• 42001 Views

Date 17 August 2559

FOR CAR AND MOTORCYCLE DRIVING LICENSE.

1.PASSPORT WITH NON – IMMIGRANT VISA : ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY
**NON QUOTA VISA ALIEN IDENTITY BOOK (RED BOOK) : ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY
2. RESIDENCE CERTIFICATE FROM EMBASSY , IMMIGRATION POLICE OFFICE, GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION , INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION , WORK PERMIT OR CENSUS REGISTRATION (IN CASE OF THE ALIEN) : ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY
3. FIVE -YEARS THAI DRIVING LICENSE : CAR AND/OR MOTORCYCLE DRIVING LICENSE : ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY
4. PICTURES 2 PHOTOS 2 INCHES (NOT MORE THAN 6 MONTHS)
5. FEE : 505 BAHT
IF YOU DON’T COME BY YOURSELF : AUTHORISE LETTER WITH FEE STAMP 10 BATHS
*** INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE VALID FOR 1 YEAR.***

 

[Patriot1066]

1 hour ago, colinchaffers said:

Yes its a 5 year full licence, If I use this I will need a International driving permit. IDP, anyone know the process?

If your UK licence is in date then you might be better using that or they will most likely load the cost for hiring anything not on a UK based licence.

 

It is easy to renew if out of date and you have a UK address it can all be done on line at the dvla web site.

 

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, colinchaffers said:

Yes its a 5 year full licence, If I use this I will need a International driving permit. IDP, anyone know the process?

IDP not required.

[NanLaew]

22 minutes ago, Patriot1066 said:

If your UK licence is in date then you might be better using that or they will most likely load the cost for hiring anything not on a UK based licence.

 

It is easy to renew if out of date and you have a UK address it can all be done on line at the dvla web site.

 

My experience with 6 rentals out of Aberdeen, London and Manchester is there is no mark-up for having a foreign license.

 

My experience on my first rental out of Manchester and (logically) offering my UKDL was a request for a back-up credit card to the one I planned using to pay for the rental. When I balked at this, she asked if I had a utility bill or a bank or credit card statement all of which have to be in the same name/address as the UKDL and the primary credit card. Since it was getting on for 11 P.M. and we were getting nowhere, she asked where I had flown in from and after saying Thailand, she said if I had a Thai (or other full, foreign license), I could get by with just the passport, Thai DL and credit card, no address matching required. After that wee epiphany, I was on the road in about 15 minutes.

 

Subsequent checks with car rental brokers and rental companies indicated that the extra proof palaver for a UKDL is standard practise. Somewhere in the last 3 years, they have tacked on the need to get the DVLA involved so they can check your UKDL for points. They cannot access the DVLA database unless you apply for a PIN from DVLA that you give to the rental clerk so they can check your (and only your) DL status.

 

Use the Thai DL.

[wgdanson]

53 minutes ago, colinchaffers said:

Here is the requirement for the IDP issued in Thailand from the Land Transports website:

 

INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE UNDER GENEVA CONVENTION A.D.1949

 

•  HOME

   

 

 

• Driving License

   

 

 

• INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE UNDER GENEVA CONVENTION A.D.1949

   

• 42001 Views

   

Date 17 August 2559

 

FOR CAR AND MOTORCYCLE DRIVING LICENSE.

 

1.PASSPORT WITH NON – IMMIGRANT VISA : ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY
**NON QUOTA VISA ALIEN IDENTITY BOOK (RED BOOK) : ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY
2. RESIDENCE CERTIFICATE FROM EMBASSY , IMMIGRATION POLICE OFFICE, GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION , INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION , WORK PERMIT OR CENSUS REGISTRATION (IN CASE OF THE ALIEN) : ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY
3. FIVE -YEARS THAI DRIVING LICENSE : CAR AND/OR MOTORCYCLE DRIVING LICENSE : ORIGINAL AND PHOTO COPY
4. PICTURES 2 PHOTOS 2 INCHES (NOT MORE THAN 6 MONTHS)
5. FEE : 505 BAHT
IF YOU DON’T COME BY YOURSELF : AUTHORISE LETTER WITH FEE STAMP 10 BATHS
*** INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE VALID FOR 1 YEAR.***

 

 

Shall I tell them or will somebody else....there is no such thing as an International Driving LICENCE. The permit is merely a translation of your domestic licence, the Thai one is in English, so not needed in UK. Been there, done it.

[MJKT2014]

20 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

the Thai one is in English, so not needed in UK

My Thai DL has some Thai writing on it.

[NanLaew]

56 minutes ago, MJKT2014 said:

My Thai DL has some Thai writing on it.

As you would expect. But critically, it has all the relevant info (country, license number, type, name, validity, DOB, etc..) in English so it complies with some arcane standard of international driver licensry that makes it 101% acceptable in the UK.

 

As long as it's the 'full' license and not the 2-year 'provisional' one.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

Shall I tell them or will somebody else....there is no such thing as an International Driving LICENCE. The permit is merely a translation of your domestic licence, the Thai one is in English, so not needed in UK. Been there, done it.

... and no t-shirt either.

[Tropicalevo]

If you live out of the UK then your UK licence is NOT valid there. If you have an accident.......

 

I have used my Thai driving licence numerous times in the UK and no surcharge. Only once did the guy at the desk have to look in his magic book to confirm that the licence was legal and valid. I just had to show him which number was the licence number. (The other number is my passport number.)

[Mattd]

15 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

If you live out of the UK then your UK licence is NOT valid there. If you have an accident.......

 

I have used my Thai driving licence numerous times in the UK and no surcharge. Only once did the guy at the desk have to look in his magic book to confirm that the licence was legal and valid. I just had to show him which number was the licence number. (The other number is my passport number.)

This exactly correct, unless you have provable ties to the address on the UK license then it would be very difficult to hire a car in the UK using the UK license and is also technically illegal. 

I have been using my Thai Driving license to hire cars since they changed the format to be internationally recognised, never once has it been a problem.

[GBK]

I hire yearly in the UK with my Thai DL.  The rental websites frequently say this can’t be used, but it’s never been queried at the pick up desk. 

 

No IDP ever used.

[KNJ]

If you have a UK licence, most rentals require:

Confirmation from DVLA of number of points, which needs to be done online before you rent. It can be done at the rental but then you have to pay extra.

Additionally two proof of address on your DL address ( utility bills )

 

If you use a foreign licence ( Thai in your case ) the above is not needed, however in principal if you get pulled by the police and present the Thai licence, then they could potentially hold you until the case is heard in court ( In general unlikely but it depends on the arresting officer )

[JRG23]

Just hired a car yesterday in Brighton. UK driving licence required. Just the card. Paper bit no longer needed. (I also hold a Thai driving licence.)

[Mattd]

1 minute ago, JRG23 said:

Just hired a car yesterday in Brighton. UK driving licence required. Just the card. Paper bit no longer needed. (I also hold a Thai driving licence.)

Did you try to hire with the Thai one? It shouldn't have been a problem.

[JRG23]

2 minutes ago, Mattd said:

Did you try to hire with the Thai one? It shouldn't have been a problem.

Not entirely sure but doubt it would have worked. Insurance issues.

[Mattd]

3 minutes ago, JRG23 said:

Not entirely sure but doubt it would have worked. Insurance issues.

Interesting, I have hired dozens of cars in the UK over the years using my Thai license, never been a problem, if you don't reside in the UK, then technically you are supposed to use the Thai DL.

[Mises]

If you use a UK licence and commit any parking offences or get caught by a speed camera you will have to pay the fine(s).  If you use your Thai licence the prosecution paperwork will be binned by plod once the hire car company provide your details.

[pattaya1234was]

No longer have UK Licence and have just booked a hire car from London Heathrow with Budget . They demand  an International Driving Permit if I am going to use my 5-year Thai licence. On the 15 previous occasions I have done likewise no IDP has been demanded.

 

[Hotrats]

I always use my Thai driving license for car rental in UK. Have never had a problem. All that is required is the license plus passport, no other paperwork needed. As others have said it is technically illegal to use a UK license if you are not actually living in the UK with a verifiable UK address.

[Scotssing]

21 minutes ago, pattaya1234was said:

No longer have UK Licence and have just booked a hire car from London Heathrow with Budget . They demand  an International Driving Permit if I am going to use my 5-year Thai licence. On the 15 previous occasions I have done likewise no IDP has been demanded. 

 

Also same requirement on the Avis website for an IDP if using a non EU licence (Don't know what happens on March 30th!). countless people will tell you that they hired a car with just the Thai Licence and no IDP and you should be able to. However there is always the chance you will get a rule ridden clerk who rejects your Thai Licence without the IDP. I have read about such cases. To Be 100% certain get an IDP. Pretty simple at the LTA offices but you just need a bit of patience

 

 

[alant]

Never had a problem using Thai licence when hiring a car at the airport in UK. No IDP required as long as it is the plastic card with English on it.

[MJKT2014]

17 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

I just had to show him which number was the licence number. (The other number is my passport number.)

So when renting a car in UK with Thai DL one just shows DL and PP. Presumably any country PP not just UK PP applies here. That said what if my PP is renewed during validity of Thai DL? Do I have to renew my Thai DL to rent a car in UK or can I just carry along my old PP as well?

[Tropicalevo]

10 minutes ago, MJKT2014 said:

So when renting a car in UK with Thai DL one just shows DL and PP. Presumably any country PP not just UK PP applies here. That said what if my PP is renewed during validity of Thai DL? Do I have to renew my Thai DL to rent a car in UK or can I just carry along my old PP as well?

I rented a car at Birmingham Airport in September 2018.

 

The passport number on my Thai DL was not my current passport number. I had no difficulties with the rental, surcharges or insurance.

 

As an aside, the writing stating passport number is in Thai ????

[GBK]

1 hour ago, Mises said:

If you use a UK licence and commit any parking offences or get caught by a speed camera you will have to pay the fine(s).  If you use your Thai licence the prosecution paperwork will be binned by plod once the hire car company provide your details.

I think you will find that you have agreed on the contract for the hire company to charge any fines to your credit card. 

 

 

[jkcjag]

I recently rented a car from AVIS at Heathrow using my 5y Thai license...no issues at all. I seem to recall researching this topic on various rental agencies websites and finding varying rules, so you may want to do that too...but as I said, I had no issues at AVIS.

[Mises]

1 hour ago, GBK said:

I think you will find that you have agreed on the contract for the hire company to charge any fines to your credit card. 

 

 

Only fines or charges that the hire car company would be legally obliged to pay.  This is not the case with any speeding fine, the driver is, of course, liable not the car owner. The car owner is only legally obliged to provide the driver's name and address.

 

In any event you can only be fined if you accept the fixed penalty charge (AND POINTS) or are convicted in court, neither of which is going to happen.