Police 'fines'

[Zidane]

I've got the new British Licence with the picture,birth date etc.but the Thai Police have still to put it to the test yet
But Norseman makes a very valid point.....you can have a Thai,EU,or British licence over here but if a farang is involved in an accident it will be deemed to be his fault,whatever the circumstances.
Maybe if a farang is involved in an accident with another farang the type of licence might be useful,eh !

Zidane

[lomuamart]

As we're on this topic, a couple of things.
1. I very much doubt that my UK driving licence is valid here. It's one of those scrumpled up old pieces of paper, but it's valid (in the UK) until 11/08/2028!!
2. About being stopped. A number of years ago, I went with some others on a visa run to Ranong. Hire car. The driver unfortunately had a motorcycle accident a few hours before we left. His injuries included a broken collar bone and pretty nasty scrapes on his face. Still, he drove through the night.
We went through quite a few roadblocks near provincial borders and like crazy 88 said, our driver just waved at them and moved on.
Bearing in mind that that he was definitely not fit to drive and that I was on two days overstay, it was lucky we weren't pulled over.
On the way back, we were stopped at the Ranong/Chumpon army checkpoint, but as I was now legal I didn't care and the soldiers simply couldn't understand how my friend could drive in his state. A simple "mai pen rai - accident" and we were waved through.
I suppose that four farang nutcases in a car was just too much for them to handle

[STEVE G]

I sometimes drive in the area near the Cambodian border in Buriram and there are nearly always police road-blocks somewhere along the way, but most of the time you get waved through. Only once have I had to pay a small “fineâ€

[Little treefrog]

Treefrog, there is a newer type UK license that comes with an ID type photo card, but I still have the older one which is the folded sheet of paper. The problem with the International permit is that you have to get them in the UK and it only lasts one year, so I never manage to keep them valid.
When stopped I always show my passport as well to get around the problem and this normally works, failing that I resort to 100 bt.
I keep trying to get a new style license, but seeing as how I only ever go to the UK at weekends, it’s taking a while.
I could get a Luxembourg license here, but I stay in a hotel so the address is a problem.

Please, don´t get offended, I think the whole idea whith folded sheet of paper as a driving licens is sweet, and I think it is great that you keept it for so long

However, the information I can get is that you need a International driving licens with 1968 convention and that licens last for 3 years, but It could be that it is different for each country.

[KelpieKiss]

Agree with you Nereus that it's a no brainer to get a Thai driver license.
(Maybe this is one of the reasons to the many terrible traffic accidents here).

Are you suggesting that by getting a Thai license it would make me a safer driver here?! I've heard the test here is a complete and utter joke. The fact that I have one of the best driving licenses in the world (UK/EU) but I'm supposed to go and get 'tested' in some car park somewhere to see if I can park a car is pretty pointless. You don't even have to go on the road!

Do they teach you important things in the Thai test, like how to flashy flashy your lights at everything, undertake and overtake vehicles leaving only 1mm of room, use your cell phone while eating and driving, drive while pissed, how to barter with police, hit sleeping dogs, pull out into traffic without looking, drive at 6kph down the highway looking lost, how to balance furniture 12m high on the back of a pickup.

These seem to be some of the important skills for driving on Thai roads. If the Thai driving license will make me better at these things then maybe I should get one.

Why don't they just get rid of the whole charade and just charge all farangs who intend to drive a big fine when they arrive in the airport. The police and officials can then share it out amongst themselves and we can go about our way in peace.

[KelpieKiss]

But Norseman makes a very valid point.....you can have a Thai,EU,or British licence over here

Just got a Thai to phone up the embassy and enquire for me. Apparently you do need a Thai license. An EU one is not good enough. Looks like I'll be avoiding the MIB on my drives home for a while.

[KelpieKiss]

1. I very much doubt that my UK driving licence is valid here. It's one of those scrumpled up old pieces of paper, but it's valid (in the UK) until 11/08/2028!!

Try hiring a car in the UK with that. Good luck.

[lomuamart]

1. I very much doubt that my UK driving licence is valid here. It's one of those scrumpled up old pieces of paper, but it's valid (in the UK) until 11/08/2028!!

Try hiring a car in the UK with that. Good luck.

Havn't done that, but I have been insured to drive my parents' cars.
Mind you, that was a few years ago and the last time my father didn't like me to drive with only one hand on the wheel. And the car was automatic. It was summer - so what?
At least I didn't have 20 kids and all their puppies on the bike, nor was I talking into a mobile or eating some somtam either. And most definitely, I hadn't had a drink. Which is a first!!

[Zidane]

Kelpie Kiss,when I mentioned the different types of licence,the point I was making was that the farang will be deemed at fault for any accident irrespective of wether or not he holds a Thai,UK or EU licence.

But no matter...... this talk of Thai driving tests reminds me of a story of my ex boss who worked at the Rayong Refinery over 20 years ago.
He went to take his test....reversing into an area where you could fit half a dozen buses,hill start on a man made ramp area etc.
All went well (as you would imagine) but then he was taken into a room where he had to take a written test of 30 multiple choice questions.
To his horror he saw all the paper was written in Thai (not the same as today) but when he looked closely each question had one faint pencil line under the answers section.
Not surprisingly he took the option of putting each underlined item as his answer.
After his paper was taken away to be marked and ten or so minutes later the examiner emerged to say "Congratulations,Mr.Williams ,you passed your written examination scoring 29 out of 30."
Intrigued,my boss said "Oh,which one did I get wrong ?"
The examiner smiled and said "Nobody gets 30."

Zidane

[Norseman]

Are you suggesting that by getting a Thai license it would make me a safer driver here?!

Absolutely not.
Because it's so easy to get a license, means you can't drive!!
Where do the Thais learn to drive then?
Out in the traffic with all other learners as well!

Try hiring a car in the UK with that. Good luck.

Try hiring a car from Budget Car Rental here in Hua Hin with a Thai driver license!!

[Riversider]

I only have a paper licence, have hired from Avis at BKK with no problems. Have been stopped my MIB 3 times and am now 600B poorer although last year was stopped on road to Pranburi. Showed paper licence and was let go with no "donation". Perhaps I have been lucky.

[Nereus]

Agree with you Nereus that it's a no brainer to get a Thai driver license.
(Maybe this is one of the reasons to the many terrible traffic accidents here).

Are you suggesting that by getting a Thai license it would make me a safer driver here?! I've heard the test here is a complete and utter joke. The fact that I have one of the best driving licenses in the world (UK/EU) but I'm supposed to go and get 'tested' in some car park somewhere to see if I can park a car is pretty pointless. You don't even have to go on the road!



.

If you have a recognized home country licence, or an International Drivers Licence, there is no driving "test". For the initial issue of what they call a "temporary driving permit", (valid for 1 year), you will have to pass an eye colour test, a "reflex" test, and a strange test that is supposed to check your peripheral vision. This is in addition to the medical certificate. There is no written test with this procedure. Note that this is for a private motor car, I do not know about motorcycles.

[Governor]

[/quote]

I do not know about motorcycles.[/quote]

It's the same for a motorcycle, well it was for me anyway. I filled in the forms, they looked at my UK licence, and after I took their tests they gave me two licences, one for a motorcycle and one for a car.

My medical certificate was a few days out of date so I had a to get a new one from a clinic, cost me 50 Baht and of course they didn't look at me, but hey ho that's the rules.

[STEVE G]

1. I very much doubt that my UK driving licence is valid here. It's one of those scrumpled up old pieces of paper, but it's valid (in the UK) until 11/08/2028!!

Try hiring a car in the UK with that. Good luck. :?

Actually you can hire cars on them in the UK as long as you are only using it as proof of having a license; they will normally want to see a passport as well for identity purposes. Certainly this was the case last year with Avis and Hertz.
I’ve also had no problem hiring from Budget in Hua Hin with it either.

[2dandan]

I always rent a motorbike when I'm in Hua Hin and regularly ride without money, passport or driving lcence. (Always wearing my helmet)

I've been fortunate not to have been stopped by the MIB. What would happen to me (hypothetically) if I was stopped at a checkpoint.

Be realistic, as I know that potentially I could be slapped in handcuffs and locked up.

Would they just shrug their shoulders and send me on my way or is the above arresting option the realistic option.