Boys in Brown are Hard at it

While it sites look like a high season cash grab. This is always the way I understood the law to be. Also the idp us only valid for a few months too, I can not remember if I read 3 or 6.



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Assume if you got a Thai IDP, that it was based on your Thai DL anyway ??

I also have had a few Thai IDP's over the years, even tho they are same as anywhere valid for 12 months.. This is only noted on the very reverse in small script.. Given I use them in indo and cambo where the cops are not the most english fluent, I doubt it would ever be noticed as expired. Its also the prettiest IDP I have ever had, unlike those nasty grey UK RAC issued ones.

I also buy and sometimes carry a IDL, I know full well the IDP is not really legal, but for 25 or so bucks you get an official looking little book, and 2 plastic ID cards with holograms and stuff which is great for 3rd world cops and as its not worth anything much you can leave it and run away if push comes to shove, of have it in a carry around wallet without fear of hard to replace legal docs going missing.
 
LivinLOS said:
While it sites look like a high season cash grab. This is always the way I understood the law to be. Also the idp us only valid for a few months too, I can not remember if I read 3 or 6.



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Click to expand...

Whilst an Australian international Drivers Permit is valid for 12 months from date of issue ( unless your Ozzy licence expires, is suspended or revoked in the meantime). You are also required to carry your Australian Drivers Licence with your IDP whilst overseas.
It was good to see the NRMA have reduced fees recently to A$39.
Possession of an IDP in no way diminishes the obligation of the holder to conform strictly to the laws and regulations in-force in any country visited.
See - International Driving Permit - Australian Automobile Association

eg - In both the Philippines and Thailand, a local licence is required if your stay extends for a continuous 3 months.
Tip - Upon each re-enter of a country the 3 month period commences again.
 
So where to go make a Thai license and what hoops do I have to jump through to get one?
 
Your passport, Your own licence from back home, the IDP (if you have one) ,A residency certificate, a medical certificate and rock up to the Thai equivalent of a registry.
Expect to be asked to come back tomorrow but managed to work around that one.
They'll want a few copies of some things - just so happened downstairs was a lady with a copying machine making money.
Sat a basic test.
Got car and bike locence - they are seperate and hahahaha, different costs for each.
They are called a tempory locence and last for 1 year onyl.
On the upside - Flash it at national parks etc and pay Thai price - not farang price.
I've found Thais are more impressed when shown this instead of a passport.
 
I did it (car and MB which have on my home DL) all in and hour or so with the docs mentioned above including an IDP that was more than 3 months old but less than 6 months old.
 
I did some research when I was refused a residence cert and it seems a foreign licence is acceptable if it has a photo like the new UK ones. Mine doesn't so I also worked on the fact that an Asian would probably not tnotice that my IDP was out of date.
NB re IDP's
They are not valid in country of issue.
They must be accompanied by a 'real' licence.
There is no such thing (officially) as an 'International Driving Licence.
 
Gnasher328 said:
There is no such thing (officially) as an 'International Driving Licence.
Click to expand...

There is.. Its just it isnt what people think it is..

An IDL is simply a translation of your home country license.. That was as per some international agreement in the late 60s.. But really that international agreement simply said all these countries accept each others licenses, so your not gaining anything only another translated piece of paper, legally its not doing much.

The IDP is issues by a major motoring association usually AA or RAC and is valid in many countries that dont accept home country licenses even ones with a picture ID. Some countries demand it, some need it to be properly insured etc..

I buy and carry those 'scam' IDLs online, as its something to wave at 3rd world cops, you can lose your wallet without incident or even hand the license to the cop and still do a runner when he thinks he has you. I think its 30 bucks for 2 IDL cards and a little IDP like book. Been 30 bucks well spent a few times for me on Bali and in Cambo.
 
I just redid my Thai driver's license a couple months ago...the first time I got it for 150baht valid 1 year in 2007 and the second time in 2008 valid 5 1/2 years for the same price, just based on my home license. This time I had to take a test LOL and it cost 980 baht, but valid 6 years because I did it 5 days passed my B-day, go figure. It's nothing complicated and well worth while doing, just get the required paperwork at the next visa run then hit a motor vehicle department in the same province.

Cops like it when you can present a Thai driver's license and usually let you get away with quite some things...in Chok Chai for example the radar they have maxes out at 240Km/h...so they ask you how fast you were going (when over of course)...the first time I got "caught" it cost me 5 minutes talk (had to explain that at that speed I don't look at the instruments but concentrate on the road and they liked the answer :-) ), the second time it cost a picture with the chief on my R1 and the third time I had to go back a few hundred meters and show them a wheely...never had to pay!

Every country issues a one year International License based on your driver's license, the real ones are always only valid one year and need to be renewed. I always get one from here with my Thai license when I go back home so I don't have to show my home license...
 
Hi Alex, nice to see you here at the forum that respects article 19 of the etc......:o
 
Talibanning Tony been at it again, has he? I must ask my mate Urrkotwich about Article 19 next time I bump into him.

Re licenses... I got pulled over on Monday. Cop spoke perfect English... seemed that he only pulled me over because I was a Farang.... asked for my licence, whilst checking for the rego sticker on the mighty Yammie that I was riding (something less than an R1). Pulled my Oz licence, said, "sorry... my International one is back at the hotel with my passport"... which was true... and got waved on.
 
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