Thai DL in other countries

[cheaty]

Hi all, 

I'm considering using one of those cheap and fast services that offer a Thai driver's licence. My IDP expired a while back, but I have a valid licence from my home country.

Do you have any experience or knowledge of how useful a Thai DL is in other countries - for example, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia?

[thainet]

24 minutes ago, cheaty said:

cheap and fast services that offer a Thai driver's licence.

There are no services that offer a licence.  There are services to help you thru the process only.

So please elaborate on what services you are actually talking about...

[Danno13]

32 minutes ago, cheaty said:

cheap and fast services that offer a Thai driver's licence

I think there used to be a few places that had a quick Thai D/L service.  I guess you had to provide your home D/L and maybe an international driving permit and then they worked their "magic" and all you had to do was go take some braking test that I heard was super easy... press the brake when you see something if front of you or something like that, maybe take a photo pay some baht and pow you are good for 5 years.  Not sure how cheap it was... 

I say Was because I think there was a lot of talk about this being cracked down on several months back and while you can get a Thai D/L still its A LOT more involved... maybe more documents (not sure if available to tourists) a written test and maybe a driving test... plus probably the brake test still...  If anyone knows the specifics i'd like to know as I'd like to get a Thai D/L as well.

As for your original question, no clue as to if it would be good in surrounding countries, but logically I would think it would since there is a lot of back and forth at the Lao and Cambodian borders... when its calm. 

[thainet]

24 minutes ago, Danno13 said:

I think there used to be a few places that had a quick Thai D/L service.  I guess you had to provide your home D/L and maybe an international driving permit and then they worked their "magic" and all you had to do was go take some braking test that I heard was super easy... press the brake when you see something if front of you or something like that, maybe take a photo pay some baht and pow you are good for 5 years.  Not sure how cheap it was... 

I say Was because I think there was a lot of talk about this being cracked down on several months back and while you can get a Thai D/L still its A LOT more involved... maybe more documents (not sure if available to tourists) a written test and maybe a driving test... plus probably the brake test still...  If anyone knows the specifics i'd like to know as I'd like to get a Thai D/L as well.

As for your original question, no clue as to if it would be good in surrounding countries, but logically I would think it would since there is a lot of back and forth at the Lao and Cambodian borders... when its calm. 

As i said above...times have changed. System is a bit more complicated now...appointments must be made beforehand, Immigration letter reqd, Visa type checked etc. New licences when approved are only for 2 years initially. Agents can still help you thru the process, but most of it you must do yourself.

[cheaty]

My bad! 
About 2-3 months ago my FB feed was flooded with ads offering easy Thai DL. I contacted two of the agencies, and they quoted prices of about 1500-1600 baht. Money, my home DL, passport and waiting 2-3 days to get a Thai DL.

I guess something happened, because I can't even find the chats in my history now.

Yesterday I contacted another agency, which offered the same service for 4000 baht.

[Macawber]

7 minutes ago, cheaty said:

My bad! 
About 2-3 months ago my FB feed was flooded with ads offering easy Thai DL. I contacted two of the agencies, and they quoted prices of about 1500-1600 baht. Money, my home DL, passport and waiting 2-3 days to get a Thai DL.

I guess something happened, because I can't even find the chats in my history now.

Yesterday I contacted another agency, which offered the same service for 4000 baht.

Looks like you may have dodged a bullet there mate.  Unless of course you've decided to take option 3 (4000 TBH at best might be to assist you to renew a current DL) 

Edited August 19, 2025 by Macawber

[thainet]

6 minutes ago, cheaty said:

My bad! 
About 2-3 months ago my FB feed was flooded with ads offering easy Thai DL. I contacted two of the agencies, and they quoted prices of about 1500-1600 baht. Money, my home DL, passport and waiting 2-3 days to get a Thai DL.

I guess something happened, because I can't even find the chats in my history now.

Yesterday I contacted another agency, which offered the same service for 4000 baht.

Please refer my post above. There is no easy DL now....  

[cheaty]

Ok guys, thanks for the info

[kansuwan]

The question remains: are Thai driving licences useable in (eg) the UK, US, Europe?

[tjvol]

19 hours ago, kansuwan said:

The question remains: are Thai driving licences useable in (eg) the UK, US, Europe?

You can use your Thai driver's license in other countries if you also have an international driver's license (IDP) issued in Thailand.  You cannot get an IDP with the initial 2yr driver's license since it is considered a temporary or learner's license.  You get a regular 5yr license when you renew.

[freedom42]

On 19/08/2025 at 15:35, cheaty said:

My bad! 
About 2-3 months ago my FB feed was flooded with ads offering easy Thai DL. I contacted two of the agencies, and they quoted prices of about 1500-1600 baht. Money, my home DL, passport and waiting 2-3 days to get a Thai DL.

I guess something happened, because I can't even find the chats in my history now.

Yesterday I contacted another agency, which offered the same service for 4000 baht.

A lot of these ads are scams. Unless it is a brick and mortar visa shop that you can actually speak to someone in person, and take you to the DLT to have your photo taken, you are NOT getting a legal driver's license. You WILL get a "Khao San Road" copy, which won't match up in the DLT database, and if you are in an accident, you will be fucked. 

As for using a Thai DL. in other countries, I have recently done it in Japan and rented a car. I had the IDP issued from Rayong DLT. The rental car company also made me sign a document in regards to liability as my passport is not from the same country my driver's license is issued from. Also, specifically, Japan ONLY accepts IDP's issued from countries that are signatory to the 1949 Geneva convention on road traffic, and not the 1968 Vienna convention. 

Here you can see what countries accept what document https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Driving_Permit#Countries_and_jurisdictions_that_recognize_IDP

As far as I know, any ASEAN member is supposed to recognize another member's driver's licence without having an IDP
https://www.motorist.co.th/en/article/4765/9-asean-countries-where-a-thai-licence-is-valid-without-an-international-driving-permit

[biggles]

Thailand is part of the ASEAN group of 10 countries and they have an agreement (copy available on line) to recognise each other's licences without an IDP.

I live in the Philippines with a car and bike licence. I have regularly used it in Thailand, where I have a motor bike, for 3 years now. At check points police just waved me on.