To hire and rent a scooter or motorbike in our shop in Phuket you only need any driver license. For us it’s ok if you have your country driver license. We don’t ask for international driving license.
Anyway, here there are the official rules of Thailand.
Well, there are so many ways to answer this question; but let’s say that by law, you
absolutely must carry your driving license while you are on the road. And by this, I mean the
International Driver’s License , in case the one you have is not in english or french.
Although in the practice (according to many visitors of Thailand), it is rare that you can be
fined for not having an International Driver’s Permit; usually your country driving license is fine.
But, what’s the International Driver’s License?
To hire and rent a scooter or motorbike in our shop you only need any driver license. For us it’s ok if you have your country driver license. We don’t ask for international driving license.
The International Driver’s License or rather the International Driver’s Permit (IDP), is a
document officially specifying that you’re licensed to drive in your “home” country and
recognized by most countries as official document allowing you to drive. Usually you can ask
for this permission in the same place your get your local driver’s license or online . You can get more info here on the Phuket Dir Website.
But wait, you may not need your license if it is already in english or french, as I said at the
beginning of the post. For the ones that doesn’t have the latin alphabet on their permission;
well, then is necessary. But abroad, no matter the case, the International Driver’s Permit is
only legally valid in combination with the local license.
Driving laws in Thailand
To hire and rent a scooter or motorbike in our shop you only need any driver license. For us it’s ok if you have your country driver license. We don’t ask for international driving license.
Well if you are planning to live in Thailand, you will need to get a local driver’s license after
spend three months, as a tourist in the country. However, in this article we will focus on your
vacation; so the following is what the law says in their 1979 Motor Vehicle Act – section 42,
about the driver’s license:
“Anyone who wishes to drive a motor vehicle on public roads must possess an
appropriate driver’s license. The driver must carry the driver’s license and a
photocopy of the registration book and show them to competent officers upon
request (…) who doesn’t have an immigrant visa may drive a motor vehicle with a
driver’s license issued by such a foreign government, or an automobile association
authorized by such a foreign government.”
If you ask the locals, they might say that in the practice, is not necessary the International
Driver’s Permit to drive a scooter in Thailand. And also don’t be surprised if the company
rental don’t ask you for your driver license, I mean, they will only ask for a copy of your
passport. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to worry anymore, because the ones
you should concern about, are the police officers in case they caught you driving without
your documents.
And what about the other requirements?
To hire and rent a scooter or motorbike in our shop you only need any driver license. For us it’s ok if you have your country driver license. We don’t ask for international driving license.
To ride a scooter in Thailand, and remain strictly within the law, you must take into account
the following:
Obey all the traffic rules and signs, and of course, always drive with precaution. Sounds
obvious, but you can’t be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while are you driving and
it’s mandatory to wear a helmet, as well as protective footwear and clothing.
Before renting, corroborate that the scooter has a tax sticker, the registration plates, it’s in
the vehicle registration book, and counts with a third party insurance. Normally a cash
security deposit of around 1000 Bath is required, ensure you get a receipt and that all the
papers are in order.
The maximum period that you can drive or hire a car or scooter legally on an International
Driver’s Permit, is 60 days on a Tourist Visa or 90 days on a Non-Immigrant O Visa. Click
here to know the procedure to get a Thai Driver’s Licence
Now the fun begins!
To hire and rent a scooter or motorbike in our shop you only need any driver license. For us it’s ok if you have your country driver license. We don’t ask for international driving license.
Well, with all that cleared down, there’s only one thing left to said… Im talking about all the
benefits of traveling around on a scooter, it’s just simply fantastic! You won’t regret the
freedom of displacement that is obtained with this kind of transportation. Plus, you will save
time and money, that’s for sure!