Driving in Thailand on a European licence.

The International Driving Permit

For a visitor or a short stay, an International Driving Permit issued in your own country, carried alongside your national licence, is the normal basis for driving legally in Thailand. It is not a licence in itself; it is a recognised translation of the one you already hold and both documents must be presented together. Permits are issued under different international conventions and the version Thailand recognises is a matter to confirm before you travel, since the wrong one is worthless at a roadside check and, more importantly, can complicate an insurance claim. Obtain it at home before departure; it cannot be issued to you in Thailand.

The point most Europeans miss is the insurance consequence rather than the police one. If an accident occurs and you were not properly licensed to drive the vehicle, an insurer has grounds to decline, and hire companies and long term lessors have their own requirements on top. That is the practical argument for getting this right rather than relying on the widespread and true observation that many foreigners drive here on very little paperwork indeed.

Converting to a Thai licence

Anyone staying beyond a season should hold a Thai licence. It is the cleaner position legally, it simplifies insurance, it is accepted everywhere without explanation, and the process is more straightforward than its reputation. Broadly, the Department of Land Transport will issue a Thai licence to a foreign resident on the strength of a valid national licence, proof of address, a medical certificate obtained locally, and passing the short tests, with an initial licence of limited duration followed by a longer renewal. Holders of certain long stay visa categories find the process smoother because their residence documentation is already in order.

• A passport with a valid visa or entry stamp, plus copies of the relevant pages.
• Proof of address in Thailand, obtained either from immigration or from your embassy, and time limited once issued.
• Your valid national driving licence, and an international permit or an official translation.
• A medical certificate from a Thai clinic or hospital, issued recently.
• Colour vision, reaction and peripheral vision tests taken at the transport office.
• A written test in some circumstances, and the road safety briefing where required.
• The fee, and a morning of your time, which is realistically what it costs.

The requirements are administered locally and vary in practice between offices and over time, so the specific document list should be confirmed with the Department of Land Transport office you intend to use rather than taken from any guide. Many of our clients have the file assembled and the appointment arranged for them, which turns a fortnight of uncertainty into one morning.

Buying against leasing

Cars in Thailand are more expensive than Europeans expect, because import duty and excise on foreign built vehicles are substantial and land heavily on exactly the European marques our clients tend to want. A German saloon that would be unremarkable in price at home can be startling here. Japanese vehicles built domestically are far better value and are what most sensible residents actually drive. Depreciation on the premium European brands is also less forgiving than at home, and servicing for some marques is concentrated in a small number of authorised centres.

That arithmetic pushes most seasonal and early stage residents toward leasing. A long term lease from an established provider bundles the vehicle, insurance, servicing, road tax and usually a replacement car, removes the registration and ownership questions that a foreign national on a temporary visa would otherwise have to solve, and can be ended when the family's plans change. Buying makes sense once the family is settled, has a visa with real duration, and intends to keep the vehicle for several years. Registration in a foreign individual's name is possible with the right documentation, and the paperwork is materially easier with a long stay visa and a proof of residence in hand.

Insurance realities

Thailand has a compulsory basic motor insurance attached to the vehicle, and it is thin. It provides limited personal injury cover and nothing that would satisfy a European expectation. What you actually need is voluntary comprehensive cover, generally described in the local market as first class, which covers your own vehicle, third party property and injury at meaningful limits, and usually includes roadside assistance. It is inexpensive by European standards and there is no sensible argument for going without it.

• Buy first class comprehensive cover, not the compulsory minimum, and check the third party limits specifically.
• Confirm in writing that the policy covers any named driver you intend to use, including a household driver.
• Check the position on driving with an international permit rather than a Thai licence.
• Understand that in a serious accident the insurers of both parties negotiate at the scene, and that the police attend.
• Never admit liability or agree a cash settlement at the roadside without your insurer or your office on the telephone.
• Keep the policy document and the insurer's emergency number in the car and in a photograph on your telephone.

The honest safety picture

This part should not be softened. Thailand's road fatality rate is among the highest in the world and it is far above any western European country. The overwhelming majority of deaths involve motorcycles, and the risk is concentrated among riders without helmets, at night, at intersections, and around alcohol. Enforcement of the rules Europeans take for granted is inconsistent, lane discipline is fluid, and vehicles will appear from directions your European instincts do not scan for. The driving itself in daylight in Bangkok is not frightening, because the traffic barely moves. The danger is on the open highways, on the islands and at night.

The specific advice our office gives every arriving family, without exception, is the same one that expatriate parents here repeat to each other. Do not let your teenagers ride motorbikes or scooters, however normal it looks on Phuket, and do not casually rent one yourself for the holiday. It is the single largest avoidable risk a European family takes in Thailand and it accounts for a grim proportion of serious injuries to visitors. Beyond that: seatbelts in the back as well as the front, proper child seats which are not universally provided, no driving at night on rural roads if it can be avoided, and no alcohol at all before driving.

What our clients actually do

Most of the families we act for end up not driving themselves in Bangkok, and it is not laziness. A full time driver in Thailand costs a fraction of what the equivalent would cost in Europe, and buys back the two hours a day that the school run and the traffic consume, removes the parking problem entirely, and takes the accident risk off the family. Outside the cities, where the roads are open and the traffic is light, families drive themselves happily. In Bangkok the sensible pattern is a driver for the car and the Skytrain for anything on its line, and most of our clients arrive determined to drive and settle into this arrangement within a couple of months.

Licence conversion requirements, accepted international permit types, vehicle taxes and registration rules change and are applied differently between offices. Verify the current requirements with the Thai Department of Land Transport before relying on any of this, and confirm the exact terms of your motor cover with your insurer in writing.

This briefing is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Thai rules change frequently and individual cases differ. Verify current requirements with the relevant authorities, including the Immigration Bureau, the Board of Investment, the Land Department, the Department of Business Development and the Revenue Department, and take advice on your own facts before acting.