driving licence

[rick]

do you need a driving licence to hire and drive a 4x4 in phuket?

are there any other conditions or requirements for hiring cars or motor bikes apart from no drink and drive???

[IreMark]

money is license

[gregor200]

Depending on the rental agency, you need either
- leave your passport or personal document, when you rent
(local dealer)

- sign with your creditcard and (maybe) show your driving license

maybe somewhere on the road police wants to see your driving license, when they are in need of money. On the phuket bridge there are two roadblocks, maybe police wants to see farang driver license sometimes.

i already went the road from/to Bangkok to Phuket two times with my lady (she was driving), and from BKK to the north, no problem

[muffdiver]

there are controls every day where the want to see driving licens, and that will go on out december, so if you dont have a licens you will spent lots off time at the police station to pay the 500 bath fine.

[iani]

In case you do have to leave your passport with the rental company it's a good idea to carry a photocopy of it.

Ian

[r3aps]

Originally Posted by rick

do you need a driving licence to hire and drive a 4x4 in phuket?

are there any other conditions or requirements for hiring cars or motor bikes apart from no drink and drive???

on 7 tours never had to uise license yet,which i couldnt if i wanted as the police in uk have had mine for over a year ;(
just your passport or fotocopy of it is req.
steve

[LivinLOS]

Originally Posted by r3aps

on 7 tours never had to uise license yet,which i couldnt if i wanted as the police in uk have had mine for over a year ;(
just your passport or fotocopy of it is req.
steve

Used to be the case but not true any more.. Not only IS a licence required but as the boys in brown get to keep a large % of the fine personally they can be sticklers on it..

Eg carrying a UK licence is usually good enough but I have had to stand there and argue for 10 mins or more to get them to let me off not having an international or Thai licence (I know people who have paid a fine for only having thier home country licence)..

Also my UK licence does not indicate motorbikes (yet I can legally ride a 125) and they have also given me strife over not having motorbikes clearly defined and tried to make me pay the fine..

Each time 'I' have gotten away by simply keep smiling yet insist you are correct (without saying he is wrong) and that it is legal.. Others I know have been made to trek to the cop shop and pay the 300 baht.

I now try to carry my (expired) international but its a big paper thing and is awkward compared to the little credit card sized ones.. Really should go get Thai one from Phuket town as you can convert an international without taking the tests.

[stevem]

As livinlos has said, ride or drive without documentation these days, and you will get nicked.

[geespot]

Everytime I take out my m/bike I take my passport, uk & international driving licence. Ive had motorbikes in the UK for years so have no issue regarding being allwed to drive m/bikes under my licence.

No way the boys in brown are getting 300 baht off me

G

[gregor200]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Used to be the case but not true any more.. Not only IS a licence required but as the boys in brown get to keep a large % of the fine personally they can be sticklers on it..

Eg carrying a UK licence is usually good enough but I have had to stand there and argue for 10 mins or more to get them to let me off not having an international or Thai licence (I know people who have paid a fine for only having thier home country licence)..

Also my UK licence does not indicate motorbikes (yet I can legally ride a 125) and they have also given me strife over not having motorbikes clearly defined and tried to make me pay the fine..

Each time 'I' have gotten away by simply keep smiling yet insist you are correct (without saying he is wrong) and that it is legal.. Others I know have been made to trek to the cop shop and pay the 300 baht.

I now try to carry my (expired) international but its a big paper thing and is awkward compared to the little credit card sized ones.. Really should go get Thai one from Phuket town as you can convert an international without taking the tests.

Where in Phuket we can get this license ?

[tintin]

It was possible to drive around in Patong, also from Patong to Kata, without having a control.

In Phuket-town, EVERY TIME!, they asked for my driver licence!

A priori, they even ask an INTERNATIONAL one! But...as on my Belgian license, there is stated (very small caracters btw) driverlicence in english, I got away with it!.

Anyway, if you DON't have an internatial, they try to sell you btw, keep on smiling, be very polite and say "no-no", look in English, official INTERNATIONAL driverlicence, even if it is an ordinary one!

Anyway, never go out with your bike without it, I was amazed by the many times it was asked for! Also take your rental-agreement with you, I had one who claimed that too!!

[IreMark]

Hmmm I find that unusual the whole group I went with was never asked for license once in Thailand and even when we got a jeep this never happened?

Did I get lucky?

[Nicke]

Prior to this year both helmet and driver license was seldom enforced but it is different now.

Sometimes they also check your tax and insurance stickers carefully and you will pay 900 baht fine if they are expired. This was never an issue in the past.

The good thing is that they seems to accept national driver license (if you are allowed to drive motorbike), some periods they are very strict requiring an international driver license. (And by law it is correct)

I have Thai driver license which is expired, I should renew it.

[geespot]

hmmm well its fact or am imagining things everyday!!!!

[stevem]

Originally Posted by geespot

hmmm well its fact or am imagining things everyday!!!!

You must be mate, as are the rest of us that live here as well.