Driving licence in Thailand
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Like many other countries, a driver's licence is required before someone can drive on any road in Thailand. Thai driver's licence is issued by the Department of Land Transport, Ministry of Transport and can be used throughout the Kingdom of Thailand and other ASEAN states.[1][2] The minimum age to drive a motor vehicle is 18, and 15 for a motorcycle.
Type of driver's licence
Below are the driver's license categories in Thailand[3]
| Type of Licenses Under Motor Vehicle Act 1979 | Vehicle Permitted to drive |
|---|---|
| Type A — Temporary Driving License | - Private Passenger Car (Sedan) - Microbus and Passenger Pick-up |
| Type B — Computerized Lifetime Driving License; – Lifetime Driving License; – Computerized Five-year Driving License | - Private Passenger Car (Sedan) - Microbus and Passenger Pick-up |
| Type C — Taxi Driving License | - Private Passenger Car (Sedan) - Microbus and Passenger Pick-up |
| Type D — Public Motor tricycle driving license | Public Motor tricycle |
| Type E — Temporary Motorcycle driving license | Motorcycle |
| Type F — Lifetime Motorcycle driving license; – Five-year Motorcycle driving license | Motorcycle |
| Type G - Public Motorcycle driving license | Public Motorcycle |
| Type H - Road Roller driving license | Road Roller |
| Type I - Tractor driving license | Tractor |
| Type of license Under Land Transport Act 1979 | Vehicle Permitted to drive |
|---|---|
| Class 1 | Van |
| Class 2 | Commercial Trucks and Bus (Up to 3,500 kg. and up to 20 passengers on bus) |
| Class 3 | Trailer |
| Class 4 | Hazardous material vehicle |
Applying for a driver's licence
Unlike most countries, there is no provisional or learner's licence in Thailand. Drivers who wish to obtain a driver's licence have to either learn through driving school or are at their own risk for not having a driving licence.
Car driver's licence candidates should set aside two full days for training and testing at the Department of Transport Office.
Day 1
When ready, candidates are required to make an appointment for visual and response performance tests and a four-hour legal, road code and defensive driving sessions at their local Department of Land Transport office. After this, candidates must sit a written examination. The examination is done though a computerised system and is available in Thai, English, Japanese and Chinese. Other languages apart from Thai may not be available in Department of Land Transport offices outside Bangkok. One resit is allowed on the same day.
Upon successful completion, candidates are allowed to make an appointment for practical examination. The practical examination must be done within 90 days of successful written examination.
Day 2
Candidates will be taken around the examination venue where procedure will be explained. There are generally three stages of examination.
- Driving straight forward and backward
- Two different types of parking
Depending on the examination venue, car rental may be available for an additional charge of 100 baht (approx US$3.20).
Upon successful completion, candidates will be given documents and redirected to the office where photo is taken and temporary licence is issued at the cost of 205 Baht (US$6.50). If the candidate fail to pass any part of the examination, candidate will be given a notice to redo the part he/she fail after three days but within 90 days of the last examination.
Driving outside Thailand
On any condition, the temporary driving licence is not valid outside the Kingdom of Thailand, and the international driving permit is not issued to a temporary driver's licence holder.[4]
- ASEAN member states: Thai driver's licence is valid without International Driving Permit.
- Rest of the world: International Driving Permit may or may not be required along with a valid Thai driver's licence. Due the new licences with English, the International Driving Permit is not required in English speaking countries.