Driving Licence & IDP

If you intend to drive or ride anything in Thailand, sort this before you travel. It is a small piece of paper that decides whether an accident is an inconvenience or a financial catastrophe.

What you need

An International Driving Permit, carried together with your own national licence. Two points catch people out every season:

• Get it at home. An IDP is issued by the authority that issued your licence, in your own country. It cannot be obtained in Thailand.
• Check it covers motorcycles if you plan to ride a scooter. A car entitlement does not cover a motorbike, and that exact distinction is what an insurer will examine.

At a checkpoint

Police do stop foreign drivers and riders, most often for no helmet or no valid licence. It is routine rather than adversarial: show your documents, be polite, and it takes a minute. Carrying copies rather than originals is common practice.

If you are staying longer

An IDP is a short-term instrument. Anyone living here for a season or more is better off getting a Thai driving licence, which is genuinely straightforward — a medical certificate, a residence certificate, some simple reaction and vision tests and a road-safety video. It also doubles as a widely accepted photo ID, which means leaving your passport in the safe.

Cars and bikes to rent