Driving licences in Thailand
Using a foreign or international licence, converting to a Thai one, and what the test involves.
The essentials
- An International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 or 1968 convention is valid for short stays.
- Long-stay residents should convert to a Thai licence; insurers and police increasingly expect it.
- Conversion requires a medical certificate, residence certificate and a short theory and reaction test.
- A first Thai licence is issued for two years, then renewable for five.
- Car and motorbike licences are separate documents.
Driving on a foreign licence
A valid IDP together with your home licence lets you drive legally for the duration of your permitted stay, up to a year. A home licence alone is not sufficient and is a common reason insurers decline claims.
Converting to a Thai licence
Bring: passport with valid visa, a residence certificate from Immigration or your embassy, a medical certificate from any clinic (a few hundred baht, issued the same day), your home licence and IDP, and passport photos.
At the Department of Land Transport office you sit a colour-blindness, depth-perception and reaction test, watch a road-safety video, and — if you do not hold a convertible foreign licence — take a written theory test and a practical driving test.
Fees are modest: around 105 THB for a motorbike licence and 205 THB for a car licence, plus the medical certificate.
| Step | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Medical certificate | 15 minutes | 100–300 THB |
| Residence certificate | Same day to 1 week | 0–500 THB |
| Tests and video at DLT | Half a day | — |
| Licence issue (car) | Same day | 205 THB |
| Licence issue (motorbike) | Same day | 105 THB |
Insurance
Compulsory third-party insurance (Por Ror Bor) is legally required and cheap, but pays out very little. Voluntary Class 1 insurance is what actually protects you and typically costs 12,000–25,000 THB a year for a car.
Check that your policy covers you on the licence you actually hold.
Renting
Reputable rental companies check for an IDP or Thai licence. Cheap motorbike rentals often do not, but riding without the right licence voids both their insurance and yours, and police checkpoints do fine foreign riders.
Official sources
Everything above is written from these. Rules change without notice, so check the relevant one before you book, pay or travel.
This page was last checked against those sources on 1 July 2026. Spotted something out of date? and we'll re-check it.