# Getting a Thai Driving Licence in Phuket as a Foreigner Page URL: https://kolesio.com/en/guide/getting-a-thai-driving-licence-in-phuket/ A Thai driving licence is for foreigners who live in Phuket long term: it is issued against a visa of the right category and a local address, so a tourist on a two or three week holiday cannot and need not get one. Visitors drive on their national licence together with an International Driving Permit under the 1949 or the 1968 convention (Thailand has joined both, the UN Treaty Collection shows), and drivers from ASEAN countries on their own licence. The exception is a licence that is not in English, which needs an IDP or a certified translation carried with it. **A week from 5 145 ฿ total** — economy car 735 ฿/day · crossover from 9 555 ฿ · refundable deposit from 5 000 ฿ · live search, 7 days from 2 November, pick-up in Patong. [Ask on WhatsApp: Getting a Thai Driving Licence in Phuket as a Foreigner](https://kolesio.com/go/wa/?p=%2Fen%2Fguide%2Fgetting-a-thai-driving-licence-in-phuket%2F) ## In short - Long stays — a Thai licence is for people who live on the island - Visa + address — what the licence is issued against - Licence + IDP — what a visitor drives on; the permit is valid only with the licence - ASEAN — member-state licences are recognised in Thailand Kolesio Car Rental Phuket — car rental in Phuket. Booking and support by Kolesio on WhatsApp +66 99 647 8676. Checked 19 October. ## Can a tourist get a Thai driving licence? In practice, no, and there is no reason to try. The Thai licence belongs to people who live here: it is issued to holders of a suitable visa category who can show where they live on the island. A holiday visitor has neither, and does not need them. What does a visitor use instead? Two documents from home. Your national licence, plus an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 or the 1968 convention, and the pair works together; the permit alone is only a translation of a card you are not carrying. Drivers from Malaysia, Singapore and the other ASEAN countries skip the permit, because Thailand recognises their licences under the ASEAN agreement. ### Who should get one Someone who has moved to Phuket, or spends most of the year here. For them a local licence ends the question of permits and translations for good. For a two or three week stay the national licence with an IDP is enough, and we hand over cars on exactly that every day. ## How does getting a Thai licence work for a foreign resident? The licence is issued by the land transport office, and that office sets the list of papers and tests. We are a rental company, not the office, so we will not quote a list that can change; check it with them before you go. What stays constant is the base: a visa that allows a long stay and a confirmed address. Until the Thai card is in your hands, keep driving on what you already have. Your home licence and the IDP stay valid for rental and for a police check, so there is no gap in which you are stuck without a car. ### Renting by the month while you settle in People who have just moved usually need a car before any office visit happens. For them monthly rental is the simple bridge: one total for the whole period agreed in chat, the car delivered to the house, delivery and the refundable deposit counted separately. It runs on the same licence and permit as a holiday rental. One practical point for newcomers: the IDP can only be issued in the country that issued your national licence. If you are moving over, get it at home before the flight, since it cannot be arranged from Phuket. - Check your visa category first — the licence is tied to living here, not to visiting - Get your address confirmed — the office asks where you live on the island - Ask the office for its current list of papers and tests — it is theirs to set, and it changes - Keep your national licence and IDP in the car meanwhile — they remain your legal pair > An International Driving Permit never replaces the licence itself. Without the national card in your wallet, neither a police check nor the insurance on a rental car works in your favour, however valid the permit looks. ## What that means for renting a car At handover we look at three things: passport, licence and, for licences from outside ASEAN, the IDP. If you hold an ASEAN licence that is not in English, bring the IDP or a certified translation along with it. Every driver who will take the wheel goes on the agreement with the same documents. An unlisted friend driving, or a missing licence, leaves the insurance void. Keep the papers in the car, not in the hotel safe. A roadside check asks for licence, IDP and the rental agreement, and the police may ask for the permit specifically. If you are a visitor with a national licence and an IDP, we bring the car to arrivals, your hotel or villa at any hour: automatic, first-class commercial insurance, refundable deposit of 5,000–30,000 ฿, depending on the model, the total for your dates fixed in chat. Send the dates in the chat or through the booking form. ## No licence with you? How to get around Phuket Left the permit at home? Then plan the island without a steering wheel. Blue buses and songthaews run the main roads from Phuket Town in daylight and fade out in the evening. Ride-hailing apps and taxis cover the evenings and the west coast beaches, though beyond the airport, town and west coast triangle a pickup can take a long time or never come. At about three trips a day a rental car starts to beat the apps on cost and patience. So if the IDP can reach you, or a fellow traveller holds one, the car is usually the better deal. Getting around Phuket without a scooter covers that plan in more detail. ## Cars for this question Easy automatic cars for a first drive in Phuket: - [Mazda 2: a compact car for narrow island roads](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/mazda-2-rental-phuket/) - [Toyota Vios: an economy sedan for the airport run](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/toyota-vios-rental-phuket/) - [Honda HR-V: a crossover with a higher seat and a clear view](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/honda-hr-v-rental-phuket/) - [MG 3: a city hatchback with a simple automatic](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/mg-3/) ## FAQ ### Do I need a Thai licence to rent a car in Phuket? No. Visitors rent on their national licence together with an International Driving Permit, and drivers from ASEAN countries on their own licence. A Thai licence only matters if you live on the island. ### Can I get a Thai driving licence on a tourist visa? In practice no. The licence is issued against a visa suited to a long stay and a confirmed local address, and a holiday visit provides neither. ### Is an International Driving Permit alone enough? No. The permit is valid only together with your national licence, so carry both. Without the licence card, a police check and the rental insurance both go against you. ### My licence is from Malaysia. Do I need an IDP? Usually not. Thailand recognises licences from ASEAN member states. If your licence is not in English, carry an IDP or a certified translation alongside it. ### Where do foreign residents apply for a Thai licence? At the land transport office, which also sets the current list of documents and tests. Ask them directly before you go, because the requirements are theirs and can change. ### What will the police ask for at a check in Phuket? Your licence, the IDP and the rental agreement. Keep all three in the car rather than at the hotel, since the permit is specifically what officers may ask to see. --- Source: kolesio, https://kolesio.com/en/guide/getting-a-thai-driving-licence-in-phuket/. The canonical version of this page is the HTML at this address.