International Driving Permit in Thailand

🗓 Facts checked against Thailand's road-traffic law and official sources. Research last updated: 28 July 2026. You may copy this information only if you provide a link back to this page.

⚠ This page is general information about driving rules, not legal advice. Rules change, and each authority applies its own — confirm your case with the relevant authority before you drive.

ℹ We are a private company. We are not a government body, a licensing or issuing authority, or a treaty organisation, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any of them. The International Driver's Document we sell is a translation of your national driving licence: it is not a driving licence, and it is not a government-issued document.

• Driving in Thailand: key facts
• Do you need an International Driving Permit in Thailand?
• What side of the road does Thailand drive on?
• How long can you drive in Thailand with a foreign licence?
• Is Thailand a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?
• Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place
• Can you drive in Thailand with your country's licence?
• Where to get an International Driving Permit
• Moving to Thailand? Rules for new residents
• Driving rules in Thailand tourists get fined for
• Read more about driving in Thailand
• Sources

Driving in Thailand: key facts

Do you need an International Driving Permit in Thailand?

Thai law is treaty-gated, not open-recognition: Motor Vehicle Act s.42 bis recognizes a foreign licence only where a convention or agreement between Thailand and the issuing state covers it (verbatim text confirmed: 'ในกรณีที่มีความตกลงระหว่างรัฐบาลไทยและรัฐบาลต่างประเทศว่าด้วยการยอมรับใบอนุญาตขับรถภายในประเทศซึ่งกันและกัน...'), and s.42 para 2 requires the driver to carry that licence plus 'the documents specified in the convention and/or agreement' (เอกสารตามที่ระบุไว้ในอนุสัญญาและหรือความตกลง) — for the 1949/1968 conventions that document is the IDP. Thailand is party to both conventions (Geneva 1949 acceded 15 Aug 1962; Vienna 1968 acceded 1 May 2020, in force 1 May 2021 — DLT has issued/accepted 1968-type IDPs since 1 May 2021), so either IDP type works, always together with the national licence. Exception with a proven visitor effect: domestic licences of fellow ASEAN member states are accepted directly, no IDP, under the 1985 ASEAN Agreement on the Recognition of Domestic Driving Licences (Kuala Lumpur, 9 Jul 1985; Thailand ratified 7 Dec 1987; in force 7 Jan 1988; later ASEAN members joined by accession) — but with three treaty conditions verified from the agreement text: it excludes temporary/provisional/learner licences (Art 1), covers only temporary stays (Art 2), and a licence not drawn up in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation (Art 3). Nuance (as in Italy): under Vienna Art 41 as amended, an Annex-6-conforming national licence from a 1968 party is strictly recognizable without an IDP, but no Thai guidance endorses this and police/rental practice uniformly expects an IDP — legal floor Annex-6, practical floor carry the IDP.

• Tourists and short-term visitors: carry your national licence together with the document named in the row for your country of issue, in the table below — for most non-exempt licences that is an IDP.
• Car renters: Many rental desks hand over vehicles without asking for an IDP — this does not make the driving legal, and insurers refuse claims on that basis.

No specific penalty for driving without the required document was verified from an authoritative source. Official source.

What side of the road does Thailand drive on?

Thailand drives on the left-hand side of the road, and overtaking is done on the right. Cars in Thailand are right-hand drive.

How long can you drive in Thailand with a foreign licence?

No fixed day-count in the statute. The visitor clock is immigration status: s.42 bis grants the right to drive to 'an alien permitted to stay in the Kingdom TEMPORARILY under immigration law', for the vehicle categories shown on the licence, for as long as that temporary-stay status and the documents (licence + IDP) remain valid. The 1949-type IDP itself expires 1 year from issue, the 1968-type up to 3 years/licence expiry. The widely-repeated '90-day' or '60-day' caps on IDP use in Thailand have no statutory basis we could locate. Once you cease to be a temporary-stay alien (residence-type stay), the s.42 bis basis lapses — get a Thai licence. (Motor Vehicle Act B.E. 2522, s.42 bis (added by Act No. 8, B.E. 2530) and s.42 para 2)

Planning to move to Thailand? Different rules apply once you become a resident — see the residents section below.

Is Thailand a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?

Thailand is a Contracting Party to both United Nations Conventions on Road Traffic — the Geneva Convention of 19 September 1949 and the Vienna Convention of 8 November 1968. International Driving Permits of both the 1949 and the 1968 type are therefore issued against its framework; which types Thailand accepts from visitors is shown in the table above.

• 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic: accession on 15 Aug 1962.
• 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic: ratification on 1 May 2020.

Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place

Whether a foreign country accepts your driving licence hangs on a tangle of variables: three different road-traffic conventions signed decades apart (1926, 1949, 1968) — the oldest predates the United Nations itself, and only the latter two were concluded under it — countries at different stages of joining each (signed vs. accepted vs. ratified), licences printed in alphabets local police can't read, vehicle-category systems that don't line up between countries, document generations that may not meet a convention's format even when the country is a member, bilateral deals between individual states, and local laws that are looser in one place and stricter in the next. The same licence can be fine at one border and rejected at the next — even at the next rental desk. The International Driving Permit exists to cut through most of it: a standardized, multilingual presentation of your existing licence, with harmonized category symbols, that most officials can read at a glance. It doesn't replace your national licence or grant new rights — you carry both — and it doesn't guarantee acceptance: a handful of destinations still require a local permit alongside or instead of it, but for most it meaningfully improves your odds.

Can you drive in Thailand with your country's licence?

This table is for tourists and temporary visitors. Moving to Thailand as a resident? Different rules apply — see the residents section below. Find your licence's country of issue below. Thailand recognizes foreign licences only through a treaty gate: Section 42 bis of the Motor Vehicle Act B.E. 2522 lets a foreigner on a temporary stay drive only on a licence covered by a convention or agreement with Thailand, carried together with the treaty documents — in practice your national licence plus an International Driving Permit. Thailand is party to both the 1949 Geneva and, since 1 May 2021, the 1968 Vienna conventions, so either IDP type is accepted. The big exception: domestic licences of fellow ASEAN member states are accepted directly under the 1985 ASEAN agreement, no IDP needed — provided the licence is a full (not temporary/provisional/learner) licence and, if not in English, carries a certified English translation. There is no fixed day-count — the right lasts while you hold temporary-stay immigration status and your documents remain valid. Rules change — confirm with official sources before you travel. Last verified: July 2026.

Legend: "1949" — Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (IDP valid up to 1 year); "1968" — Vienna Convention (IDP valid up to 3 years).

What the Status column means on this page:

• National licence OK — the destination lets a visitor drive on the national licence itself. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the basis, and any period or condition that qualifies it.
• National licence OK — IDP advised — the destination does not require an IDP for this licence, but carrying one is advised. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the reason and any conditions attached.
• IDP required — the destination requires an IDP in addition to your national licence. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, says which IDP to carry and what else to carry with it.
• Not recognised — the record shows no route to drive here as a visitor on this licence; ask the local authorities about conversion or a temporary permit. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, says what stands in the way.
• Not established — the record does not settle whether you may drive here on this licence; confirm with the destination's licensing authority before you rely on it. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, says what could not be confirmed.

Sources and notes for the table above

[1] Motor Vehicle Act B.E. 2522, s.42 bis + s.42 para 2

[2] UN Treaty Collection, Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General — status of the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (chapter XI-B-1) and of the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (chapter XI-B-19) — XI-B-1, XI-B-19

[a] Licence categories do not follow the convention A–E scheme — rental staff may ask for an IDP to map them.

Where to get an International Driving Permit

An International Driving Permit must be obtained before you travel, and only certain countries may issue one to you — you cannot buy an official IDP from an unrelated country. Under the 1968 Vienna Convention it may be issued only by the Contracting Party where you normally reside and which issued or recognizes your licence — by that Party's competent authority or by an association it has duly empowered. Under the 1949 Geneva Convention it is issued by the competent authority of a Contracting State, or by an association that authority has duly empowered. Which body that is varies by country: a government agency in some, an authorized motoring club in others.

• Travelling from Thailand? Thailand's official IDPs are issued by Department of Land Transport (DLT) — applications are accepted online. Official site.
• Travelling from another country? Ask that country's driving-licence authority which body it authorizes to issue IDPs — a government agency in some countries, an authorized motoring club in others.

Separately, IDA offers a digital International Driver's Document — a translation of your national licence that you carry alongside it. It is not an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 or 1968 conventions by the body your country authorizes for that purpose, and it is not a certified, sworn or otherwise official translation: no authority certifies it, and where a country requires an official or certified translation by law, our document does not satisfy that requirement. It is a private translation meant to make your national licence readable at rental desks and roadside checks.

Moving to Thailand? Rules for new residents

Thailand has no enumerated bilateral conversion list (unlike Italy): any valid foreign national licence qualifies for exam relief — recognition for conversion is origin-agnostic. A foreigner taking up a longer stay applies for a Thai licence at a DLT office with passport + non-immigrant-type visa evidence (Non-B/Non-O, retirement, LTR, DTV etc., or work permit / immigration residence certificate) + medical certificate. Historical DLT practice: holding a valid foreign licence (or foreign licence + IDP) exempted the applicant from both the theory test and the practical driving test — only the physical fitness tests (colour blindness, reaction, depth/peripheral vision) remained. Caution (2025–26, unresolved): a DLT draft regulation would require all foreign applicants to pass the 50-question written theory test; reports conflict — some Nov-2025 sources say not yet in force, while several 2025–26 conversion guides report the written test now being demanded and the practical-test waiver applied at local-office discretion. Verify at your DLT office before relying on the waiver. A licence not in English needs an embassy-certified Thai or English translation. First issue is the 2-year temporary licence, then the 5-year licence. Tourist-visa applicants are no longer accepted at most DLT offices. Official source.

Driving rules in Thailand tourists get fined for

• Mandatory equipment: Seatbelts mandatory in all seats including rear (Land Traffic Act s.123 as amended by Act No. 13 B.E. 2565, in force 5 Sep 2022; fine up to 2,000 baht per person; pre-1988-registered cars that cannot be fitted with belts exempt); motorcycle helmets mandatory for rider and pillion (s.122, fine up to 2,000 baht each — strict nationwide enforcement campaign since 1 Jun 2025, and the rider is additionally fined when the pillion is unhelmeted, so a rider can face up to ~4,000 baht); no statutory warning-triangle/high-vis-vest kit requirement for private cars.
• Drink-driving: 0.05 g/100ml (50 mg%) general; 0.02 g/100ml (20 mg%) for the four driver groups listed in Ministerial Regulation No. 21 B.E. 2560 (2017) under the Land Traffic Act s.43(2): (a) drivers under 20 years of age, (b) holders of a temporary licence under the Motor Vehicle Act, (c) holders of a licence valid only for another, non-interchangeable vehicle category, (d) drivers with no licence (incl. suspended/revoked). The regulation contains no 'licence held under 5 years' category; the four groups above are its enumerated list. Land Traffic Act s.160 ter: imprisonment up to 1 year, fine 5,000–20,000 baht, or both, plus licence suspension of at least 6 months (or revocation); penalties escalate for repeat offences within 2 years (Act No. 13, B.E. 2565) and for refusal to take the breath test (treated as drunk driving).
• Speed limits: Land-Traffic-Act layer — Ministerial Regulation prescribing speed limits B.E. 2564 (gazetted late 2021, in force after 240 days, i.e. during 2565/2022): cars max 80 km/h in Bangkok/Pattaya/municipal and community zones (clause 4(6)), 90 km/h outside (clause 5(6)), 100 km/h on divided roads with a median (clause 6); motorcycles 60/70/80 km/h across those same three zones — 80/90/100 km/h for big bikes (≥400 cc or ≥35 kW). The 120 km/h regime is a separate Ministerial Regulation under the Highways Act B.E. 2564 (gazetted 10 Mar 2021): 120 km/h applies only on specially gazetted national-highway sections (first: Highway 32 Bang Pa-In–Ang Thong from 1 Apr 2021, extended since) and designated motorways, with a right-lane minimum of 100 km/h.
• Official TAT guidance: to rent a car or motorbike you must present a valid driving licence or IDP, and without proper documentation insurance coverage may be void in case of an accident.
• Enforcement reality in tourist hubs (Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, islands): police checkpoints routinely stop foreign scooter riders; riding a rented scooter on a car-only licence is unlicensed driving under s.64 (the licence must cover motorcycles) and voids travel/vehicle insurance; on-the-spot fines for no IDP/no helmet are commonly in the few-hundred-to-1,000-baht range, with the helmet fine ceiling now 2,000 baht under the post-2022 law and enforced harder since 1 Jun 2025.
• Many rental desks hand over vehicles without asking for an IDP — this does not make the driving legal, and insurers refuse claims on that basis.

Read more about driving in Thailand

• 10 Interesting Facts About Thailand
• Best Places to Visit in Thailand

Watch what driving in Thailand looks like

A few minutes of real POV footage is the fastest way to feel confident before your first drive in Thailand:

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Sources

1. National road-traffic law
2. Resident licence conversion rule
3. TAT Newsroom — Driving in Thailand: Essential Guidelines for Tourists and Foreigners (official Tourism Authority of Thailand)
4. Ministerial Regulation prescribing speed limits B.E. 2564 (Land Traffic Act) — full Thai text (Royal Gazette via Wikisource; clause numbers and motorcycle tiers)
5. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic status (Thailand signed 8 Nov 1968, acceded 1 May 2020; in force for Thailand 1 May 2021)
6. UN Treaty Collection — 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic status (Thailand acceded 15 Aug 1962)
7. Ministerial Regulation No. 21 B.E. 2560 under the Land Traffic Act — BAC limits 50 mg% / 20 mg% with the four enumerated driver groups (Department of Science Service law registry)
8. Thai Parliament brief — drink-driving limits and penalties (Ministerial Regulation No. 21 B.E. 2560; Land Traffic Act s.160 ter) [PDF returned empty on re-fetch; content corroborated via DSS registry and Thai legal press]
9. ASEAN legal-instrument page — Agreement on the Recognition of Domestic Driving Licenses Issued by ASEAN Countries (Kuala Lumpur, 9 Jul 1985; in force 7 Jan 1988; Thailand ratified 7 Dec 1987)
10. Full text of the 1985 ASEAN agreement (CIL NUS) — Art 1 excludes temporary/provisional/learner licences; Art 2 temporary-stay scope; Art 3 certified English translation required for non-English licences
11. Department of Land Transport (DLT) — authorized IDP issuer in Thailand
12. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic