| Document Name: | Thai Driving Licence ใบอนุญาตขับรถ |
| Using Jurisdiction: | Thailand Department of Land Transport |
| Document Type: | Driving licence |
| Purpose: | To demonstrate that the holder is permitted to drive in Thailand. |
| Eligibility: | Car: 18 years old Motorcycle: 15 years old |
| Expiration: | Private: 5 years Public or large vehicles: 3 years |
| Cost: | ฿100 or ฿50 per year, plus ฿5 or ฿50 according to the licence type. |
Driving licence in Thailand is a document that allows the holder to drive on any roads in the Kingdom of Thailand.[1] The minimum age to drive a motor vehicle is 18, and to drive a motorcycle is 15. Driving licence is issued and administered by the Department of Land Transport, Ministry of Transport and its branches, land transport offices across Thailand.
All drivers must pass the driving test and obtain a probationary driving licence.[2] Once the licence has been held for at least two years, the driver can convert it into a full public or private licence according to their choice. They can also apply for licences for heavy goods or passenger vehicles. Drivers who previously had their licence revoked, usually by a court order, must also obtain a probationary licence.[3] [4]
Due to the introduction of very powerful and heavy motorcycles, the Department of Land Transport is introducing a new regulation. Once the regulation is effective, drivers who want to drive a motorcycle with the power exceeding 45 kW or the engine larger than 400 cc must have an additional licence as well as more stringent training.[5] As of September 7, 2022, this additional license is not available.
Driving licence in Thailand is issued under two different laws: (1) Automobile Act, 1979 for small cars and motorcycle;[6] (2) Land Transport Act, 1979 for heavy good and passenger vehicles.[7] In accordance with the Automobile Act of 1979, driving licences may be classified as follows:[8]
| Temporary or Probationary Licence | 2 | Car | This is the first licence that allows the holder to drive independently according to the vehicle specified by the licence. The validity is two years. There are some restrictions, including the inability to obtain an International Driving Permit.[9] |
| Tricycle | |||
| Motorcycle | |||
| Private Licence | 5 | Car | Once the probationary licence has been held for 2 years, the holder may apply for the private licence of the same vehicle type.[10] This licence is valid for five years. If the licence is due to expire before the next birthdate, the actual expiry date will be amended to be the next birthdate. |
| Tricycle | |||
| Motorcycle | |||
| Public (or Taxicab) Licence | 3 | Car | Like a private licence, a public licence may be obtained by anyone who wants to drive a taxicab. The applicant must pass a Criminal record test by demonstrating that they have never committed serious crimes, or they completed their sentences for at least 3 years before the application date. This licence is valid for three years. The condition on expiry date as a private licence still applies. |
| Tricycle | |||
| Motorcycle | |||
| Road Roller Licence | 5 | Restricted to road rollers, both single and trailed. | |
| Tractor Licence | Restricted to tractors. | ||
| Other Licences | For example, agricultural vehicles. |
The minimum age for obtaining a probationary licence is 18 years old. The exception is that a probationary motorcycle licence may be issued to people aged 15–17 years old (inclusive). For a full licence, however, the applicants must be at least 18 years old. This means the driver who obtained their probationary motorcycle licence when they are 15 must obtain the same licence again when they are 17.
Learner drivers do not need a learner's permit or similar documents, but must be accompanied by a qualified driver who has held a full licence for at least three years.
The Land Transport Act, 1979, defined different licences to be issued. These include:
| Class 1 (A1 or P1) | A1: 22 P1: 18 | This licence is for a good vehicle with the combined weight of up to 3,500 kg, or a passenger carrying vehicle with 20 or less passengers. The vehicle must not trail another vehicle. For example, minibus and van. | |
| Class 2 (A2 or P2) | A2: 22 P2: 20 | Like Class 1, but the combined weight and the passenger number is unlimited. For example, bus and coach. | |
| Class 3 (A3 or P3) | A3: 22 P3: 20 | This licence covers everything in Class 2 and trailers. | |
| Class 4 (A4 or P4) | A4: 25 P4: 25 | This licence covers everything in Class 3 and vehicles carrying dangerous goods. |
Drivers who wish to obtain P1-P4 licences must meet the minimum age requirements as well as pass an approved course at the local transport office or approved driving school. In addition, A1-A4 licences also require a criminal record check.
The probationary car licence is, according to the legislation, not needed for P/A 1-4 licences.[7] In practice, most drivers learning to drive large vehicles must already learnt how to drive smaller vehicles, requiring the probationary car licence. Some driving schools and land transport offices often require the probationary car licence before the driver can learn to drive a large truck.
Military personnel can apply for a civil driving licence and use it in their career. However, the Military Automobile Act, 1933 empowered the Department of Army Transportation to issue driving licences to soldiers.[11] [12] These include:
| M1 | Tracked vehicle | A3 and P3 | |
| M2 | Car or tricycle with the combined weight exceeding 2 tonnes | A2 and P2 | |
| M3 | Car or tricycle with the combined weight of up to 2 tonnes | A1, P1 and Car licence | |
| M4 | Tricycle with a sidecar | Tricycle licence | |
| M5 | Trailed motorcycle | Not available | |
| M6 | All types | A3 and P3 |
Thailand utilises a probationary or temporary licence for new and previously disqualified drivers with less restrictions than most learner's licence systems around the world. Learner drivers in Thailand do not need a licence, but must be accompanied by a fully qualified drivers who has been holding a licence for at least 3 years. Once they are ready, they must obtain a medical certificate confirming that they are free from active tuberculosis, elephantiasis, leprosy, alcoholism, drug addiction and other potential conditions affecting the ability to drive and public safety[13] before attending tests at the Department of Land Transport or any local land transport offices.
At the test centre, the candidate must pass a physical test comprising:
Once the physical test is completed, the candidate must attend a 5-hour lecture (1 day) comprising driving etiquettes, defensive driving, related laws and other useful topics. For larger vehicles, the lecture lasts 10 hours (2 days). When the lecture is completed, the candidate sit the theory test at the same day or the next working day. The exam contains 50 items and the passing score is 45. Prior to 2014, the passing score was 35.[15] If the candidate fails in the theory test, they must attend the later test according to the instructions.
After passing the theory test, a candidate must pass the driving test off-road. There are 7 different manoeuvres but the test centre selects only 3 of them. These include
The highlighted manoeuvres are usually selected by most test centres. If the driver passes all the manoeuvres, they will be issued with a probationary driving licence. On the other hand, drivers who fail to pass one or more manoeuvres must get the appointment slip and attend the test again. The interval between two consecutive tests must be 3 days or more, or as specified by the invigilator. The overall process, from the application to the issuance of the licence, must not exceed 90 days.
Since the appointment slots at land transport offices in large provinces are often occupied for many months, some learner drivers may attend an approved driving school, available locally, or the Land Transport School in Bangkok and Pathum Thani. The process is roughly the same as those who choose to attend the testing centre. However, the driver must undergo at least 10 hours of driving practice, both off-road and on-road in addition to 5 hours of theory training. After the completion of programme, the driver must pass both theory and practical test, overseen by approved invigilators. The practical test at most driving schools is usually less stringent than that at the land transport office, as there is no three-day interval between failed and successful test. If the driver fail to complete a manoeuvre, they can get extra training and try again. The school then issue proof of completion to the learner, who then visit the land transport office to have their licences issued.
Driving school must maintain standards set by the Department of Land Transport, such as having qualified driving teachers and a suitable driving course.[16] The programme used by private driving school must strictly follow one used by the government-run Land Transport School.
Full driving licence may be extended once its validity is less than 6 months.[17] Probationary licence holders may upgrade their licence once they have held the licence for at least one year. Previously, a full licence may be extended once its validity is 90 days or less, while a probationary licence can be exchanged for a full licence if it is valid for 60 days or less. Regardless of timeframe, the driver must pass a physical test again in order to be able to hold a further licence. If the licence has expired for less than a year, the process remains the same. If, however, the licence has expired for more than 1 but less than 3 years, the holder must attend the lecture and pass the theory test. Complete test is needed if the licence has expired for 3 years or more.
As of 2023, the fees payable are dependent on the validity of the licence.[18] [19] For a licence under the Automobile Act, the annual fee is ฿100 for cars and ฿50 for motorcycles and other vehicles. There is an additional charge of ฿5 for paperwork. For A and P licences issued under the Land Transport Act, the annual fee is ฿50, plus an additional charge of ฿50.[20] For example,
| Licence type | Calculation | Licence Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private car | (5 years × ฿100) + ฿5 | ฿505 | |
| Public car | (3 years × ฿100) + ฿5 | ฿305 | |
| Probationary car | (2 years × ฿100) + ฿5 | ฿205 | |
| Private motorcycle/tricycle | (5 years × ฿50) + ฿5 | ฿255 | |
| Public motorcycle/tricycle | (3 years × ฿50) + ฿5 | ฿155 | |
| Probationary motorcycle/tricycle | (2 years × ฿50) + ฿5 | ฿105 | |
| Tractor/Road roller | (5 years × ฿50) + ฿5 | ฿255 | |
| A and P licences | (3 years × ฿50) + ฿50 | ฿200 |
If the licence is lost, stolen or significantly defaced, the driver should apply for a replacement within 15 days.[6] For car and motorcycle licences issued under the Automobile Act, the replacement fee is half the original fee (excluding paperwork charge); the maximum payable charge is capped at ฿100.[18] Again, a paperwork charge of ฿5 is still applicable. For A and P licences, a replacement costs ฿30. To sum up, the following table shows the replacement cost of driving licences.
| Licence type | Calculation | Replacement Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private car | ฿500 ÷ 2 = 250 (capped at ฿100 and add ฿๊5) | ฿105 | |
| Public car | ฿300 ÷ 2 = 150 (capped at ฿100 and add ฿๊5) | ฿105 | |
| Probationary car | ฿200 ÷ 2 = 100 (add ฿๊5) | ฿105 | |
| Private motorcycle/tricycle | ฿250 ÷ 2 = 125 (capped at ฿100 and add ฿๊5) | ฿105 | |
| Public motorcycle/tricycle | ฿150 ÷ 2 = 75 (add ฿๊5) | ฿80 | |
| Probationary motorcycle/tricycle | ฿100 ÷ 2 = 50 (add ฿๊5) | ฿55 | |
| Tractor/Road roller | ฿250 ÷ 2 = 125 (capped at ฿100 and add ฿๊5) | ฿105 | |
| A and P licences | Not applicable | ฿30 |
These fees do not include other expenses, such as tuition fees charged by driving schools and medical/criminal certificate fees.
Foreigners holding driving licences from countries with signatories to any treaty or agreement with Thailand may apply for conversion of driving licence to drive in Thailand. Holders of a Thai driving license do not need to acquire an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive in any ASEAN countries; this also applies vice versa whereby citizens of a member state from ASEAN only need to possess a valid driving licence of their respective countries to drive in Thailand, and do not require any conversions or an IDP.[21] [22]