Driving in Thailand

Carry your home license, an International Driving Permit and your passport. The permit is required by law for visitors, it has to come from your home country before you fly, and Thailand accepts both the 1949 and the 1968 versions. A license from another ASEAN country is valid on its own.

For a scooter or motorbike, your home license needs full motorcycle entitlement, because the permit copies only what your license covers. The International Driving Permit guide goes through which permit each country issues, what it costs and the scooter rule in detail.

A car makes most sense away from Bangkok. The north (Chiang Mai to Pai, Chiang Rai and the Mae Hong Son loop), Isan, Khao Yai and the coast from Krabi round to Phang Nga are all easier and cheaper by car than by a string of tours and transfers. In Bangkok itself, the roads gridlock from about 16:00 to 19:00 and the trains do the job better, so pick the car up at the airport on your way out of the city rather than in the center.

The big international firms and local ones have desks at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai and Phuket airports. You need to be at least 21, some car categories need a license held for a year or more, and the deposit goes on a credit card in the main driver's name. Comparison sites list small cars from about $11–15 a day. Take photos and a video of the car before you drive off, and check what the excess is, since basic cover usually leaves you paying the first part of any damage.

Scooters cost about ฿200–300 a day on the islands and in the beach towns, and every second shop rents them. Legally you need motorcycle entitlement on your home license and your permit, and a helmet for you and any passenger. Without a motorcycle license you're riding unlicensed, and most travel insurers won't pay for the crash.

Two warnings from the UK government. Many rental bikes in tourist areas aren't registered, so they can't legally be ridden on a public road, and you should never leave your passport as a deposit, because some shops hold it over damage they say you caused. Photograph the bike before you ride off, and if you've never ridden before, a Thai island in flip-flops isn't the place to learn.

Keep left and overtake on the right. Seatbelts are compulsory for the driver and passengers, helmets for anyone on a motorbike, and phone calls only with hands-free. Speed limits are posted, and speeding now costs up to ฿4,000, so follow the signs rather than the traffic around you. The drink-driving limit is low and lower still for newly licensed drivers; the only safe rule is not to drink at all if you're driving.

Some habits differ from home. Flashing headlights usually means "I'm coming through", not "go ahead". Motorbikes pass on both sides, ride the shoulder and sometimes come the wrong way up a one-way street, so check your mirrors twice before every turn. Cars rarely stop at zebra crossings, though they now face a ฿4,000 fine for it, so as a pedestrian wait for a real gap. I'd avoid driving at night outside towns, when unlit roads, animals and drink drivers all add up.

Checkpoints are most common in Phuket, around Patong, Karon and Kata, and also in Pattaya and Chiang Mai's old city, while Bangkok and rural areas see far fewer. Officers ask for your license, permit and passport and check helmets and seatbelts. Have the documents with you, not back at the hotel; not carrying a license is a fine of up to ฿1,000 on its own.

Statistically, it's the biggest risk of a trip to Thailand. The World Health Organization estimates 25.4 road deaths per 100,000 people a year, against 14.2 in the US and 2.4 in the UK, and the UK government notes that the WHO ranks Thailand among the deadliest countries for motorcycle fatalities. Holidays are worst, and the seven days around Songkran in April 2026 saw 242 road deaths.

In a car, driving defensively and in daylight, most visitors are fine. On a scooter the risk is far higher, especially for first-time riders. If the roads put you off, you don't need to drive at all. Trains, buses and boats cover the main routes, and a car with a driver or a pre-booked transfer covers the legs between.