Can I drive and own a car in Thailand on a retirement visa, and do I need a Thai driving license?

Suggest IDP to be perfectly legal until you get a Thai drivers license. Ownership is fairly easy with long term visa and proof of address document from immigration or work permit, and prices are what they are, insurance is cheap. Taking your vehicle across the border and back requires a ton of paperwork.

After 3 months, your home country license isn't valid. It might not be a big problem with the police, but you insurance may refuse to pay, if you have an accident, saying you do not have a valid driving license.

They thought my provisional was my real licence and I got to skip through all the theory and practical tests

Land borders to Vietnam currently closed, I think

Just go there and figure it out.

Yes, yes, cheap, cheap, no, helmet.

If your license is still valid it is very easy to get Thai licenses, and get both car and motorcycle. After you do your first 90 day report you can get the needed residency address verification letter from immigration for about bt200, or if you haven't then the notarized letter from your embassy is £50. You'll need two copies, one for each license, so just get a color copy made after you get the letter. You also need a medical certificate that any motorbike taxi driver at the department of land transport across from chatuchak market can take you to get. The clinic is very close and charges bt180. The rest is just a color eye test, a depth perception test, and a reaction test. Watch the safety video, pay, I believe it was bt180 for each license, and you get your first set of licenses good for one, or two years, after which you get five year licenses. Driving a motorbike in Bangkok is the only way to get around the city fast, and as long as you stay observant to everything going on around you at all times, it is pretty safe. I've got 37,000+ miles on mine and have had a few close calls, but no wrecks or juries. Just always be aware. What can take a car multiple hours to get across the city during rush hours, can be done on a motorbike, not a big motorcycle, in less than 30 minutes. To get insurance, and you must have at least the insurance sold at the department of land transport to register your car/motorbike every year, you must have a Thai drivers license. As your UK license is in English you don't need an international license. You'll pretty much have to pay cash for whatever you buy. As a side note, Vietnam is the most dangerous country to drive in, and very difficult to bring in your car.

15 years in Thailand.

Uk license is convertible to ThI license. You still have to pass the physical test and sit the videos.

It's all pretty easy.

If you have a visa to stay in Thailand like Married to a Thai or a retirement visa you can own a vehicle. I have a car and a motorcycle.

Driving to Laos or Cambodia is easy enough Vietnam not so easy. If I can sort it out anyone can, I hate paperwork and bureaucracy.

With the international driving licence you will skip the 1 hr video and only do the perception and colour chart at the licence centre

Been coming to Thailand for 20 years only once had to show my licence which was international, it was quickly looked at and returned, I am considering getting a thai licence because at certain attractions you visit if you have a thai driving licence you get charged the Thai citizen price instead of Farrang price 😀🙄😳

First 3 months you can drive on your UK licence. Then you should (but some do not) go to the Transport Office and they will after a few easy tests, issue you a Thai licence. Note that car and bike are separate licences. You can purchase a car or bike. Very simple and painless but first you need to obtain a residency certificate from Immigration. Taking a vehicle out of Thailand can be difficult, especially the insurance aspects.

I knew International driving permit was going to come up, you dont need it if your license is in English.

no issue owning or driving a car here and how expensive depends on what you what to drive don’t worry about it

There's no major problem to drive/own a motorbike or car. You can use your IDP, but by law you need to have a Thai license if you stay longer than 3 months. Insurance prices depends on many things, but it's not a fortune. Check the link for some basic information.

I’m 58 and drive a Nissan Terra and my insurance is 14,000 baht a year also I have done both licences but if you come over with an international licence it’s easier to do

Better to get a Thai license when you are settled, can transfer your UK ones dont need international.

Yes you can own a car, i got a yellow book so no problem for me now. sure someone tell you how to do it without a yellow book i just put my truck in my mates name 21 years ago and never bothered changing

Not sure about driving in vietnam.