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Will a traffic ticket for riding a motorcycle without a Thai license affect my tourist visa application?

Tourist VisaTraffic ViolationsThai LicenseMotorcycle InsuranceExpat Advice
May 4, 2023
a year ago
Becca *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
I feel really silly right now; I just got a traffic ticket for driving a motorcycle without a Thai license. Is this going to affect my tourist visa application next week?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The community consensus is that receiving a traffic ticket for driving a motorcycle without a Thai license will not affect your upcoming tourist visa application. While past regulations included penalties that might affect visa status, current laws state that you cannot be held legally responsible for unpaid fines at the time of applying for a tourist visa. However, be aware that this violation could be noted in official records if you plan to stay long-term, and the bike owner will eventually be responsible for the ticket associated with the vehicle.
Nick **********
No
a year ago
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Samui ***********
No
a year ago
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Neil ******
If you won’t drive without a valid license in your own country, why do you come here and do it?
a year ago
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Becca *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Neil *****
classy profile picture for such a high quality foreigner, Neil.
a year ago
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Marc ********
@Neil *****
 Why not?
a year ago
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Neil ******
@Marc *******
 thanks for outing yourself as a low quality foreigner who has no respect for the laws.
a year ago
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Marc ********
@Neil *****
 What a BS. I certainly am scared of laws in Thailand and only do what will not ruin my life. SMH
a year ago
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Marc ********
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Ricky ******
So no insurance either🙄
a year ago
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Marc ********
@Ricky *****
 The insurance dosn't cover shoot anyway.

30k bath for a insured person you might hit.

If you damage a car they pay nothing at all
a year ago
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Ricky ******
@Marc *******
 And if you end up in hospital with a life changing serious injury and a multi million baht bill?
a year ago
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Marc ********
@Ricky *****
 The mandatory insurance for scooters in Thailand will NOT cover it anyway.

That's my point
a year ago
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Ricky ******
@Marc *******
 A proper holiday insurance policy costs from about £25 a week. It's beyond my comprehension why anyone wouldn't take out a policy, but these are the same people who don't have a licence, don't wear a helmet and don't have compulsory insurance.
a year ago
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Becca *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ricky *****
 making a lot of assumptions here… I DO have nomad health insurance. I ALWAYS wear a helmet. But my nomad insurance would not cover a motorcycle accident if I couldn’t provide the motorcycle insurance. It’s not my bike, I’m borrowing it from the woman whose house I’m looking after. So I don’t have motorcycle insurance because I didn’t even rent the bike. Just try to understand that you can’t know everything before even asking the right questions.
a year ago
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Marc ********
@Ricky *****
 Compulsory insurance only covers 30k bht.

So might aswell driving without insurance. Works out the same if you have an accident

But a holiday insurance cerhainly is a good idea
a year ago
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Marc ********
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Becca *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ricky *****
 no need to roll your eyes, Ricky. Don’t want you to hurt yourself.
a year ago
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Becca *******
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Andrew *****
No license,no insurance
a year ago
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Marc ********
@Andrew ****
 The insurance is worth nothing.

They pay 30k bath for insured persons.
a year ago
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Andrew *****
@Marc *******
*****
5
a year ago
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Marc ********
@Andrew ****
 yes 555 to you.
a year ago
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Marc ********
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Andrew *****
@Marc *******
 insurance worked for me
a year ago
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Andrew *****
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Glyn *********
@Andrew ****
 you are correct.
a year ago
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Garrett ***********
@Andrew ****
 You saying random words?
a year ago
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Andrew *****
@Garrett **********
 what do you mean
a year ago
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Andrew *****
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Oriano ******
E ti e andata bene , pensa se facevi un incidente , rischiavi che ti davano 6 mesi di visto e alloggio gratis !!!
a year ago
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Becca *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Oriano *****
 ….. wait til you find out I did just have an accident 2 weeks ago… unfortunately no free visa or accommodation though!
a year ago
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Becca *******
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Paul *******
Where do you think you are? It's Thailand not California! Maybe in 15-20 years Thailand will be enough of a nanny state to implement such rules but for now they're not even capable of enforcing the most basic traffic laws.
a year ago
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Becca *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Paul ******
 I’m used to nanny states lol
a year ago
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Becca *******
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Kel ********
No it won’t
@Be***
. Back in the day they wouldn’t even let you go without paying a ‘fine’ on spot but they can’t legally do that now even though they do try.

Those tickets do stay on a system though, and if you lived and worked here or retired here it would resurface if the Police put it in the system when you go to tax the bike later on. Whoever ‘owns’ the bike will end up paying it at some point if it goes for its yearly tax.
a year ago
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Becca *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Kel *******
 thank you! I’ve let the owner of the bike know, as well as paying the fine at the police station.
@Paul ******
 I tried my best to act like I didn’t understand so he would just get really frustrated with me and give up 😂 but it didn’t work
a year ago
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Paul *******
@Kel *******
Back in the day you could talk your way out of a fine very easily and the police would give up and couldn't do anything
a year ago
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Kel ********
@Pa**
, very true but a lot has changed especially in BKK.
a year ago
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Kel ********
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David **********
Curious...did you have an international license?
a year ago
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Becca *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@David *********
 i do not 😕
a year ago
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Becca *******
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Stevan ***********
You should have offered to pay
a year ago
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Garrett ***********
@Stevan **********
 It's not like that in Bangkok anymore, hasn't been since before Covid. Anticorruption regulations prohibit most check points from taking money.
a year ago
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Becca *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Stevan **********
what do you mean? I did pay the ticket 😳
a year ago
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Stevan ***********
@Becca *********
 coffee money
a year ago
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Becca *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Stevan **********
 don’t think that would’ve worked lol i even asked the officer if i could just pay him directly instead of going to the police station, and he refused. now, I’m glad i paid and got the receipt to prove it
a year ago
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Marc ********
@Becca *********
 How much was it?
a year ago
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Becca *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Marc *******
 500 baht
a year ago
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Becca *******
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Becca *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thank you both for the quick answer
a year ago
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Garrett ***********
No
a year ago
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Brandon ************
No
a year ago
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Brandon ************
Reply
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