http://pattayatoday.net/news/latest-edition/thailand-driving-licence-valid-throughout-asean/
Thailand driving licence valid throughout ASEAN
Posted by pattayatoday on Dec 4th, 2012 and filed under LATEST EDITION. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
Anyone holding a valid Thai driving licence can now use it in nine other countries without the need to obtain an international permit. These countries are Mynamar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines which, together with Thailand, make up the 10 country ASEAN economic grouping.
Kosin Weerananthanaphan is new head of Banglamung Transportation Authority
Citizens of these countries, together with foreign nationals holding a driving permit issued by any member state, are now able to drive in all member countries for as long as the licence is valid. Thailand issues separate licences to drive cars and motorbikes so Thais and foreigners need to have the appropriate permit for the category of vehicle they intend to drive abroad. For those who prefer, international licences can still be used for driving in Thailand and throughout ASEAN.
Kosin Weeranthanaphan, new head of the Banglamung transportation authority which is situated behind the International School of the Regents, said, “Both foreigners and Thais can take advantage of this move by the ASEAN countries to simplify day-to-day procedures. From 2015 China, South Korea and Japan will be added to the list of countries where a driver’s licence issued in an ASEAN country can be used.”
The transportation head also reminded foreign applicants of the documents needed to obtain a Thai driving licence – original passport and valid visa + photocopy, two photographs, a recent certificate of residence issued by the Immigration Bureau and a doctor’s certificate not more than one month old. Applicants also receive information on current traffic regulations in Thailand and take a competency examination currently available in Thai, English, Chinese, Japanese and Arabic. Successful candidates receive their driving licence(s) on the day of application.
Kosin warned foreigners not to believe agents who claim to be able to obtain Thai driving licences without the applicant showing up. “All driving licences are issued only to the applicant in person who pays the appropriate fees at the transportation office’s service counter”. He added that the use of driving licences beyond national borders was one example of the 10 ASEAN countries preparing to open a free-trade area and implementing policies to remove tariffs from December 31, 2015.
Though this is not correct for Vietnam (yet)
http://www.vietnam.embassy.gov.au/hnoi/Driving_in_Vietnam.html
Vietnamese driving licences are mandatory for all drivers of motor vehicles as well as for riders of motorcycles with a capacity of over 50cc. Non-Vietnamese citizens are only permitted to drive in Vietnam if they hold a temporary Vietnamese driver's licence.
To convert an Australian driving licence or an International Driving Permit into a temporary Vietnamese driver's licence, the applicant must first hold a valid Vietnamese residence permit of at least three month's validity and a current Australian driving licence or a valid International Driving Permit. In Hanoi, applications for temporary driver's licences should be directed to the Office of Traffic & Public Works, 16 Cao Ba Quat Street . In Ho Chi Minh City, applications should be directed to the Office of Transportation, 63 Ly Tu Trong Street, District 1 - Telephone 3822 3760 . In provincial areas, travellers should consult local police authorities to determine exactly what action is required to obtain a temporary driving licence in the province where the applicant resides.
To apply for a Vietnamese driving licence (either to drive a motor vehicle or a motorbike) in Hanoi , the applicant should contact the Centre for Automotive Training and Mechanism, 83A Ly Thuong Kiet Street – Telephone 3942 2715. In Ho Chi Minh City , applications should be lodged with the Office of Transportation, 63 Ly Tu Trong Street, District 1 – Telephone 3822 3760.
