Driving in Thailand: Russian licences, IDP and a Thai licence

A rental company does not establish driving entitlement

DLT’s official manual lists IDPs under the 1949 and 1968 conventions among recognised documents. Russian drivers should check their national licence and officially issued IDP for validity and vehicle category before travelling. Car entitlement is not motorcycle entitlement. Being handed a scooter by a rental shop or buying a private online “international licence” does not establish lawful driving.

For a long stay, confirm the DLT procedure

Ask the local DLT for the current issuance or conversion procedure. Passport, address evidence, medical certificate, original licence and translation may depend on the route. Do not apply a special temporary foreign-vehicle-entry procedure to every long-stay case. Before renting, review insurance, excess, damage records and passport-retention terms; after a collision, retain police and medical records.

Next steps

1. Check validity and the correct vehicle category.
2. Confirm the DLT route for your stay.
3. Read rental and insurance conditions.
4. Record the vehicle condition before handover.

Official sources

• Department of Land Transport — Official foreign driving licence recognition ↗

  Checked: 2026-10-19

• Thai government — Temporary driving licence procedure for foreign tourists ↗

  Checked: 2026-10-19 · Published: 2023-05-17