Converting an Australian Driver's Licence to a Thai Licence: Steps, Documents and Fees

If you live in Thailand on a long-stay visa and hold a current Australian licence, you can usually swap it for a Thai licence without sitting the written or practical driving test. You'll need a few documents, about an hour of road-safety training and a short eyesight and reaction test at a Department of Land Transport (DLT) office. The first licence costs 205 baht for a car or 105 baht for a motorcycle and lasts 2 years. After that you renew it for 5 years at a time.

This is general information, not legal advice. Land transport offices can apply the rules differently, and a draft rule change (see below) could add a written test. Check with your local office before you go.

The steps below are written for Australians, but almost all of them apply to any foreign licence. The main difference is translation, covered in Other nationalities.

Who can convert

The DLT's 2021 licensing regulation says foreign applicants must not be in Thailand for tourism, sport or transit. In practice:

• Tourists and visa-exempt visitors cannot convert. A visa-exempt entry or a tourist visa counts as a tourism entry. Visitors drive on their home licence plus an International Driving Permit (IDP) instead (see Driving while you wait).
• Long-stay visa holders generally can. That includes a Non-O retirement or marriage extension, a Non-OA, a Non-B with a work permit, an ED visa, and LTR and SMART visas. Our retirement visa options guide explains the retirement routes.
• DTV holders should check first. Lawyers for Expats Thailand says offices treat the Destination Thailand Visa differently.

You also need proof that you live in Thailand. For most retirees that means a certificate of residence from immigration (more below).

Documents checklist

The official requirements come from the DLT regulation and a provincial DLT citizen's manual, cross-checked against the Government Public Relations Department. Bring originals plus a photocopy of each, and sign every copy:

1. Passport. Copy the photo page, your current visa or extension, and your latest entry stamp.
2. Proof of residence, issued no more than 1 year before you apply. One of these:
   • a certificate of residence from Thai Immigration, which is the usual route for retirees
   • a work permit or digital work permit
   • SMART visa evidence
   • a residence document from a government agency, a foreign embassy or an international organisation
3. Medical certificate, issued within the last month. It must be on the Medical Council's standard driving-licence form, which the DLT told Bangkok Biz News is required. Hospitals and many clinics issue it. Ask for a medical certificate for a driving licence.
4. Your Australian licence, current and of the same type as the Thai licence you want (car, motorcycle or both). Bring the physical card, not a digital licence on your phone.
5. Training result. You need at least one hour of training (see Step 3). If you do it online, save or screenshot the result.

International Driving Permit: the DLT accepts a valid IDP in place of a foreign licence. Australian licences are in English, though, so you don't need one for the conversion. Bring it anyway if you have it. It's a useful backup.

Photos: neither the official manual nor the government guide lists photos, because the office photographs you for the card. Some guides still say to bring two passport photos. They're cheap insurance.

Getting the certificate of residence

The Australian Embassy in Bangkok will not write a residence letter or certify your Thai address for a driving licence. It tells Australians to get a certificate of residence from Thai Immigration. Apply at your local immigration office, which for Hua Hin is the Prachuap Khiri Khan Immigration Office. Offices usually ask for:

• your passport and copies (photo page, visa and latest entry stamp)
• your TDAC or arrival card
• your TM30 receipt showing your current address. See our TM30 guide if your landlord hasn't filed one.
• photos and a short application form

The BOI's LTR guidance gives a similar document list for LTR holders. Processing times and fees vary by office. Some issue the certificate the same day, others take a week or more, so get it before you book a licence appointment. A current 90-day report receipt is also worth bringing.

Step by step

Step 1: Get your documents together

Get the certificate of residence first, then the medical certificate. The medical certificate is only good for a month, so time it close to your appointment.

Step 2: Book on DLT Smart Queue

Most DLT offices see foreigners by appointment. Book through DLT Smart Queue, on the web or the Android app. Register with your passport number, pick your office, and choose the service for a new licence using a foreign licence (temporary private car or motorcycle). Slots at busy offices can be taken well ahead, so book as soon as your documents are lined up. The DLT hotline is 1584.

Step 3: Do the training (about 1 hour)

The DLT's 2022 announcement requires foreigners with a valid foreign licence of the same type to do at least 1 hour of training. New learner drivers do 5 hours. The course covers Thai traffic law, safe driving, road etiquette and emergencies. You can do it at the office, where it's usually a video. The DLT's free e-Learning site also has a "For Foreigner" course, and government PR says an online result counts for 6 months. The PRD's foreigner guide lists an e-Learning training certificate among the conversion documents. Ask your office whether it accepts the online result for a first licence, not just a renewal.

Step 4: Pass the physical fitness tests

At the office you take the fitness tests set out in the 2022 announcement:

Test	What you do	To pass
Colour vision	Name red, green and yellow lights from at least 3 m	All correct
Reaction time	Lift your foot from the accelerator to the brake when a light changes	0.75 seconds or less on 2 of 3 tries
Depth perception	Line up a moving marker with a fixed one, using a remote	Within about 1 inch on 2 of 3 tries
Peripheral vision	Identify lights out to the side while looking ahead	75° each side

If you fail a part you can retry it once on the same day. Bring your glasses if you wear them for driving.

Step 5: Written and driving tests: officially exempt, but read this

Under the 2022 announcement, a valid foreign licence of the same type (or a valid IDP) means you only take the fitness tests. The written and practical tests are deemed passed.

In June 2025 the DLT published a draft that would make foreign-licence holders sit the written test and stop accepting an IDP for conversion (Thansettakij reported it at the time). Many websites now say the written test is "mandatory". As of 25 October 2026 we couldn't find that change in force. Some offices reportedly test foreigners anyway.

Treat it as possible. The official manual sets the written-test pass mark at 90%, so study the Thai road rules and signs before your appointment.

Step 6: Pay and collect your card

Pay at the counter and have your photo taken. The office prints the card for you.

Fees

Item	Car	Motorcycle
First (2-year temporary) licence, including 5 baht application fee	205 baht	105 baht
Upgrade from the 2-year to the 5-year licence	505 baht	255 baht
5-year renewal	505 baht	255 baht
Both car and motorcycle, first licence	310 baht

The temporary-licence fees come from the provincial DLT manual. The 5-year fees are as given by a DLT spokesperson. The government's tourist licence guide also lists 100 baht for the photo and plastic card. We couldn't confirm whether that applies to conversions, so budget about 300 baht per licence to be safe.

The medical certificate (a clinic fee) and the certificate of residence (which varies by immigration office) cost extra.

Car and motorcycle are separate

A Thai car licence doesn't cover motorbikes, and the DLT will only issue a motorcycle licence by conversion if your Australian licence includes a motorcycle class (R, R-E or equivalent). Lawyers for Expats Thailand makes the same point. If you only hold a car licence in Australia, you'd have to take the full Thai motorcycle test as a new rider.

You can convert both on the same visit. Choose both services when you book.

The first licence is 2 years, then 5 years

Some websites say a conversion gets you a 5-year licence straight away. Under the official rules it doesn't. You get a 2-year temporary licence first. After that you can get a 5-year personal licence for 505 baht (car) or 255 baht (motorcycle). The DLT regulation requires you to have held the 2-year licence for at least a year.

For the upgrade and later renewals you'll need to show again that you live in Thailand (a valid visa and residence proof), plus a new medical certificate and refresher training (the DLT e-Learning course works for renewals).

Renew on time. Under the 2022 announcement, a licence expired more than 1 year needs the written test again, and one expired more than 3 years also needs the driving test.

Retiree note: since a 2025 update reported by Thai PBS, renewals no longer include the colour test. Drivers 55 and under who renew within a year skip the reaction test, but over-55s still do it.

Driving on your Australian licence while you wait

Until you convert, you need your physical Australian licence plus an International Driving Permit under the 1949 Geneva Convention. The PRD confirms foreigners may drive on an IDP, and Smartraveller gives the same advice for Australians.

Get the IDP from your state motoring club through the Australian Automobile Association:

• A$55 plus postage, valid 12 months or until your Australian licence expires, whichever is sooner
• You can apply from overseas by post
• If you ride, make sure the motorcycle class appears on it
• AAA warns that online "International Driving Licence" products are scams

As Lawyers for Expats Thailand puts it, an IDP is a translation, not a licence. It's invalid without your Australian licence, and invalid if that licence has expired.

Once you're living in Thailand long term, converting is the safer choice. It removes any argument at a checkpoint about how long a visitor can drive on an IDP, and you won't need to renew the IDP every year.

Insurance

Your licence status matters if you crash. The Australian Embassy warns that driving without the correct licence can lead to arrest, and that some insurers won't cover you. Travel insurers commonly exclude riding a motorbike without a licence valid for that class in Thailand, and Thai voluntary motor policies can have driver-licence conditions.

Thailand's compulsory third-party cover (Por Ror Bor) is attached to the vehicle and only covers basic injury costs, so it's no substitute. Check the licence wording in your travel, health and motor policies. A Thai licence of the right class is the simplest way to make sure you meet it.

Keeping your Australian licence current

Converting doesn't cancel your Australian licence, and it's worth keeping. You'll need it to drive when you visit Australia, to get another Australian IDP, and possibly to re-convert or prove your history later.

The Embassy can't renew Australian licences, so deal with your state or territory directly. Each state has its own rules. In NSW, for example, you can renew online if eligible, or by post with an overseas photo kit if your licence is current or expired less than 5 years. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for the card. Make sure your state has a valid postal address for you.

Once you hold a Thai licence, you can also apply to the DLT for a Thai-issued IDP for travel in other countries.

Hua Hin: which office?

Hua Hin residents are generally served by the DLT's Pranburi branch. Directory listings give its address as 61 Moo 3, Phetkasem Road, Khao Noi, Pranburi (roughly 25 km south of central Hua Hin), with phone 032-621343. It's open Monday to Friday, and the official site is prb.dlt.go.th.

We couldn't open the DLT's own pages to confirm the details, so check the office list in DLT Smart Queue or call 1584 before you go. You can also book at the provincial office in Prachuap Khiri Khan town, or any other office with a free slot.

Getting there without a car is easy by taxi or Grab. See Living in Hua Hin without a car. For immigration and the residence certificate, see Retiring in Hua Hin.

Other nationalities

The process above applies to any valid foreign licence. If yours isn't in English, the official manual says you need a Thai or English translation certified by your embassy, or an IDP under an international agreement. Embassy services differ, and some, like Australia's, won't issue residence letters, so check yours. Everything else (residence proof, medical, training, fitness tests, fees and the 2-then-5-year structure) is the same.

Summary

• Who: long-stay residents only. Tourists and visa-exempt visitors can't convert; DTV holders should check with their office first.
• Documents: passport and copies, a certificate of residence (or work permit) less than 1 year old, a medical certificate less than 1 month old, and your physical Australian licence.
• Process: book on DLT Smart Queue, do 1 hour of training (online or at the office), pass the colour, reaction, depth and peripheral-vision tests, and pay.
• Cost: 205 baht (car) and 105 baht (motorcycle) for the 2-year licence, possibly plus 100 baht for the card. Then 505 or 255 baht for each 5-year licence.
• Motorcycles: you need an R class on your Australian licence, or a full Thai test.
• Meanwhile: drive on your physical Australian licence plus an AAA-issued IDP, and keep your Australian licence renewed.

What we couldn't verify

• Written test: we found no Royal Gazette notice bringing the June 2025 draft (written test for foreign-licence holders, no IDP-based conversions) into force by 25 October 2026. Some offices may test anyway.
• Card fee: whether the 100-baht photo and card fee on the government tourist guide is charged on top of 205 or 105 baht for conversions.
• Pranburi branch details: the address, phone and hours come from directory listings, as the DLT websites wouldn't load for us. A map listing also shows a "Hua Hin" land transport point in town, and we couldn't confirm what services it offers.
• Certificate of residence: the fee and processing time vary by immigration office. We found reports of anything from free to several hundred baht, and couldn't confirm Prachuap Khiri Khan's current fee.
• E-Learning for first licences: whether every office accepts the online "For Foreigner" course result for a first licence, or insists on in-office training.
• DTV: how individual offices treat DTV holders. There's no published DLT guidance.
• Photos: whether your office still wants printed passport photos.