If you live in Thailand on a one-year extension and were planning to swap your home licence for a Thai one, the rules may be about to get harder. On 4 November 2026 the Department of Land Transport (DLT) opened a public consultation on a draft announcement that would make foreign applicants complete the full training course and pass the written and practical tests, even if they already hold a valid licence from home or an International Driving Permit.
The draft is not law yet. Comments are open until 4 December 2026, and the DLT has not announced a start date. But the proposals are specific, and the early response on the department's own consultation page is overwhelmingly negative.
What the draft would change
The draft amends the DLT's 2022 announcement on training and testing for people applying for or renewing a driving licence. The consultation page lists three changes, all aimed at foreign applicants.
- No more exemptions based on a foreign licence. A local licence issued abroad, or a permit issued under an international agreement, could no longer be used as evidence to skip training and tests. This would apply to both the two-year temporary private licence and the five-year private licence.
- A two-year visa condition. A foreigner applying for a two-year temporary private licence would need a visa with at least two years remaining, or would have to meet other conditions set by the DLT. The draft page does not say what those conditions are.
- Tests only at DLT offices. Driving schools could still train foreign applicants, but could no longer run their written or practical tests. Foreigners would have to sit both tests at a provincial land transport office, a provincial branch office or one of Bangkok's five area offices.
| Issue | Now | Under the draft |
|---|---|---|
| Valid foreign licence or international permit | Can be used as evidence for exemption from training and tests | No longer accepted as grounds for exemption, for two-year or five-year licences |
| Visa needed for a two-year temporary licence | No two-year minimum set (the draft adds it) | At least two years left on the visa, or other DLT conditions not yet published |
| Where foreigners sit tests | Approved driving schools can test | DLT provincial, branch or Bangkok area offices only |
| Status | In force | Draft, comments open to 4 December 2026, no start date |
Who could be caught by the visa condition?
This is the part long-stay residents are most worried about. Retirement, marriage and work-based stays are usually granted as extensions of one year at a time, so a strict reading of a two-year visa rule could leave people who have lived here legally for years unable to get a first two-year licence. The draft does not explain whether the test is the visa itself or the permission to stay stamped in your passport, which matters for holders of longer visas such as the Destination Thailand Visa, whose stays are granted in shorter blocks. Until the DLT publishes its alternative conditions, nobody can say for certain who qualifies.
The draft deals with applications for a temporary or a five-year private licence. The consultation page does not mention tourists driving on an International Driving Permit without applying for a Thai licence, and it does not spell out how the changes would affect renewing a Thai licence you already hold.
What the public has said so far
The DLT's consultation page shows a running tally. When we checked at 08:43 Bangkok time on 9 November 2026, 146 people had responded: 140, or 96%, disagreed with the principles of the draft and 6, or 4%, agreed. Many of the 103 written comments come from retirees and spouses on one-year extensions, and several say they accept a test but object to the visa condition. A tally like this is self-selected, so it shows the strength of feeling among those who took part rather than wider opinion.
How to have your say
Anyone can comment on the DLT Legal Office's consultation page until 4 December 2026. The form asks whether you agree with the draft's principles and invites written suggestions. Comments in English have been accepted alongside Thai. After the consultation closes, the DLT will review the responses before deciding on a final text.
FAQ
Do the new driving licence rules for foreigners apply now?
No. They are a draft. The DLT opened comments on 4 November 2026 and they close on 4 December 2026. No start date has been announced, so the current rules still apply.
Will I still be able to convert my home licence without a test?
Under the draft, a foreign licence or an international permit would no longer exempt you from training and tests for a two-year or five-year Thai private licence. Under today's rules, check with your provincial DLT office which tests apply to you.
I am on a one-year retirement or marriage extension. Can I get a licence?
Today, yes, if you meet the existing requirements. Under the draft, a two-year temporary licence would need at least two years left on your visa or other DLT conditions that have not been published, so the answer is unclear until the DLT says more.
Where would I take the test?
At a DLT provincial land transport office, a provincial branch office or one of the five Bangkok area offices. Driving schools could still provide the training.
Where can I find the current process?
Our guide to getting a Thai driving licence sets out the documents, fees and steps under the rules in force now.
Sources and verification
Factual claims and service details were checked against the sources below on . Prices, rules and availability can change; confirm consequential decisions with the relevant authority or provider.
- Public consultation on the draft DLT announcement on training and testing for driving licence applicants and renewals (4 November to 4 December 2026)Department of Land Transport, Legal Office
- Thailand plans tougher driving licence rules for foreignersThe Thaiger
- DLT drafts new criteria for foreigners applying for driving licences (Thai)Thansettakij