The Hat Yai Police Station in Thailand reminds all Malaysian drivers that the Thai government currently does not accept Malaysia’s digital driving licenses, urging Malaysian drivers to remember to carry their physical driving license or an international driving license.
In a post on their Facebook page, the Hat Yai Police Station reminded Malaysian drivers who ride motorcycles or drive cars to Thailand for travel to be sure to prepare a physical driving license.
The post pointed out that, according to the "Guidelines for Handling Malaysian Digital Driving Licenses" issued by the Thai Department of Land Transport, under the ASEAN mutual recognition agreement, Malaysia’s physical driving license can be legally used in Thailand.
If the relevant driving license does not contain information in English, a certified English translation document must be attached.
The Thai authorities do not accept Temporary/Provisional licenses or Learner’s Driving Licenses.
In addition, according to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic 1949, an international driving permit can be used as a legal driving license in Thailand.
If stopped by law enforcement, the relevant driver must present both the international driving permit and the national driving license for verification.
The Hat Yai Police Station stated that ASEAN member countries are currently in discussions to establish unified guidelines and standards for the international mutual recognition of digital driving licenses.
Therefore, holding only a digital driving license is insufficient to replace the legal status of a physical driving license, so Malaysian drivers in Thailand still need to carry their physical driving license or international driving license for inspection by law enforcement.
According to earlier reports, to obtain a physical driving license, citizens can go to the Road Transport Department counter or the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) to apply. Malaysian citizens need only RM20 to apply for a physical driving license.