Hello la compagnie,
Voici mon retour d'expérience sur la demande d'un permis thailandais à partir d'un permis international, et sans visa (exemption de visa 30 jours). Si ça peut faire gagner une journée de démarches et une vingtaine d'euros à quelques personnes...
Pour demander le permis thai il faut un certificat de résidence thailandais. Normalement on peut pas le faire en étant en visa touristique, mais à pattaya ils acceptent souvent (plus précisément à jomtien soi 5).
J'ai donc passé une semaine à pattaya, en demandant une facture de la chambre d'hôtel, en expliquant que c'était pour l'immigration.
Ensuite il faut faire quelques photocopies :
- passeport (page avec la photo, page avec le tampon et/ou visa, page avec la feuille d'arrivée, moi j'avais pas cette dernière car exemption de visa).
- Il faut 2 photos d'identité, qu'on peut faire chez n'importe quel photographe, par exemple au centre commercial festival, vers soi 10 de pattaya pas loin du Hilton. Il faut les photos les plus grandes, je crois que c'est 4ou5cm par 6cm. Prévoir minimum 5 photos je crois. J'ai eu 12 photos pour 120 bahts.
- Le justificatif de votre chambre d'hôtel
Ensuite RDV à l'immigration de jomtien soi 5, on peut y aller en bahts bus.
Prévoir un grand sourire, tous les documents, 200 bahts, attendre 20 minutes, et hop vous avez votre certificat de résidence thailandais. Attention ce n'est pas systématique, comme dit plus haut, normalement on peut pas l'avoir en visa touristique. J'en ai profité pour demander la même chose en anglais (300 bahts), car je suis dans un cas un peu spécial au niveau de ma résidence (je voyage toute l'année sans avoir de pays fixe), et ce document pourrait m'être utile.
La fille de l'immigration m'a confirmé que je pouvais ensuite demandé le permis de conduire thai, même en étant en exemption de visa.
Ensuite, on va au centre pour demander le permis thailandais, via le permis international. Le centre est à une quinzaine de km de pattaya. J'ai pris le baht bus pour m'excentrer un peu, je pense que c'était une bonne idée, car je suis pas certain que les motos taxis du centre savent aller au centre du permis de conduire.
J'ai ensuite pris une moto taxi négociée à 200 bahts. Je lui ai montré mon permis de conduire international en lui disant "driving licence", puis une photo avec marqué "EASTERN VERIFICATION CENTER CHON BURI MEASURE CENTER", et enfin une photo avec marqué "REGENTS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PATTAYA" (c'est une école à 100m du centre). Avec tout ça il a compris et il savait où c'était.
Voici l'endroit sur google maps
Voici les coordonnées GPS à mettre dans google maps : 12.968559, 100.972184
Sur un forum anglais ils conseillaient d'y venir entre 8h et 9h, ou entre midi et 13h. J'ai mis le réveil et j'y suis donc allé pour midi :p
Voici les documents à avoir :
- peut être photos d'identité mais il parait qu'ils font les photos sur place maintenant
- photocopie du passeport et du permis international
- le certificat de résidence de l'immigration
- un certificat médical. C'est une grande blague ce papier, il faut aller dans une clinic (il y en a partout), et ils vous font le document sans vous examiner. J'ai payé 150 bahts. Il faut une photo d'identité je crois.
Une fois sur place, il y a plusieurs batiments mais des panneaux indiquent lequel s'occupe des permis de conduire. A l'accueil, le bonhomme vous dira qu'il faut prendre le ticket N°1 pour les permis de conduire pour farang. Dès que vous prenez le ticket vous pouvez aller au guichet 11, qui est situé à l'étage, juste à la sortie de l'escalier.
Ensuite la fille du guichet 11 va vérifier tous vos documents. Et c'est là que ça a bloqué pour moi. J'ai appris que le permis international n'est pas valide en thailande, car la thailande a signé la convention de genève 1948, et le permis international utilise la convention du 8 novembre 1968. J'ai beaucoup insisité, j'ai pretexté que des amis français avaient le même permis et avaient pu faire leur permis thai, mais non, impossible. J'ai regardé sur mon smartphone et personne ne parle de ça sur le net (d'où mon message).
J'ai appelé l'ambassade de france pour leur demander, j'ai eu une thai au téléphone qui parle assez bien français, elle m'a dit que si, mon permis était bien valable, et que je pouvais le faire changer en permis thai. Bref je lui passe la fille du guichet 11 au téléphone, et elles se parlent en thai.
Ensuite la fille de l'ambassade m'explique en Français qu'effectivement, le permis international n'a pas la bonne convention, et qu'il ne peut pas être changé en permis thai. Le permis international européen n'est donc pas valable en thailande !!???
Voici la solution qu'elle m'a expliqué :
- Aller avec le permis français (papier rose) dans une alliance française, et faire traduire le permis français en thai
- Aller dans une ambassade de france pour faire certifier la copie
- Retourner voir la fille du guichet 11 avec ces papiers, et normalement ça devrait passer, car le permis français a lui, bien la convention de Genève 1948.
J'ai laissé mon papier rose en France, je testerais peut être ça l'an prochain.
Le permis international européen n'est donc pas valable en thailande !!???
J'ai laissé mon papier rose en France, je testerais peut être ça l'an prochain.
le permis international n est qu une traduction, il n est valable qu accompagné du veritable permis national. on me l a demandé dans de nombreux pays, pas seulement en thailande, si tu t etais fait brancher par la police sur la route, tu aurais pu passer un sale quart d heure
merci pour l info et le point GPS a pataya
la procedure est quasi identique pour passer le permis thai (moto ou auto ou les 2), elle semble varier avec plus ou moins de souplesse suivant les endroits et les annees, je l ai passe 3 fois ces dernieres annees, ils ne font plus de permis valable 5 ans avec un visa touristique (du moins la ou je suis passe) http://voyageforum.com/discussion/passer-permis-auto-moto-en-thailande-permis-valable-ensuite-dans-toute-asean-d6052736/
en 2015, le permis temporaire delivre etait valable 2 ans
un certificat médical. C'est une grande blague ce papier, il faut aller dans une clinic (il y en a partout), et ils vous font le document sans vous examiner. J'ai payé 150 bahts. Il faut une photo d'identité je crois.
depuis 2013, on m a demandé un certificat medical delivre par un hopital public agréé (ceux délivrés par les medecins avant ne sont plus valables la ou je suis passé), ça coute 50 bahts tarif officiel
enfin, apres t avoir fait passer 3 ou 4 «epreuves» theoriques sans pratique ni moto ni auto, ils te prennent en photo, et te refilent la carte pour un peu plus de 100 bahts
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Hi there,
I know there are similar topics here and elsewhere, but they’re a few years old, and I need an up-to-date answer to make sure I don’t throw over 1000 € out the window. Thanks for your patience.
I’m planning a trip from France to Alberta/British Columbia, and I’m unsure about which bank card to use for the security deposit with the rental company (I’m thinking of going with AVIS).
I contacted Avis Canada, and they told me a credit card is absolutely required. I asked my bank for a credit card (a *real* credit card), but they only offered me a deferred debit card.
My question: For a rental with Avis Canada, is a Gold International Mastercard deferred debit card usable for the security deposit needed to finalize the rental? Is the "CREDIT" label enough? (Some cards say "CREDIT" and others say "CARTE DE CREDIT"—seems minor, but it’s actually a big deal in how the card works.)
I’ve seen conflicting info everywhere I look... My bank says it’s *usually* okay (the deferred debit card), while Avis Canada insists it *must* be a credit card, not debit—even when I mention the deferred debit card.
I know the whole credit card concept is already confusing, and on top of that, some sites say a deferred debit card counts as a credit card, while others say it doesn’t.
Thanks to anyone who can share a recent experience!
Have a great day
Hi there,
I’m heading to Senegal in January for a month and was wondering if I just need my French driver’s license or if I should get an international permit?
Thanks!
JL
Hi,
I’m bringing Seresta, an anxiolytic (tranquilizer) from the benzodiazepine family,
to help me sleep.
I’ll have the prescription with me.
Will this be a problem at customs, and do I need to declare it?
Same question for antibiotics?
Thanks a bunch!
I’m heading to Laos next spring, but I have a question about the Thai arrival/departure form. I’ll be flying PAR-BKK, then taking the train to Laos (so exiting Thailand), and later re-entering Thailand by train to catch my return flight. Do I need to fill out two forms in this case?
Hi there,
I have a 9-seater passenger vehicle that I use for my business in Paris, transporting people.
I’m planning to go to Algeria with my family.
The vehicle registration lists my company as the owner.
Can I get a TPD (Temporary Admission Document)?
Will I need a KBis extract or a power of attorney?!?
Thanks for your help.
Worst case, I can add my personal name as a co-owner on the registration, but that would be a real shame!
Hi,
I’m writing to ask for some info—I’ve heard that you **must** have travel insurance to land in Zanzibar.
What’s the process, and which insurance should I get?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Seb
Hi, are there any travelers who’ve recently crossed the border between Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan) and Beineu in Kazakhstan?
It was closed for a while.
Thanks for any info!
I bought a one-way flight (Ryanair) and a return flight (EasyJet) to spend a week in Morocco in April.
My passport expires 3 weeks after the return date.
Some websites say the passport must be valid for 3 months at the time of entry.
However, it will still be valid both on entry and return, but its validity will only be 1 month at the time of entry (and 3 weeks on the return date, everything prepaid).
It's an individual family trip.
The consulate can't give me an answer—they're still looking into it (really!)
Last year, we stayed for 3 months in Thailand, north of Khao Lak, and were able to benefit from the 2-month visa exemption, renewable for one month by going to Takua Pa to validate a 1-month extension (1,900 baht).
This year, it’s a disaster for us—not only were we planning a 4-month stay, adding a visa run in between (which some say is quite risky), but the law is apparently changing in the coming months with the return of the 1-month exemption (plus the usual 1-month option). So, we looked into applying for a 6-month multiple-entry visa, allowing a maximum of 60 consecutive days in Thailand. However, I can’t find anywhere the minimum time required outside Thailand between two stays—do any of you have an idea?
Thanks for the info! If you’d like tips on Khao Lak and the surrounding areas, we’ve got some experience, though things change fast!
Cheers,
Bruno.
My partner, our 8-year-old daughter, and I are going on vacation to Gex.
We’ve decided to spend one day in Switzerland and another in Italy. Will we need ID (national ID card or passport)? Do we also need ID for our daughter?
Hello,
We’ll soon be moving to Madagascar long-term.
As a French national, I need to obtain a short-stay visa that can be converted to a long-stay one. To do this, I have to send the required documents to the Madagascar embassy in Paris.
No issues with that procedure so far.
If I get this visa, once I arrive in Madagascar, I’ll need to provide the same documents to the Ministry of the Interior in Anosy. I’m trying to find an email address or website for the Ministry to check which documents I need to submit (I think they ask for additional ones).
If you have any info on this, I’d appreciate your replies.
Best regards,
M. Buisson Eric
I’d like to know if anyone has already applied for a private visa to Russia with an invitation from a Russian resident.
I traveled earlier this year with an e-visa, but since I want to stay longer, I’ll be visiting my friend who lives in eastern Russia.
For the visa application, does the invitation need to be on an official paper form issued by the Russian ministry? And most importantly, do I need to present the original for the application, or is there an electronic version that can be sent directly to the consulate in France?
Thanks for any info if you’ve gone through this process before!
I filled out the B2 form to apply for a visa, created an account on Atvis to pay the visa fees and schedule a meet-up, but every time I try to pay with my Boursobank Visa 1st card, they refuse the payment with a message telling me to check my details (address), even though everything is correct. Does anyone know why this is happening, or maybe they don’t accept Visa cards? Are you aware of this?
Thanks for your feedback!
Elisabeth
There are rumors going around about the ETA: it must absolutely be on your smartphone in the "ETA" app.
Paper documents might not be accepted.
Is this real or just a hoax?
Thanks, I’m leaving in 3 weeks. My passport is good to go and my ETA is still valid for a year, but I only printed the email I received.
Thanks everyone.
Hi there,
We need to apply for a B2 visa because we visited Iran in 2018. It currently costs $185, but they’re planning an additional $250 fee per person for the same visa—it’s been approved but not yet implemented. Does anyone know when this fee will take effect?
Thanks in advance!
Elisabeth
Hi there,
In November, we're heading off on a 4-month trip. We'll be landing in China and plan to leave the country via a land border into Vietnam.
I’ve read that China may ask for proof of exit within 30 days (flight ticket or other reservation). Since we’d be leaving by land, I’m wondering how this works in practice.
Has anyone here been in this situation recently?
Did the airline ask for an exit ticket before boarding?
Did Chinese authorities require proof upon arrival?
Is a train/bus ticket to Vietnam sufficient?
Is a cancelable or flexible reservation accepted?
Hi there,
Just a question that’s probably been asked before (though usually the other way around for my situation :))
My wife and I are heading to the US.
On her ticket, it only has her maiden name (e.g., Martine DUPOND).
On her passport, it’s written as Martine DUPOND épouse AVRY.
No issues for travel, I hope I did the right thing with the ticket?
Then for the ESTA, is just Martine DUPOND enough, or do I need to include the "épouse AVRY" part like on the passport?
Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
I’m spending a few days in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) and would like to cross the Argentine border to make a loop toward Salta and then return to Chile to drop off the rental car.
I’ve heard that crossing the border can be tricky!
Is it possible with a rental company’s authorization? Which company, and at what cost?
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Best regards,
Arnale
I saw on the French Embassy in Peru’s website and the Peruvian Consulate in Paris’s site that the rule is to have a passport valid for 6 months *after the arrival date* (not the return date).
I arrive in Peru on August 13, 2019 (for about twelve days), and my passport is valid until February 16, 2020.
That’s 6 months and 3 days after my arrival date in Peru. In my opinion, I’m good to go.
But could I still be denied entry if they say I don’t cover the return date or that I’m too close to the 6-month mark?
I read on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that it’s possible to apply for a temporary driving permit in China, valid for 1 month.
I’m planning to rent a car (without a driver) to explore part of the country next August, so I was wondering:
Has anyone here already gone through this process upon arrival?
How long do the formalities take on the spot?
Is it possible to handle these steps in advance, before arriving in China?
Hi there,
My departure is slowly approaching, and now that I’ve got my Russian visa sorted, I’m fine-tuning the rest of my trip to Tajikistan. Since the Tajik visa is no longer required for stays under 30 days (for French nationals), I’ll need to visit the Ministry of Interior (OVIR) to register within 10 days of entering the country. No big deal, though, since I had to go there anyway to apply for my GBAO permit. 😉 However, I’ve *seen* several reports from travelers (mostly motorized) mentioning that you need an entry permit for Kyrgyzstan, which has to be arranged in advance at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) in Dushanbe. Otherwise, you’re *stuck* at the Kyzyl-Art border (with no Wi-Fi, of course, to try and sort it out). The most recent report was from a year ago, so I’d love to know if this is still the case and if it’s indeed at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) where you need to go for this pre-authorization.
Does anyone have any recent info on this?
Thanks in advance!
Hi everyone.
I’m leaving for almost 3 months in the Philippines (11 weeks total) starting in early May.
I already have my round-trip ticket.
The problem is, I don’t have time to get a 2-month visa because the process takes nearly a month.
From what I’ve read here and there, I need a return ticket valid for less than a month when I arrive in the Philippines to prove my good faith.
After that, I can apply for a 30-day extension at the immigration office.
I’m planning to either buy a fully refundable ticket to the nearest country or a fake ticket.
For 3 months, I’ll need to extend my visa two more times before my return date to France.
My question is this:
Will immigration ask me each time I extend my visa by one month to show proof of an exit ticket matching the new visa extension date?
Is it possible to extend directly by 2 months before the initial 30 days expire?
Thanks in advance for your experiences and tips! 😊
I’ve been to Thailand several times, but it was about 20 years ago…
There’s a new system in place now, it seems.
TDAC – Thailand Digital Arrival Card.
Before arriving, I apply for a TDAC, okay.
If during my stay I cross the border to spend a few days in Malaysia and then re-enter Thailand,
do I need to submit a new TDAC application?
Do I use the same TDAC as when I first entered the country?
Or do I initially have to pay for a Thai multi-entry visa?
Thanks in advance for your insights—I can’t find the answer online.
My partner (Mexican) entered France on January 21st as a tourist. She was therefore entitled to stay for 90 days in the Schengen Area. She’ll be leaving for Mexico on April 16th, so she’ll have “used up” 86 days.
She plans to return to France on July 18th. According to the European Commission’s Schengen calculator, this new stay “may be authorized for a maximum of 90 days.” That’s not very clear ("may be," "for a maximum of").
The text of Article 6 of the European regulation (2016/399) states that for a stay planned in the territory of the Member States, not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period, one must examine "the 180-day period preceding each day of the stay." That’s not very clear either.
My partner wants to return to France for a 90-day period starting on July 18th. Is this possible?
There are two ways to look at it:
1) The first day she spent in the Schengen Area was January 21st. That day will drop out of the calculation 180 days later, on July 20th.
From July 20th, she’ll get back 1 day of possible stay; on July 22nd, 2 days; and so on. All the days from her previous stay (January 21st–April 16th) need to be outside the 180-day rolling window.
The last day of her stay was April 16th. Looking 180 days ahead, that brings us to October 13th. From that date, she’ll be able to return for a full 90 days.
2) The number of allowed days is calculated for each day of the new stay. In other words: the 180-day window is recalculated every day, not fixed at the entry date.
If she re-enters France on July 18th, she’ll only have a “credit” of 4 days. But with each day of her new stay, one day from the previous stay (January–April) will drop out of the calculation. The rolling window allows her to “replace” days from the previous stay with those of the new stay, without ever exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period.
In this case, my partner could stay in France for 90 days starting on July 18th.
The Prefecture doesn’t provide any information, nor does Air France, and in the forums I’ve checked, opinions are divided. Thanks for any insights you can share!
Hello,
We’re planning to travel to Indonesia (Sulawesi with family) next July and August for a stay longer than a month (about 6 weeks).
I’ve seen that it’s possible to get a 60-day visa before departure, but I’ve also read about people having a lot of trouble getting it (some even didn’t manage and had to leave without it).
We absolutely need to have these 4 visas BEFORE leaving because once we’re in Sulawesi, I’m not sure we’ll be able to go to an embassy to request a visa extension after 30 days.
In short, how can we **100% guarantee** that we’ll get our 4 60-day visas before our trip this summer?
Hello, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026!
We’re heading back in October for a trip through Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
I have a question: for our route, we’ll need to cross the Zambia and Zimbabwe borders twice each. From experience, I know we won’t have any issues with Botswana.
But for the other two countries, I can’t find a clear answer.
All your tips are welcome!
I’m currently a student on a gap year, and I don’t plan to go back to school right away. That said, traveling really interests me. But I’ve been wondering: does being a student come with any perks when you decide to go abroad? The real question is whether I should re-enroll in a program just to keep that status without actually attending.
