Tourist traffic trap is damaging Thailand's reputation

Too often their work does not make sense. Look at what happens when foreigners are pulled over without an international driving permit/licence. 

The police will give you a ticket, take your driving licence as deposit and tell you to drive to the nearest police station to pay the bill. There, you can just show the receipt and drive away! How on earth does this police work make any sense beyond being an exercise in collecting money?

It seems that almost none of the developed countries require drivers to carry an international driving licence. It is only a requirement in “banana republics” and corrupt countries, where it is used to extort money from visitors. 

Thai tourist authorities should work to change the law so that foreign tourists can use their own national driving licences to legally rent and drive vehicles in Thailand. Like visa rules, the new law could be selective, screening out countries whose driving licences don’t measure up. Let’s remember that the best, cheapest and most effective tourism PR a country can get is the testimony of happy tourists!

Thai authorities cannot have it both ways – cashing in by permitting foreigners to rent cars and motorbikes without a licence then cashing in again by catching and fining them.

A North Country Man