Thailand on a Swedish Licence — The Side Switch and a Mandatory IDP

Swapping the orderly roads of Sweden for Thailand is a bigger jump than the distance suggests. The speed limits aren’t the issue — two specific differences are, and both need sorting before you drive.

Traffic runs on the left

Sweden drives on the right; Thailand drives on the left. For a Swedish driver that reversal is the single hardest adjustment, and it bites hardest in the first day — joining a roundabout that now flows clockwise, pulling out of a fuel station on the unfamiliar side, the reflexive glance the wrong way at a junction. Thailand’s roads are also thick with motorbikes that slip through any gap on either side, so there’s far less margin for a wrong-side moment than on a quiet Swedish road. Spend your first hour somewhere empty and check mirrors deliberately until the new pattern sticks.

The IDP is required, full stop

You must carry an International Driving Permit with your Swedish licence. Rental desks won’t release a car without it and a checkpoint stop without one means a fine. Apply in Sweden before you travel — the IDP can’t be issued once you’ve landed. Keep the permit, your licence and your passport together; our driving permit checker confirms what your case needs.

The alcohol limit goes the other way

Here’s the surprise: Sweden’s 0.02 is among the strictest limits anywhere, and Thailand is far more relaxed at 0.05 BAC. Don’t read that as licence to drink, though — roadside breath testing is routine and the penalties are serious, so the safe figure remains zero. Speeds run 50 in town, 90 rural and 120 on the motorway, above the 110 you’re used to. A typical speeding fine is THB 500–1,000 (≈ €13–26) — estimate yours with the speeding fine calculator.

Fuel is roughly $1.25/litre and the emergency number is 191. Read the full rules on our Thailand driving guide before you collect the car.