TDAC: How to Fill In Thailand’s Digital Arrival Card

What is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)?

The TDAC is Thailand’s free online arrival card, run by the Immigration Bureau at tdac.immigration.go.th. It replaced the paper TM6 form from 1 May 2025. Foreign nationals entering by air, land or sea submit it within the three days before arrival. It is not a visa and does not guarantee entry.

The UK Foreign Office’s Thailand entry requirements confirm that all foreign nationals arriving by air, land or sea have needed a TDAC since 1 May 2025, and link to the official TDAC site. The Royal Thai Embassy in Buenos Aires’ TDAC explainer describes it as the digital replacement for paper arrival forms and states that it is free.

The Immigration Bureau’s English user manual is explicit that the card is not a visa. Whether you can enter without a visa, and for how long, depends on your passport; that is covered in the visa-exemption section below.

Who needs to fill in the TDAC, and who is exempt?

Every non-Thai national entering Thailand needs a TDAC, including children and infants, whose parent or guardian completes it. Thai nationals are exempt, and so are transit passengers who stay airside and do not pass through immigration. Visa-exempt tourists, visa holders and foreign residents returning to Thailand all still need one.

The Royal Thai Embassy guidance lists the exemptions as Thai nationals and transit passengers who do not pass through immigration and leave the airport. It also says each TDAC is valid for a single entry, so you need a new one every time you enter Thailand, including after a side trip to a neighbouring country.

Families and groups can save time: the official manual allows up to 10 travellers in one group submission and offers a “Same as Previous Traveler” option when travel and accommodation details match. Check each passport’s details individually before you submit.

When should you submit the TDAC?

Submit it within the three days before you arrive in Thailand; earlier submissions are not accepted. The embassy guidance says you can still complete it up until you reach immigration, but doing it before you fly avoids queuing for airport kiosks or relying on patchy Wi-Fi when you land.

The FCDO says travellers can register within three days before they arrive, and the Immigration Bureau manual gives the same three-day window. Count from your arrival date in Thailand, not your departure date, especially on overnight long-haul flights that land the next day.

If you cannot do it in advance, the embassy guidance says kiosks are available at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai airports. Landing in Bangkok? Our guide to which Bangkok airport serves which part of the city helps you plan the onward leg.

Is the TDAC free, and how do you avoid fake TDAC sites?

Yes, the TDAC is free. Use only tdac.immigration.go.th or the Immigration Bureau’s THIM app, and close any site that asks for a card payment, a processing fee or a Thai “ETA”. Thai authorities have repeatedly warned about look-alike sites, and immigration said in March 2026 that at least one in ten foreign arrivals had used one.

Khaosod English reported in March 2026 that immigration officials estimated at least 10% of foreign arrivals had registered through fraudulent TDAC websites, and an October 2025 report quoted the tourism ministry saying any website that collects money for TDAC registration is not an official government site. Type the address yourself rather than clicking a search advert.

If you paid a look-alike site, contact your card issuer about the charge, then use the search option on the official site, which needs your TDAC number, date of birth and nationality, to check whether a valid card exists; if it does not, submit a new one. The Immigration Bureau’s THIM app, downloadable since 1 August 2026 and formally launched on 25 September 2026, is another official way to file the same card; VisasNews and Forvis Mazars both note that it is optional and the website remains available.

You may also see headlines about a new tourist entry tax. As of 8 October 2026, VisasNews reported that a proposed 450-baht arrival tax had not been approved. Nothing is payable for the TDAC itself.

What information do you need to fill in the TDAC?

Have your passport, arrival flight or vehicle details, the address of your first night’s stay and an email address ready. The form asks for passport, personal, travel and accommodation details plus a health declaration, all in English. You can scan your passport’s machine-readable zone, but recheck every scanned field before submitting.

The Immigration Bureau manual groups the form into passport, personal, travel, accommodation and health-declaration sections, and warns that data read from the passport’s machine-readable zone should be rechecked each time. Once submitted, the card is emailed to you; the manual advises keeping a downloaded or printed copy for your stay.

Full name, nationality and date of birth cannot be edited after submission, according to the manual, so a mistake there means filing a new card. Book your first night before you start. If you are flying into Bangkok, our Suvarnabhumi transfer guide covers the trip into the city.

• Passport: number, nationality, expiry date and your name exactly as printed.
• Travel: arrival date, how you are arriving and your flight or vehicle number.
• Accommodation: the full address of where you will stay, not just a hotel name.
• Health declaration: answer the questions the form shows you.
• Email: an address you can open on arrival, to receive the confirmation.

What if your flight or hotel changes after you submit the TDAC?

Update the existing card on the official site before you travel, using your TDAC number, date of birth and nationality to find it. Travel and accommodation details can be changed, but full name, nationality and date of birth cannot; if any of those are wrong, submit a new card instead.

The Immigration Bureau manual says submitted information can be updated at any time before you travel. If your arrival date moves and the update will not go through, file a new card once you are within three days of the new arrival date, and keep only the latest confirmation on your phone so you show the right one.

If the confirmation email does not arrive, check your spam folder; the embassy guidance says to tell the immigration officer at the checkpoint if you have no email or QR code. Take a screenshot before you fly, because roaming and airport Wi-Fi can be unreliable when you land.

How long can you stay in Thailand visa-free, and does the TDAC change that?

The TDAC does not change your permitted stay. Since 15 September 2026, Thailand’s visa exemption for tourism is 30 days for 60 countries and territories, including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and all EU states. The previous 60-day exemption has ended, so check the Thai embassy for your nationality.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Consular Affairs 30-day list, dated 15 September 2026, names 60 countries and territories whose ordinary-passport holders can enter for tourism for up to 30 days. Its summary of the 2026 revision adds a 15-day exemption for Seychelles and Mauritius, visa on arrival for Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia, and separate bilateral agreements for countries including South Korea, Brazil and China. Other nationalities need a visa, applied for through the official Thai e-Visa site. Checked 14 October 2026.

The FCDO says the 30-day exemption is for tourism only, that people who entered before 15 September 2026 are usually allowed the stay granted on arrival, and that visa-exempt entries through land checkpoints are normally limited to two per calendar year. It adds that you may be asked for proof of onward travel and funds of 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family, and that overstaying costs 500 baht a day up to 20,000 baht, with possible detention, deportation or a re-entry ban.

Need longer than 30 days? Get the right visa before you travel, or ask Thai immigration whether you are eligible to extend. Long-stay routes such as the Long-Term Resident visa have their own criteria. The rules changed several times between 2024 and 2026, so treat any article that still promises a 60-day stay as out of date.

How do you stay connected when you land in Thailand?

Install a travel eSIM or arrange roaming before you fly, so you can open your TDAC confirmation, receive airline messages and book transport as soon as you land. Keep a screenshot or printout of the TDAC as a backup, because the card arrives by email and you should have it ready at immigration.

An eSIM can usually be installed at home and switched on when you land, which saves hunting for a SIM counter after a long flight. Check that your phone is unlocked and supports eSIM first. Our eSIM for Thailand guide compares data plans and when a local SIM makes more sense.

Whatever you choose, save your TDAC confirmation, first-night address and onward ticket offline. The embassy guidance notes that some airports offer Wi-Fi, but it is safer not to depend on it in the immigration queue.