Visa Rules Change Frequently
Quick Answer
What is the TDAC — Thailand Digital Arrival Card?
A free, 3-minute online arrival declaration form required by all visitors to Thailand. Not a visa.
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) replaced the paper TM.6 form that travellers used to fill in on the plane. Since its rollout in 2024, all international visitors arriving by air at major airports must complete the TDAC online at tdac.immigration.go.th within 72 hours before their flight. The process takes about 3 minutes, is entirely free, and significantly speeds up immigration queues.
TDAC is not a visa — it is purely an arrival declaration similar to the ESTA in the United States or the Australian ETA's arrival component. It records your travel details, accommodation address, and contact information in advance so immigration systems can process you faster. You will receive a QR code to show at the immigration booth. As of early 2026, the TDAC is mandatory at all major international airports and is being rolled out to land and sea border crossings.
Required Documents
| Document | Required |
|---|---|
| Valid passport bio-data details (passport number, expiry, nationality) | |
| Confirmed flight number and arrival date | |
| First accommodation address in Thailand (hotel name or home address) | |
| Contact phone number and email |
Fees
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| TDAC | Free |
Step-by-Step Process
Go to tdac.immigration.go.th
Open the official TDAC portal in your browser. Beware of unofficial copycat sites that may charge a fee — the official system is always free.
Enter your passport details
Input your passport number, issue date, expiry date, nationality, and personal details exactly as they appear in your passport.
Enter your travel details
Provide your incoming flight number, departure country, arrival date, and the address of your first accommodation in Thailand.
Submit and save your QR code
Review all details, submit the form, and immediately save or screenshot the QR code confirmation page. You can also request an email copy.
Present at immigration
Show the QR code to the immigration officer or scan it at a self-service kiosk (available at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, and Chiang Mai airports).
Expert Tips
- Complete the TDAC within 72 hours of your scheduled arrival — submissions made more than 72 hours in advance are not accepted.
- If you have a connecting flight, complete the TDAC for your final arrival flight into Thailand, not your first leg.
- The TDAC system occasionally goes down during peak travel periods — try early morning Thai time if you encounter errors.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Completing the TDAC more than 72 hours in advance — it will not be valid.
- Entering your transit airport as your arrival destination instead of your final Thailand entry point.
- Not saving the QR code offline before boarding.
Important Warnings
When entry can be refused
Holding a valid visa is not the same as a right of entry. The Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) sets out eleven grounds on which an immigration officer may refuse a foreigner at the border.
- 1
No genuine valid passport, or a valid passport without a visa — unless you meet the visa exemption requirements. The terms of both visa issuance and visa exemption are set by Ministerial Regulations rather than by the Act itself.
- 2
No appropriate means of living after entering the country.
- 3
Entering to work as an unskilled or untrained labourer, or to work in breach of the Alien Work Permit law.
- 4
Being mentally unstable, or having any of the diseases listed in the Ministerial Regulations.
- 5
Not vaccinated against smallpox or otherwise inoculated as required, and refusing vaccination by the Immigration Doctor.
- 6
Having been imprisoned by a Thai court, or by a foreign court — except for petty offences, negligence, or cases the Ministerial Regulations exempt.
- 7
Behaviour that could endanger the public, or being subject to an arrest warrant from a foreign government.
- 8
Reason to believe entry is for prostitution, trafficking of women or children, drug smuggling or other smuggling against public morality.
- 9
Not holding the money or bond the Minister prescribes.(Section 14)
- 10
Being a person the Minister has prohibited from entry.(Section 16)
- 11
Having been deported by Thailand or another country, had a right of stay revoked, or been expelled from Thailand at the Thai government's expense — unless the Minister grants an individual exemption.
Summarised in plain English from the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979), published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand and read on 2026-08-12. This is a summary, not the statutory text — read the source document if anything here affects your travel.
Thai bank holidays, 2026
Banks, government offices and immigration are closed. Visa extensions and 90-day reports cannot be filed on these dates, and the days either side are the busiest of the month.
- H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great Memorial Day
- H.M. King Chulalongkorn the Great Memorial Day
- Substitution for H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great’s Birthday, National Day and Father’s Day (Saturday 5th December 2026)
- Constitution Day
- New Year’s Eve
Source: Bank of Thailand. Financial-institution holidays; some government offices keep different hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
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