What is the  Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)?

The TDAC is Thailand’s free online arrival card. Non-Thai travelers file one for every entry, by air, land, or sea, starting 3 days before arrival; the arrival day itself still counts. It is not a visa, and a few groups are exempt. File it on tdac.immigration.go.th or in the Immigration Bureau’s THIM app, then show it at immigration.

Is the TDAC a visa?

No. It is Thailand’s online arrival card, the form that replaced the paper arrival card for international travelers.

  • One card covers one entry: you file a new TDAC every time you enter Thailand
  • After submitting, you download the card with its QR code and show it on your phone at immigration

Who needs a TDAC?

Required

  • All non-Thai nationals, including infants and children
  • Every visa type, visa-exempt entries included
  • Arrivals by air, land, and sea

Not required

  • Thai nationals
  • Transit passengers who don’t pass through immigration
  • Technical landings and transit flights
  • Airline crew
  • Border Pass holders

Transiting? The Immigration Bureau’s test is simple: if you leave the airport, you need a TDAC.

When do I file the TDAC?

3 days

From 3 days before your arrival date, up to the day you arrive.

Thailand’s foreign ministry gives an example: arriving on 5 May, you can submit from 2 May. The portal sends no reminders.

What is the official TDAC website?

tdac.immigration.go.th

If the address bar does not say tdac.immigration.go.th, you are not on the government’s TDAC site.

The Immigration Bureau’s THIM app files the same TDAC: the app and the website are two ways to file one card.

Why does Thailand use the TDAC?

Thailand’s Immigration Bureau says the system aims to strengthen security measures, streamline immigration procedures, and support public health management.

How do I fill in the TDAC?

Step-by-step guide to the Thailand Digital Arrival Card

Is the TDAC free?

Yes. The official portal charges nothing.

What changes if I arrive in Thailand by land or sea?

The requirement does not change with the border you use. Thailand’s Immigration Bureau answers it in one line: every foreign visitor entering by land, air, or sea files a TDAC.

  • On the form, choose LAND or SEA as your Mode of Travel. The Mode of Transport list changes to match, and the number goes in the Flight No./Vehicle No. box.
  • The form has no box for the checkpoint, so which land crossing you use doesn’t change what you enter.
  • The Immigration Bureau lists five airports with self-service kiosks: Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Hat Yai. It lists none at a land crossing or a seaport.
  • A Border Pass takes the place of a TDAC. A visa does not, so if you hold one you still file.
  • Arrive with no card filed and no way to file one, and you are sent to a help point at the checkpoint. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes it as being for exceptional circumstances only.

File it before you set off.

Official sources: Immigration Bureau: TDAC FAQ · Ministry of Foreign Affairs: entry regulations

What if I’m staying longer, or not as a tourist?

The TDAC covers your arrival. The portal’s own notice, issued under the Immigration Act, B.E. 2522, names two duties that begin once you are through.

  • Stay in Thailand longer than 90 days and you must tell the nearest immigration officer, in writing, where you are living. You tell them again every 90 days.
  • Work needs a work permit. The purpose you pick on the card is a declaration, not permission: choosing Employment does not grant you the right to work.
  • The purpose list also covers Business, Education, and Medical & Wellness, among others.

Whichever you pick, the visa or permit that allows the stay is arranged separately, through Thailand’s own government channels. The card cannot stand in for either.

Official sources: Immigration Bureau: TDAC portal notice

Can I change my TDAC after submitting it?

Flight, dates, or address
Use “Update Arrival Card” on the portal, any time before you travel, with your TH Digital Arrival Card No., date of birth, and nationality
Name, nationality, or date of birth
These can’t be updated. Submit a new card with the correct details and the latest one counts
Passport number
The Immigration Bureau’s FAQ lists it among the details that can’t be updated; its user guide leaves it off that list. If the portal won’t let you change it, submit a new card

Never pay a third party to “fix” it.

FAQ

Do I need a TDAC if I’m only transiting?
Not if you don’t pass through immigration, and not for technical landings or transit flights. If you leave the airport, you need one, the Immigration Bureau says.
I’m changing planes on the way. What goes in “Country/Territory where you Boarded”?
The official TDAC site doesn’t say which country to enter when you connect. What the Immigration Bureau does say is that the country you boarded from can trigger extra health questions if Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health lists it. Either way, the Health Declaration step asks for every country you stayed in during the two weeks before arrival.
I’m arriving by land. Do I still need a TDAC?
Yes. The Immigration Bureau says every foreigner entering by land, air, or sea submits one, within the same 3-day window; on the form, choose LAND as your Mode of Travel. Crossing on a Border Pass instead of a passport? Then you don’t file one.
Can I use the THIM app instead of the website?
Yes. THIM is the Immigration Bureau’s own app, listed as “THIM - Thai Immigration Bureau” from Royal Thai Police in the app stores. It files the same TDAC, with up to 10 travelers at once. In June 2026, while the app was on trial, Thailand’s tourism authority said THIM “is not an additional arrival-card requirement and does not replace TDAC at this stage.” We found no official notice making the app compulsory.
Can I fill in the TDAC for my family?
Yes. The Immigration Bureau’s FAQ says you may complete it for family members, children, or group travelers. On the website, one submission holds up to 10 travelers, and from the second traveler on, “Same as Previous Traveler” lets you reuse the trip and accommodation details.
How do I avoid a fake TDAC website?
Check the address bar for tdac.immigration.go.th. Thai embassies say the TDAC is free of charge, and the embassy in London warns: “Do not make a payment if you have been asked to do so.” The Immigration Bureau’s FAQ does allow a travel agency to submit for its clients, if the clients authorize it.
What if the QR code email never arrived?
The Immigration Bureau’s FAQ says to contact the immigration officer at the entry checkpoint.
How current is this?
We last checked this guide against the official sources on 19 Sep 2026. The last change we recorded on the official TDAC portal was 18 Sep 2026.

What do I need to do before arriving in Thailand?

Unless you are exempt, file a TDAC for each traveler for free on tdac.immigration.go.th or in the THIM app, from 3 days before you arrive, then show it at immigration.

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Does your passport need the TDAC?