If you're visiting Thailand, there's one small piece of paperwork to do before you land: the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, usually shortened to TDAC. It's an online form that tells Thai Immigration who you are, how you're arriving and where you'll stay. This guide explains what it is, who needs it, when to send it and what you get back.
What the TDAC is
The TDAC is an online form that replaced the paper arrival card, known as the TM.6, that visitors used to fill in on the plane or at the airport. The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced the change in April 2025, and the digital card has been required since 1 May 2025.
The form is run by the Thai Immigration Bureau, and you can fill it in yourself at tdac.immigration.go.th.
The TDAC is not a visa. The TDAC user guide says so plainly. If your nationality needs a visa to enter Thailand, you still need one, and the arrival card comes on top of it.
Who needs a TDAC
According to the TDAC FAQ, all non-Thai nationals entering Thailand need one. That includes:
- travellers arriving by air, land or sea
- infants and children, who each need their own card
- visitors on any type of visa, including visa exemption and visa on arrival
- holders of diplomatic passports
A parent or another traveller can fill in the card for someone else, such as a child or a family member. The TDAC user guide allows up to 10 people in one group submission.
Who doesn't need one
Thai government sources name a few exceptions:
- Thai nationals returning to Thailand.
- Transit passengers who don't pass through immigration. The FAQ puts it simply: if you stay airside and don't pass immigration, you don't need a TDAC. If you leave the airport, you do.
- People entering with a Border Pass, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai embassies.
- Aircraft and ship crew, according to the TDAC FAQ.
If none of these describes you, plan on submitting a card.
When to submit it
The card is sent shortly before you travel, not weeks ahead. The TDAC FAQ says it "should be submitted within 3 days in advance of arriving in Thailand (including the date of arrival)". The Tourism Authority of Thailand gives an example: if you arrive on 5 May, you can submit from 2 May.
You can also submit on the day you arrive, but it's calmer to do it before you fly, while you have a good connection and your booking details to hand. Our guide to the 3-day window works through examples with different time zones and overnight flights.
Each card is for one entry. The FAQ says a TDAC "is only valid for one time use", so you need a new card for every trip into Thailand, including a return after a side trip to a neighbouring country.
What the form asks
The form has three parts, then a preview page:
- Personal information: your names as in your passport, passport number, nationality, date of birth, gender, occupation, the country and city where you live, and a phone number.
- Trip and accommodation: your arrival date, the country where you boarded, the purpose of your trip, how you're arriving (air, land or sea) and your flight or vehicle number, then where you'll stay: the type of place, the province and the address.
- Health declaration: the countries you stayed in during the two weeks before you arrive. Extra questions about yellow fever vaccination and symptoms appear only when the system asks for them.
On the preview page you check your answers, enter the e-mail address the card should go to, accept the terms and submit. All details must be typed in English. A checklist in our guides lists everything to have ready before you begin.
What you receive
Once the card is submitted, you receive it by e-mail and can download it straight away. It shows your TH Digital Arrival Card number and a QR code.
You don't have to print it. The TDAC FAQ says you can show the QR code on your phone or any other device at the immigration checkpoint, and suggests printing a copy only if you won't have a device with you. Keep the card number: you'll need it, with your date of birth and nationality, if you want to update the card later.
Recent versions of the e-mail also tell you whether you're eligible for the automated border control gates or should go to an immigration counter.
If you need to change something
The TDAC site has an Update Arrival Card page. You can change most details there before you travel, such as your arrival date, flight or accommodation. Your full name, nationality and date of birth can't be changed this way; if one of them is wrong, you submit a new card. If you submit more than once, the FAQ says only the most recent submission counts. Our guide to updating your TDAC covers this in more detail.
Other ways to submit
Besides the website, the Thai Immigration Bureau offers a mobile app called THIM as another way to submit the card. The Tourism Authority of Thailand notes that the app is not an extra requirement: one arrival card per entry is still all you need.
If you arrive without a card, there are kiosks at five airports: Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai. Help points at immigration checkpoints are meant for exceptional cases, so it's wise not to rely on them.
Doing it yourself, or with help
Many travellers fill in the official form on their own. If you'd rather have a hand, calmvisa is an independent service, not affiliated with the Thai government. We ask the same questions in plain language, one small screen at a time, show you every answer to check, then fill in the Thai form for you and give you the card number and PDF. Thailand e-mails you a copy too. Our service is paid; the pricing page has the details.
Frequently asked questions
Does the TDAC cost anything?
Private services, including calmvisa, charge for their own help with the form, and that fee doesn't include any government fees or visa costs. For the official side, the Thai Immigration Bureau's site at tdac.immigration.go.th is the place to check.
Is the TDAC a visa?
No. It's an arrival card. If your nationality needs a visa for Thailand, you need that visa as well as the card.
Do children need their own TDAC?
Yes. Every traveller, including infants and children, needs a card. A parent or guardian can fill it in for them, and up to 10 people can be included in one group submission.
Do I need a TDAC if I'm only changing planes in Bangkok?
Not if you stay in the transit area and don't pass through immigration. If you leave the airport, you need one.
Do I need to print my TDAC?
No. You can show the QR code on your phone. If you won't have a phone or tablet with you, the FAQ suggests printing a copy.