Thailand TDAC Digital Arrival Card: Complete 2026 Guide for Every Traveler

TL;DR — What you need to know about the TDAC

• The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) replaced the paper TM6 form on February 1, 2026 and is mandatory for every arrival, regardless of visa type or nationality.
• File at tdac.immigration.go.th within 72 hours before arrival. Not before, not after.
• It's free. Any site charging you for it is a third-party reseller, not the official portal.
• You'll need your passport, travel details, accommodation address, and (for some travelers) health declarations.
• The confirmation comes as a QR code via email — save it offline before you fly. Thai immigration will scan it on arrival.
• It applies to visa-free arrivals, tourist visas, DTV, LTR, Non-B, Non-O, Education visas, transit, returning residents — everyone.

What is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)?

The TDAC is the digital replacement for Thailand's old TM6 paper arrival/departure form. It captures the same information — passport details, flight info, accommodation, declared visit purpose — but you submit it online before you travel instead of filling out a paper card on the plane.

Thailand piloted the TDAC during 2025, made it optional in late 2025, and made it mandatory on February 1, 2026. Since then, every arrival into Thailand by air, land, or sea is required to file it. The paper TM6 has been retired and is no longer accepted at any Thai immigration checkpoint.

The TDAC is not a visa. It does not grant you permission to enter Thailand — that's still controlled by your visa or visa-free status. It's an arrival declaration, comparable to the ETA in the UK, the K-ETA in South Korea, or the SG Arrival Card in Singapore. Thai immigration uses it to pre-clear your arrival data and speed up the queue.

Who needs to file the TDAC?

Everyone arriving in Thailand. There are no exemptions based on nationality, visa type, or length of stay. Specifically:

• Visa-free travelers from any of the 93 eligible countries
• Tourist visa holders (SETV, METV)
• Long-term visa holders: DTV, LTR, Non-B, Non-O, Education
• Thailand Privilege (Elite) members
• Transit passengers who clear immigration (airside transit only is exempt)
• Returning Thai residents and citizens holding foreign passports
• Children, including infants — every traveler files their own card

The only people who don't file are Thai citizens entering on a Thai passport and airside-only transit passengers who never clear immigration.

When to file: the 72-hour window

This is where most travelers get tripped up. The TDAC is only valid if filed within 72 hours of your scheduled arrival in Thailand.

That means:

• Filing 8 days before your flight: rejected, you'll need to refile
• Filing 3 days before your flight: valid
• Filing the morning of your flight: valid
• Filing after arrival: not possible — you'll be sent to a manual immigration desk and given a paper exception form, which adds 30 to 60 minutes to your queue

The system locks 72 hours before your scheduled arrival time, based on the flight or transport you declare. If your flight is delayed by more than 24 hours, the QR code remains valid as long as your actual arrival is still within the original 72-hour window.

If your flight is canceled and you re-book for a later date, you need to refile the TDAC for the new flight. The original submission won't transfer.

Our advice: File the day before your flight. Earlier than that and you risk hitting the 72-hour cap. Later than that and you risk dealing with airport Wi-Fi that may or may not work.

How to fill out the TDAC: step-by-step

The official portal is tdac.immigration.go.th. Bookmark this — there are dozens of unofficial lookalike sites that charge fees and resell the same free form.

Step 1: Personal information

You'll enter exactly as printed on your passport:

• Full name (family name, given names, middle name if any)
• Date of birth
• Nationality and country of residence
• Passport number, issue date, expiry date
• Sex (per passport, not preference)
• Occupation

The system cross-checks your passport number against the carrier's manifest. If your passport number doesn't match what your airline has on file, your TDAC won't validate.

Step 2: Travel information

• Date of arrival in Thailand
• Mode of transport (air, land, sea)
• Flight number or vehicle/vessel ID
• Port of entry (e.g., Suvarnabhumi BKK, Don Mueang DMK, Chiang Mai CNX, Phuket HKT)
• Country of departure (where the flight last departed from, not where your trip started)
• Last city visited before Thailand

Step 3: Accommodation details

This is where applicants get rejected most often. You need a specific Thai address where you'll spend the first night. Acceptable formats:

• Hotel: name, address, district, province, postcode
• Airbnb / short-term rental: the actual building address, not just "Bangkok"
• Friend or family: their full address. You may need their phone number.
• Multiple stops: declare your first night's accommodation; you don't need to list every hotel on a multi-city trip.

"To be decided" or generic city names will fail validation. If you genuinely don't have an address yet, book a refundable hotel for night one and use that.

Step 4: Visit purpose

Pick the closest match from the dropdown. The options matter for two reasons: immigration profiles, and statistics. Common choices:

• Holiday/leisure — most short-term visitors
• Visiting family/friends
• Business — meetings, conferences (not employment)
• Employment — only if you hold a Non-B, LTR, or other work-permitted visa
• Education — Education visa holders, language students
• Long stay — DTV, retirement (Non-O), Thailand Privilege
• Transit
• Medical treatment

If you're a digital nomad on the DTV, "long stay" is the standard pick. Don't select "employment" — that implies you have a Thai work permit, which DTV holders don't.

Step 5: Health declaration

This section appears for travelers arriving from countries flagged for specific disease surveillance. Most travelers from the US, Europe, Australia, and East Asia will see a short version. Travelers from countries with active outbreak surveillance get extra questions.

Be honest. False health declarations are a separate offense from visa fraud and can result in entry refusal even if your visa is valid.

Step 6: Submit and save your QR code

After submission:

• A QR code appears on screen
• A copy is emailed to the address you provided
• Some submissions also receive an SMS confirmation

Save the QR code in three places: your email (already done), a screenshot in your phone's gallery, and a printed copy if you can manage one. Thai airport Wi-Fi during peak arrivals is unreliable, and you cannot enter the immigration queue without a scannable QR.

What happens at the airport

When you land, you'll go through normal immigration. Two things change versus the old TM6 era:

1. There's no paper card to fill out on the plane. Cabin crew will not hand them out. If they do, ignore them — those are remaining stock from before February 2026.
2. Immigration scans your TDAC QR code first, then stamps your passport for the appropriate length of stay.

If your QR code is missing, expired, or doesn't validate:

• You'll be diverted to the manual processing desk
• An immigration officer will fill out an electronic exception form
• This adds 30 to 60 minutes to your arrival
• Repeat offenders (same passport, multiple missing TDACs) may be flagged for additional questioning

There is no fine for missing the TDAC as of May 2026, but Thai immigration has signaled that fines may be introduced later in 2026.

Common mistakes that trip people up

After three months of mandatory TDAC, the same handful of issues account for most rejected submissions:

Wrong passport number. A single transposed digit kills your submission. Double-check before submitting.

Filing too early. The 72-hour window is hard. If you submit on Sunday for a Friday flight, you'll need to refile.

Vague accommodation. "Bangkok hotel" doesn't pass. You need a specific address.

Wrong port of entry. If you booked a flight to BKK and it diverts to DMK because of weather, your TDAC is technically still valid because they're both Bangkok ports. But if you change your booking yourself to a different city, refile.

Using a third-party site. They submit the same form, but they charge $30 to $80 for it and sometimes get the data wrong. The official site is free and faster.

Missing the QR code. Not saving it offline before flying is the single most common cause of slow arrivals.

Filing for the wrong traveler. Family submissions need one TDAC per person. The form supports adding family members in a single session, but each gets its own QR code.

Special cases

DTV holders

DTV-specific filing tips are covered in our TDAC step-by-step guide for DTV holders. Short version: pick "long stay" as your visit purpose, declare your full DTV-stamped address if you have one, and remember to refile every time you re-enter.

Multiple-entry visa holders

The TDAC is required every time you enter Thailand, not just on your first arrival. METV holders, DTV holders, LTR holders, and Thailand Privilege members all need to refile for every re-entry. There is no permanent exemption.

Border crossings (land and sea)

If you're entering by land from Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, or Myanmar, the TDAC is still required. File it from your accommodation in the departure country before crossing. Some land borders have unreliable Wi-Fi on the Thai side.

Children and minors

Every traveler files individually, including infants. Parents typically file one parent's TDAC first, then add each child as a "linked traveler" within the same session. Each child gets their own QR code.

Lost or forgotten QR code

If you lose access to your QR code before arriving:

• Search your email for "TDAC" or "Thailand Immigration"
• If you can't find it, file a fresh TDAC (your old submission will be superseded)
• If you're already at immigration, head to the manual desk

TDAC vs visa: they're not the same

A surprising number of travelers conflate the TDAC with a visa. They're separate:

• The TDAC is an arrival declaration — every traveler files it.
• The visa (or visa-free entry) is what determines how long you can stay and what you can do.

You need both: a valid visa or visa-free eligibility, and a filed TDAC. Filing the TDAC does not replace, extend, or modify your visa in any way.

Compare Thailand visa options → | Start a DTV application →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the TDAC really required for everyone?

Yes. As of February 1, 2026, every traveler entering Thailand by air, land, or sea must file a TDAC. The only exemptions are Thai nationals on Thai passports and airside-only transit passengers.

How much does the TDAC cost?

It's free on the official portal at tdac.immigration.go.th. Any website charging a fee is a third-party reseller, not the official site.

How early can I file the TDAC?

72 hours before your scheduled arrival. The system rejects earlier submissions. You can file up until you board the flight.

What if my flight is delayed?

If the delay keeps your actual arrival within the original 72-hour window, your TDAC stays valid. If the delay pushes arrival outside that window, refile.

Do children need a TDAC?

Yes, every traveler including infants needs an individual TDAC. Parents can submit family members in one session, but each receives a separate QR code.

Can I file the TDAC after I land?

Not online. If you arrive without one, you'll be processed at the manual desk where an officer files an exception form for you. Expect 30 to 60 extra minutes in the queue.

Does the TDAC work for every airport?

Yes. It applies to all Thai ports of entry — Suvarnabhumi (BKK), Don Mueang (DMK), Chiang Mai (CNX), Phuket (HKT), Krabi (KBV), Koh Samui (USM), Hat Yai (HDY), and all land and sea borders.

Do I need a new TDAC for every re-entry?

Yes. Each entry into Thailand requires a fresh TDAC, even on multi-entry visas like METV, DTV, LTR, or Thailand Privilege.

Is the TDAC the same as a visa?

No. The TDAC is an arrival declaration; the visa controls your stay length and permissions. You need both.

What information do I need to file?

Passport details, flight or transport info, port of entry, first-night accommodation address in Thailand, visit purpose, and (sometimes) a health declaration.

Compare Thailand visa options → | Manage your stay with Visa Manager →

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This article is for general guidance and does not constitute legal advice. TDAC requirements and Thai immigration rules can change with limited notice. Always verify current regulations at the official Thai immigration portal before traveling.