Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) 2026: What Travelers Need to Know

If you're flying to Bangkok, crossing into Thailand overland, or arriving by ferry in 2026, there's one pre-departure task you can't skip: the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, usually shortened to TDAC.

Thailand retired the paper arrival and departure card that travelers used to fill out on the plane. In its place, most foreign visitors now complete a short online registration before entering the country. It only takes a few minutes — but arriving without it can mean delays at immigration.

The Thailand Digital Arrival Card is an online registration form run by the Thai Immigration Bureau. It collects the same basic details the old paper form did — who you are, how you're arriving, and where you're staying — but you submit it digitally before you reach the border.

The TDAC replaced the paper arrival card (the old TM6 form) that flight attendants used to hand out before landing. Instead of filling in a paper slip with a borrowed pen, you now complete the form online and receive a confirmation to show at immigration if asked.

Most non-Thai nationals entering Thailand must complete the TDAC. It doesn't matter how you arrive:

• By air — international flights into Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and other Thai airports.
• By land — border crossings from Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, or Myanmar.
• By sea — cruise passengers and ferry arrivals at Thai ports.

The requirement applies to tourists, business travelers, and long-stay visitors alike. Thai citizens are exempt.

You can submit the TDAC within 3 days before your arrival date, including the arrival date itself. If you land in Bangkok on a Saturday, the submission window opens on Thursday.

There's no benefit to rushing — and no way to submit weeks in advance. The system simply won't accept early submissions. A practical approach: fill it out a day or two before you fly, once your flight and accommodation details are locked in.

Have these details ready before you start the form. Gathering them first makes the whole process take about five minutes:

• Passport information — full name, passport number, nationality, and date of birth, exactly as printed on your passport.
• Arrival details — your date of arrival and port of entry (airport, land border, or seaport).
• Flight or transportation information — your flight number, or details of the bus, train, or boat you're arriving on.
• Accommodation address in Thailand — the name and address of your first hotel, hostel, or the home where you're staying.
• Purpose of travel — tourism, business, visiting family, and so on.
• Health declaration information — basic health-related questions, such as countries visited recently, as requested on the form.
• Email address — where your TDAC confirmation will be sent.

The TDAC is submitted directly through the Thai government's official portal. Real Travel AI doesn't submit the form for you — no third party does. Here's how the process works:

It depends on whether you actually enter Thailand.

If you're connecting through Bangkok and remain in the international transit area — never passing through Thai immigration — you generally do not need a TDAC. This is the typical setup for a single-ticket connection where your bags are checked through to your final destination.

You do need a TDAC if your layover requires you to clear immigration. Common examples: collecting your luggage and re-checking it on a separate ticket, switching between Bangkok's two airports (Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang), or leaving the airport for an overnight stay. The moment you pass through Thai immigration, you've entered the country — and the TDAC requirement applies.

Travel plans shift — airlines reschedule flights and hotels get rebooked. If your details change after you've submitted, don't panic.

The TDAC system allows you to update eligible information before you enter Thailand. Log back into the official portal with your submission details and correct what changed. If the field you need to fix can't be edited, you can submit a new, corrected form — the most recent accurate submission is the one that matters.

The key details to keep accurate are your passport information, arrival date, and flight number. Minor changes, like a different hotel in the same city, are easy to update and worth correcting so your record matches reality when you arrive.