Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) in 2026: 72 Hours Before Flight, No Exceptions

A person with a ten-year LTR visa, a condo in Phuket and a Thai driving licence still fills in the digital arrival card. Every single time. At every entry, including a one-day hop to Kuala Lumpur and back.

In short: the TDAC (Thailand Digital Arrival Card) is a mandatory online form that you submit no earlier than 72 hours before arriving in Thailand. It is free on the official Immigration Bureau portal (tdac.immigration.go.th), it is not a visa and it does not replace one. After you submit it, you receive a QR code that the officer at the border may ask to see.

In 2026 the Immigration Bureau confirmed something many expats had missed: there are no exemptions by visa type. Not the LTR, not long-term categories, not an in-country annual extension.

Key Facts

• The form is filled in online within a 72-hour window before entry. You cannot send it a week ahead: the system will not accept an application before the window opens.
• The requirement applies to all foreigners, with no exception by visa type, including holders of long-term and multiple-entry visas.
• TDAC replaced the paper arrival card that used to be handed out on the plane and at land checkpoints.
• The form asks for passport details, your route, your address in Thailand and a health declaration. You get a QR code at the end.
• The only correct place to apply is the Immigration Bureau portal. Look-alike sites with similar designs charge money for something the government does for free.
• A completed TDAC does not guarantee entry: the officer at the counter makes the decision, and the card only speeds up the check.
• A mistake in the passport number or arrival date turns a quick pass into a conversation at a separate desk.
• A TDAC is also not needed if you only transit and never leave the sterile zone of the airport.

Story and Context

The paper TM6 card lasted for decades and became part of the ritual: a blue slip handed out by the flight attendant half an hour before landing, filled in block capitals, with one half staying in your passport until departure. It was dropped at land borders, brought back, then dropped again. The digital version closed that chapter for good. Since spring 2025, nobody hunts for the paper slip on board.

It is not only about convenience. The Immigration Bureau receives passenger data before you reach the counter and can cross-check it in advance. Border checks have become shorter, while trip preparation has grown by about ten minutes at a laptop.

The least obvious thing about TDAC is the 72-hour window. The habit of finishing all paperwork early works against you here. Someone who printed their visa, insurance and booking two weeks before the flight physically cannot submit the arrival card that same evening. The system does not care, and it will not send you a reminder.

The second trap is the belief that the card is filed once and then serves as a standing document. It does not. It is a declaration for one specific entry. Live on Samui and took a three-day trip to Singapore? Fill it in again before the flight back. Went to the border for a fresh stamp? Again.

The third risk is search results. Search for the arrival card and intermediaries who charge a fee reliably show up at the top. In practice they do nothing: they copy your details into the same government form. The problem is not even the money. It is that you hand a passport scan to a stranger.

The accommodation address field deserves its own paragraph. For a condo owner it is simple: you enter your own address and that is the end of it. If you are arriving for viewings and have not yet decided where to stay, it is easier to book a hotel with free cancellation and enter its address than to invent the name of the first resort that comes to mind. The officer can see the data from the form, and a mismatch with reality creates extra questions.

The rules around the card also get mixed up with other news. In August 2026, reports claimed that the THIM app was mandatory for foreign nationals, but those reports were inaccurate: the app is not required, while the TDAC requirement remains unchanged and in force. Separately, visa-free stays are due to change from 15 September 2026: citizens of 60 countries and territories, including Estonia, can visit for tourism visa-free for up to 30 days, with a one-time 30-day extension possible from Thai authorities while in the country. Land border entries are allowed twice per calendar year for visa-free travelers, and those who enter before 15 September 2026 keep the previous 60-day visa-free stay. None of this changes the card: a TDAC is still needed for every entry.

My advice is simple: fill in the TDAC the day before departure, when your accommodation is already confirmed. Save the QR code both as a screenshot and as a PDF, and do not count on roaming in the arrivals hall. If you are travelling as a family, you need a form for everyone with a separate passport, children included. There is one exception: a transit without passport control, where you never leave the sterile zone of the airport. In every other case the rule works without caveats.

FAQ

Do LTR and other long-term visa holders need a TDAC?

Yes. Visa type gives no exemption. You fill in the card at every entry, no matter how many years you have lived in the country.

How much does it cost to fill in?

Nothing on the official Immigration Bureau portal. If someone asks you for money, you have landed on an intermediary's site.

When exactly should I submit it?

Within 72 hours before arrival. The system will not accept an application earlier, and if you leave it to the last minute, you will end up filling in the form in a taxi on the way to the airport.

What happens if I fly in without a TDAC?

Formally it is a breach of entry rules. In practice you will be sent to fill in the form on your phone on the spot, and you will join the queue at the counter a second time.

Does the TDAC replace a visa or a visa-free stamp?

No. It is an advance notification of arrival. You need a visa or the right to visa-free entry separately.

Is the card needed when entering by land from Malaysia or Laos?

Yes, the requirement does not depend on the mode of transport. Every entry means a new form.

Is the QR code checked at the airport?

Not always, but the officer has the right to ask for it. Save the code offline: Wi-Fi in the arrivals hall does not work equally well everywhere.

Can I fix a mistake after submitting?

It is easier to submit the form again with the correct details before the flight than to explain a discrepancy at the border.

Source: Thailand Law Online

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