# How Do You Fill Out the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)?

> Thailand's TDAC is free and required for foreigners arriving by air, land or sea. Submit within 3 days of arrival at tdac.immigration.go.th. Fields, fixes, scams.

- Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/thailand-digital-arrival-card-tdac-how-to-fill-out-guide
- Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from a 526-day trip across 20 countries)
- Published: 2026-09-30

Every non-Thai national entering Thailand by air, land or sea has to submit the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online before arriving, and it costs nothing. You can submit it up to 3 days (72 hours) before your arrival date at tdac.immigration.go.th, and you get a confirmation by email to show at immigration. The TDAC replaced the paper TM6 arrival card on 1 May 2025 and is not a visa. Below: who needs it, what the form asks, how to fix a mistake, how to spot the fee-charging copycat sites, and the visa-exemption change that took effect in September 2026.

## Who needs the TDAC (and who doesn't)

The rule is broad: **all non-Thai nationals** entering Thailand must complete it, whatever their visa type, including people entering visa-exempt as tourists. That covers arrivals by **air, land and sea**, so you need one for an overland crossing from Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia and for arrivals by cruise ship, not just for flights into Bangkok or Phuket.

Thai embassy guidance lists only narrow exceptions:

• **Transit and transfer passengers** who stay airside and never pass through Thai immigration.

• Travelers entering with a **Border Pass** at designated land checkpoints.

If your connection in Bangkok means collecting bags and re-checking them, or you leave the airport for a night, you are passing through immigration and need a TDAC. When in doubt, file one: it is free and takes about ten minutes.

## When to submit: the 3-day window

You can submit from **3 days before your arrival date** up to the day you arrive. Arriving on 15 March means the form opens on 12 March. Submitting earlier than that is not possible, which is why any site offering to "file it weeks in advance" is a red flag.

Do it before you fly rather than at the airport. Thai consulates say travelers who could not file in advance and have no internet at the checkpoint can get help at designated help points, but that is meant for exceptional cases and adds time at the end of a long flight.

Families and travel companions can submit as a group in one session on the portal, but each traveler still gets their own card.

## What the TDAC form asks for

The official guidance groups the form into four parts. Have these ready before you start:

• **Passport and personal details:** name exactly as printed in your passport, passport number, nationality, date of birth, sex, occupation, country of residence and phone number. Long-term foreign residents of Thailand pick "Thailand" as country of residence.

• **Travel details:** arrival date, the country where you boarded, purpose of travel, how you are arriving (air, land or sea) and your flight or vehicle number, plus departure details if you have them.

• **Accommodation in Thailand:** type of stay and the full address of your first night (province, district, sub-district and postcode). Use your actual hotel booking.

• **Health declaration:** the countries you were in before arriving. Thailand uses this for yellow fever screening, so if you have been in a yellow fever country you may be asked for a vaccination certificate.

After submitting you get a confirmation and a TDAC number by email. Save it as a screenshot and keep the email, because you will need that number and your passport details to edit the card later.

## Made a mistake? How to edit your TDAC

Most trip details can be changed any time before you travel through the portal's update option, using your TDAC number and passport details. That covers a changed flight, a new arrival date or a different hotel.

Four fields are locked once submitted: **name, passport number, nationality and date of birth**. Thai embassy guidance says an error in any of these needs a **new registration**, not an edit. Submit a fresh card with the correct details (still within the 3-day window) and keep the new confirmation as the one you show.

Renewed your passport after submitting? That is a new passport number, so it is also a new TDAC.

## TDAC scam sites: the official form is free

The only official site is **tdac.immigration.go.th**, which you can also reach from the Immigration Bureau's main site at immigration.go.th. The TDAC itself charges nothing.

Copycat sites with names like "Thailand arrival card" or "TDAC online" buy search ads and rank above the real form. Thai authorities have warned about them repeatedly since launch, and in March 2026 the Immigration Bureau said at least 10% of foreign arrivals had registered through unofficial sites, some charging fees reported at $20 to $90 and some collecting extra personal data through add-on "services". If a site asks for a card number, close it and type the official address yourself.

If you already paid one, check whether a TDAC confirmation actually reached your email. If it didn't, file again on the official site. Report the site to your card issuer, and Thailand's Cyber Police hotline is 1441.

## The visa-exempt stay is now 30 days for US citizens

The TDAC sits alongside the visa rules, not instead of them. From **15 September 2026**, US citizens and nationals of about 60 other countries and territories get a **30-day visa exemption for tourism**, replacing the 60-day exemption Thailand introduced in July 2024. The Tourism Authority of Thailand also says entries through land checkpoints under the exemption are generally limited to two per calendar year.

Reports since the change say the 30 days can still be extended once by up to 30 more days at a Thai immigration office for a fee (about 1,900 baht), at the officer's discretion. Our [Thailand visa guide for US travelers](https://clevertourists.com/resources/do-i-need-a-visa-to-visit-thailand) covers passport validity, the onward ticket and when you need an actual visa.

## The proposed tourist entry fee: not being collected yet

Thailand has been talking about a foreign tourist entry fee since 2022, first quoted at 300 baht and postponed several times. In August 2026 reports said the National Tourism Policy Board approved a fee in principle at a higher 450 baht and put a draft out for public consultation, with Cabinet approval, Royal Gazette publication and a lead-in period still needed.

**As of this writing (October 2026) no entry fee is being collected**, and it is not part of the TDAC. If any site asks you to pay a "tourist tax" while filling in your arrival card, it is not the official form.

## On arrival

At the immigration counter, hand over your passport; the officer can pull up your TDAC from your passport details, but keep the confirmation on your phone in case it's asked for. Have your onward ticket and first hotel booking handy as well.

Landing in Bangkok? Our guide to [Grab vs Bolt and avoiding taxi scams](https://clevertourists.com/resources/thailand-grab-vs-bolt-bangkok-taxi-scams-guide) covers getting into the city, and the [Bangkok guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/bangkok) covers what to do once you're there.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card free?

Yes. The TDAC costs nothing on the official site, tdac.immigration.go.th. Sites that charge a fee are unofficial, and Thailand's Immigration Bureau has warned travelers about them repeatedly.

### When should I fill out the TDAC?

Within 3 days (72 hours) before your arrival date. For a 15 March arrival, the form opens on 12 March. You can't submit earlier than that.

### Do I need a TDAC if I'm transiting through Bangkok?

Not if you stay airside and never pass through Thai immigration. If you collect bags, re-check them or leave the airport, you go through immigration and need a TDAC.

### Can I edit my TDAC after submitting?

Yes, trip details like your flight, arrival date and hotel can be updated before travel. Name, passport number, nationality and date of birth can't be edited; an error in those needs a new registration.

### Do I need a TDAC when entering Thailand by land?

Yes. The TDAC applies to non-Thai nationals arriving by air, land or sea. Only travelers using a Border Pass at designated checkpoints are exempt.

### Is Thailand charging a 300 baht tourist fee?

Not as of October 2026. A fee, now reported at 450 baht, was approved in principle in August 2026 but still needed Cabinet approval and Royal Gazette publication, and nothing is being collected at the border.

## Official sources

- [Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC): official submission site](https://tdac.immigration.go.th/)
- [Thai Immigration Bureau](https://www.immigration.go.th/)
- [Royal Thai Embassy London: TDAC notice](https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/content/thailand-digital-arrival-card-tdac-required-from-1?cate=5d6636c215e39c3bd0006cb7)
- [TAT News: new 30-day visa exemption rules from 15 September 2026](https://www.tatnews.org/2026/09/thailand-introduces-new-30-day-and-15-day-visa-exemption-rules-from-15-september/)
- [Thailand e-Visa: official government portal](https://www.thaievisa.go.th/)