Thailand swapped the old paper arrival card for an online form — the TDAC — and most travellers now have to file it before they land. Here’s the plain-English version: what it is, who has to do it, how and when to file, the fact that it’s free (and how to dodge the paid look-alike sites), and how it fits with your visa, the old TM6 and the TM30. Unbiased, never paid placement — and not a substitute for official Thai immigration guidance.
The TDAC is the online arrival form that replaced the paper TM6. Almost every foreigner entering Thailand must file it, up to ~72 hours before arrival, on the official government site. It’s free — ignore the paid look-alike sites. It is not a visa and not the TM30. Fill it in exactly as your passport reads, save the confirmation, and you’ll clear immigration without drama.
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card is an online immigration declaration you submit before you arrive. It is the digital replacement for the TM6 — the little paper arrival/departure card you used to scribble on the plane and hand over at the desk. Instead of paper, you now complete a short web form ahead of travel, and Thai immigration pulls your details up digitally when you land.
It records who you are, your passport, your travel details and where you’re staying. That’s all it is — an arrival declaration. It is not a visa, not a fee, and it doesn’t decide whether you’re let in. It’s the modern, paperless version of a step that has always existed.
In practice, almost every foreign national entering Thailand needs to submit a TDAC — by air, land or sea, and regardless of why you’re coming:
Thai citizens are exempt. A few narrow situations (certain transit or border-pass cases) may be too, but those rules shift — so if you’re not certain your case is exempt, just file it. It’s fast and free, with no downside to completing it.
File it online and in advance. The system accepts submissions within a window before arrival — commonly cited as up to 72 hours (about 3 days) before you land, so the simplest habit is to do it the day before you fly.
Do it on a laptop or phone before you travel, or at the very latest before you reach the immigration counter. Standing in the arrivals queue with no signal, trying to file it for the first time, is exactly the situation to avoid.
The official TDAC costs nothing. If a website is charging a “processing fee” or asking for a card payment to submit your arrival card, you’re on the wrong site.
Because the TDAC is new and required, a crop of third-party look-alike sites has appeared — some are upsells charging you to type a free form on your behalf, others are outright scams that exist to harvest passport and payment data. Check the web address carefully, use only the official Thai government immigration site, and never pay for the TDAC itself. When in doubt, navigate from official Thai government or embassy links rather than a search ad or a link someone messaged you.
Have these ready before you start — it takes a few minutes if you do:
Enter everything exactly as your documents read. A mismatch between the name or passport number on your TDAC and your actual passport is the single most common reason travellers hit a snag at the desk.
Three things people constantly mix up — here’s the clean separation:
In short: the TDAC is your arrival form, your visa is your permission, and the TM30 is your where-you-live form once you’re here.
Clear the airport with your arrival card sorted — and arrive to a home that’s already lined up. Browse move-in-ready Bangkok residences and let us handle the keys, the lease and the landing.
General information only — not legal or immigration advice. Thailand’s arrival requirements, the TDAC submission window, exemptions and the official website can change. Confirm the current rules and the correct official site for your situation with Thai Immigration and your nearest Thai embassy or consulate before you travel, and never pay a third party for the free TDAC. BAANLYY never takes paid placement.
Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.