Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) — Traveler preparing Thailand arrival details on a laptop beside a passport and smartphone

Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC): 72-Hour Filing Window, QR Code, Address and Common Errors

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Research checked before publication.

This guide explains Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) and the practical details travelers need to know.

Thailand’s Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is a required online arrival form for most foreign visitors. It replaced the former paper TM.6 arrival card and has been in use since May 1, 2025. The key point is simple: TDAC is free, must be completed in the official pre-arrival window, and is separate from any visa or other permission you may need to enter Thailand. For Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), compare the practical trade-offs in this section before choosing.

For remote workers and long-term travellers, it is easy to confuse an arrival-card requirement with visa status, work permission, accommodation reporting, or tax residence. They are not the same thing. TDAC is a border-arrival form only. If you are planning a longer stay, consult Trailandra’s digital nomad destination guides alongside the current rules that apply to your nationality and travel plans.

TDAC at a glance

  • File in the three-day pre-arrival window, which Thai Immigration also describes as up to 72 hours before entry.
  • Use the official Thai Immigration Bureau TDAC portal only.
  • Have your passport, arrival transport details, Thai accommodation address, and email address ready.
  • Download and save the QR-code confirmation after submitting.
  • Submit a new TDAC for every entry to Thailand.
  • Remember: TDAC is free and is not a visa.

Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC): What is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card?

Traveler completing Thailand’s digital arrival form on a laptop with a passport nearby

The TDAC is Thailand’s digital replacement for the paper TM.6 arrival or disembarkation card. Foreign nationals entering Thailand by air, land, or sea generally need to submit it before entry. When evaluating Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), use the details below to narrow the option that fits your priorities.

There are limited exceptions. Thai nationals do not need TDAC. Neither do passengers transiting airside without passing through immigration, or flight crew. However, a traveller who leaves the airport or otherwise passes Thai immigration during a transit needs a TDAC. Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is easier to assess when you compare the relevant costs, timing, convenience, and constraints together.

Every foreign traveller needs their own record, including children and infants. A family or group submission can include up to 10 travellers, but the details for each person still need to be entered. Use this section to make a more practical Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) decision based on your own circumstances.

TDAC is not a visa. A QR confirmation does not replace a visa application, visa-exemption eligibility, or any other entry permission. It also does not determine whether a person can work remotely, remain long term, establish residence, or meet another immigration obligation. Travellers considering Thailand’s longer-stay remote-work route should review the separate Thailand DTV visa requirements and documents.

When to file TDAC: understanding the three-day and 72-hour window

Travel planning scene with a calendar, clock, and Thailand flight itinerary before departure

Thai Immigration describes TDAC timing in two closely related ways: submissions can be made up to 72 hours before entry, and they should be made within three days in advance, including the arrival date. For Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), the useful question is which option best matches the priorities described below.

The safest practical approach is to complete the form during that three-day pre-arrival period, once your inbound transport and Thailand accommodation details are confirmed. Do not try to submit weeks in advance, and do not wait until the airport unless there is no realistic alternative. A good Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) choice comes from comparing the factors in this section rather than relying on one headline detail.

The official wording does not clearly establish whether the portal always applies a precise rolling 72-hour calculation or a calendar-day calculation for every late-night or other edge-case arrival. For that reason, avoid relying on a promised exact hour at which the form will become available. If the portal does not yet allow submission, wait and try again within the permitted window. Keep the wider Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) decision in mind as you compare the points below.

TDAC is single-use. If you leave Thailand and later return, complete a new TDAC for the new entry.

What you need before starting the form

Passport, phone, email device, and travel documents arranged for completing a Thailand arrival form

Preparing the information first makes the short filing window much less stressful. Thai Immigration advises travellers to have the following ready:

  • Passport and personal information;
  • Arrival date and transport details, such as the flight or vehicle number;
  • An accommodation address in Thailand;
  • The purpose of travel;
  • An email address for the confirmation; and
  • Health declaration information, where the system asks for it.

Enter information in English. The form’s dropdown fields can be searched by entering at least three characters, then selecting the relevant result. If you use the passport machine-readable zone (MRZ) scan or image-upload option, check every populated field against your physical passport before submitting. A small mismatch in a name, passport number, nationality, or date of birth can create an avoidable problem at the border. This part of the guide helps refine your Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) choice using the practical criteria that matter here.

The system may request additional health information depending on details such as nationality, flight, boarding country, or countries visited during the previous two weeks. Answer the live form accurately rather than relying on an older checklist or a traveller’s social-media post. For a clearer Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) comparison, weigh the points in this section together.

What address should you enter for Thailand?

The TDAC requires accommodation information or an address in Thailand. Have the details of your hotel, serviced apartment, short-term rental, host’s home, or other booked accommodation ready in English. Where available, keep the postcode and the full address accessible too. The accommodation section may include fields for accommodation type, province, district, subdistrict, postcode, and street-address details. The best Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) option depends on how the considerations below apply to your situation.

For an itinerary with several stays, use confirmed accommodation information and check the live form carefully. A common online convention is to enter the first night’s lodging, but the official TDAC guidance reviewed does not expressly confirm that as a universal rule. It also does not clearly explain every scenario involving multiple hotels, staying with friends, or incomplete host-address details. Do not treat unofficial advice as policy; confirm acceptable information with Thai Immigration if your circumstances do not fit the form clearly. Treat Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) as a practical comparison, then use this section to rule options in or out.

Importantly, the address on TDAC is arrival-card information. It is not proof of a long-term home, a substitute for accommodation reporting, evidence of tax residence, or confirmation of visa status. If your booked place changes before travel, update your TDAC or submit a new form as appropriate; Thai Immigration states that the most recent submission is treated as valid. For Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), compare the section details with the priorities you set for the rest of your plan.

TDAC QR code: download it and keep it available

After you submit the form, you can download the TDAC confirmation, which includes a QR code. The confirmation and QR code are also sent to the email address entered in the form. You can show the TDAC document or QR code on a phone or other device at immigration. For Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), compare the practical trade-offs in this section before choosing.

A paper copy is not mandatory. Still, it is sensible to save the confirmation as a PDF or screenshot before departure and, if you expect unreliable battery life, mobile data, or email access after landing, carry a printed backup. This is especially useful after a long-haul flight, when accessing a filtered inbox or finding an attachment can be more difficult than expected. When evaluating Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), use the details below to narrow the option that fits your priorities.

If the confirmation email or QR code does not arrive, Thai Immigration’s guidance is to contact an immigration officer at the entry checkpoint. Do not expect an automated reminder before your trip: the system does not send travel reminders. Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is easier to assess when you compare the relevant costs, timing, convenience, and constraints together.

10 common TDAC errors and how to fix them

1. Trying to file too early

TDAC is not designed to be filed far in advance. Submit within the three-day or up-to-72-hour pre-arrival window. If the portal is not open for your arrival yet, try again later rather than assuming the system has failed. Use this section to make a more practical Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) decision based on your own circumstances.

2. Treating TDAC as a visa

A TDAC QR code is not entry permission by itself. Visa, visa-exemption, and other entry conditions remain separate. For example, changes to visa-exemption rules should be checked independently; see the current guide to the Thailand visa-exemption changes if that route is relevant to your trip.

3. Paying a third-party lookalike website

TDAC is free through the official Thai Immigration Bureau portal. Be cautious with websites that present themselves as application services, particularly if they request a payment for the arrival card itself. Use the official Immigration Bureau domain rather than a paid intermediary. For Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), the useful question is which option best matches the priorities described below.

4. Submitting incorrect passport details

Check all identity fields against the passport before final submission, including the spelling of your name, passport number, nationality, and date of birth. Thai Immigration specifically advises users to review data retrieved by MRZ scanning. If a material, non-editable identity detail is wrong, submit a corrected new TDAC rather than assuming the original can be fixed. A good Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) choice comes from comparing the factors in this section rather than relying on one headline detail.

5. Not updating changed transport or accommodation details

A flight change, different land border, or accommodation change can make the original entry inaccurate. Update the TDAC before travel, or submit a new record if needed. The latest submission is the one treated as valid. For Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), compare the practical trade-offs in this section before choosing.

6. Using non-English text or incomplete dropdown selections

Enter details in English and select the appropriate result after searching a dropdown. Typing text without selecting the relevant listed location, country, or other option may prevent the form from validating.

7. Leaving out children and infants

One adult’s TDAC does not cover the whole family automatically. Each foreign traveller needs an entry, even when a group submission is used.

8. Misunderstanding transit

No TDAC is needed for an airside international transit when you do not pass immigration. If you leave the airport or need to clear immigration for an overnight connection, you need a TDAC.

9. Relying only on the email confirmation

Email can be delayed, filtered, or inaccessible. Download the document immediately after submission and store it on your device. If it is missing at the border, speak with an immigration officer.

10. Waiting until after landing

Thai Immigration says Wi-Fi and kiosks are available on arrival, with the FAQ listing kiosks at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Hat Yai airports. Treat this as a fallback, not a plan—especially if you arrive by land or sea, use another airport, or have limited connectivity. Completing TDAC before departure gives you time to correct an error while you still have your booking information and reliable internet.

Final pre-flight checklist

  • Confirm that TDAC applies to you; most non-Thai entrants need it.
  • Wait for the official three-day pre-arrival filing period.
  • Use the official, free Thai Immigration Bureau TDAC portal.
  • Enter passport, travel, health, and accommodation information in English.
  • Review MRZ-scanned information against the passport.
  • Save the QR-code confirmation offline, with a printout if useful.
  • Update or replace the submission if key travel details change.
  • Check visa and entry rules separately from TDAC.

Information disclaimer: This article is general travel information, not immigration or legal advice. TDAC procedures, form fields, health questions, and entry rules can change. Before travelling, verify the current requirements through the official Thai Immigration Bureau and the relevant Thai embassy, consulate, or immigration authority. Submission of TDAC does not guarantee entry; immigration officers make entry decisions at the border.

Sources & Official Resources

Requirements and prices can change. Verify important details directly with the relevant authority or provider.