The Thailand digital arrival card: who must file it, when and on which site

The Thailand Digital Arrival Card, known as the TDAC, is a free form every foreign traveller files within 3 days before landing in Thailand, on the government's own portal at tdac.immigration.go.th, whatever the visa, the airline or the border crossing. Since 1 May 2025 it has replaced the paper TM6 slip for every entry by air, land and sea, and since the 30 day visa exemption took over from the 60 day one on 15 September 2026, filing it correctly matters more, because a shorter stay leaves less room to lose time at the counter. This post covers who files it, the exact window, the one official address, what the form asks for, how to correct it after a hotel or flight change, and what happens to a traveller who forgets.

Who has to file the Thailand digital arrival card?

Every foreign national files one, whatever their nationality, visa or reason for travel. The government's own FAQ states that all non-Thai nationals must submit their travelling information before arriving in the Kingdom, and that the rule reaches every entry point, by air, land and sea alike. Three groups are the exception: transit or transfer passengers who never pass through Thai immigration, Border Pass holders, and airline, vessel or transport crew on duty, according to Bangkok Airways. Everyone else needs a card, DTV holders included. The Destination Thailand Visa gives up to five years of entries, but each one of those entries still needs its own TDAC, exactly as it does on the visa exemption or a tourist visa, as our answer on whether you need a new TDAC every time you enter Thailand sets out in more detail.

When do you submit it, and can you file early?

You submit the TDAC within 3 days before you land, counting the date of arrival itself, and never earlier. The official FAQ page is explicit: the card should be submitted within 3 days in advance of arriving in Thailand, including the day of arrival. That rules out filing a batch of cards for a trip planned months ahead. In practice the evening before a flight or a border crossing is the natural moment, once you know the flight or transport details and the address of your first night. A new arrival always means a new card, so a visa run, a weekend across the border or a trip home on a DTV each restart the 3 day window.

Which site is the real one, and how do you spot a lookalike?

The only address that matters is tdac.immigration.go.th, and it charges nothing. Thai Immigration warned about fake TDAC websites that look official but ask for payment on the day the system became mandatory nationwide, 1 May 2025, and ran a second warning campaign in June 2025 after scam pages climbed search results through what Wikipedia describes as manipulation of search rankings. Any site that asks for payment for a Thailand Digital Arrival Card is not the government's own service, whatever it looks like. Bangkok Airways repeats the same warning in its own guide: use the official website only, and treat a request for payment as the sign to close the tab.

What information does the form ask for, and what should you have ready?

The card asks for your passport and personal details, your travel plans and where you are staying, plus a short health declaration. Bangkok Airways lists the fields as personal details in English (full name, date of birth, nationality), your passport number, your travel method and arrival date, your accommodation address in Thailand, and a declaration of any countries or territories you stayed in or travelled through during the 14 days before you arrive. Gathering these before you start keeps the form to a few minutes.

Can you update the TDAC after a hotel or flight change?

Yes, but only for some fields. Bangkok Airways' guide states that you can update your travel and accommodation details by selecting the Update Arrival Card option on the official website before you land. What you cannot change is your full name, your nationality, your passport number or your date of birth. Any of those wrong on submission means filing a brand new card rather than an edit. A cancelled hotel booking the night before a flight, or a ferry crossing that moves to a different route, is exactly the kind of change the update option is built for.

What happens if you forget to file it before you land?

You are not turned away, but you lose time. The official FAQ answers the case of a traveller with no smartphone or internet access by saying that kiosks and internet wifi are provided on arrival in Thailand, the same route open to anyone who simply forgot. Filing at a kiosk or on your own phone in the arrival hall works, but it adds a stop before the immigration queue. Filing during the flight, on airport wifi before you land, or the evening before you travel avoids that extra stop entirely, and Visa Check is a quick way to confirm what stamp you should be getting at that same counter.

Do children, families and DTV holders each need their own card?

Every traveller submits their own card, from a newborn to a grandparent. Both the official FAQ and Bangkok Airways confirm that all travellers, including infants and children, need a TDAC. Bangkok Airways adds a group submission option that covers up to 10 travellers in one form, so a family of four or a small group can file together instead of logging in separately each time. DTV holders follow the same rule: the visa itself runs for up to five years with entries of up to 180 days each, but every entry still opens a fresh 3 day window for a fresh card, whether the trip is a flight home to renew documents or a weekend across a land border. For the funds check officers can ask for at the counter, Currency Check converts the 20,000 THB per person into your own currency, and the Thailand immigration rules guide covers the TM30, the 90 day report and the extension that come after you land.

Updated on 26 September 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm with the official source linked above before you act.