Do I need a new TDAC every time I enter Thailand?

The card is tied to a single arrival, not to your passport and not to your visa. Fly into Bangkok in January, leave for Vietnam in March, come back in April: that is two arrivals and two cards. Anyone moving in and out on a DTV or on the visa exemption ends up filing it several times a year. What the TDAC is, and how it fits with the rest of the arrival paperwork, is covered in the TDAC section of our staying legal guide.

The 3-day window, every time

The portal accepts a card within 72 hours of arrival and not earlier, so you cannot file a batch of them for the year ahead. The evening before a flight home to Thailand is the natural moment, once you have the flight number and the address of your first night. The Royal Thai Embassy in London states the same rule: within 3 days before arriving, for every entry.

What changes between cards

Nothing carries over. Each card asks again for your flight or crossing, your arrival date and where you are staying. Bangkok Airways notes that you can update travel and accommodation details on a card before you arrive, but not your name, nationality or date of birth: a mistake there means a new card.

Who never needs one

Bangkok Airways lists three groups: transit passengers who do not pass through Thai immigration, Border Pass holders, and airline crew. Everyone else files, and a group form can cover several travellers at once, up to 10 on the official system.

Free, on one site only

The official portal at tdac.immigration.go.th charges nothing. Thai Immigration has warned about lookalike sites that charge a fee and collect passport data, so check the address before you type anything. The London embassy also reminds travellers that the card is not a visa: your permission to stay is the stamp, which for most visa free arrivals since 15 September 2026 means 30 days. Our full walkthrough of the digital arrival card covers who must file it and when, by air, land or sea.