Independent information site · updated 28 September 2026
Arriving in Thailand? Here is what to do before you land
The Digital Arrival Card, the visa rules that changed on 15 September 2026, and the airport step by step. Plain English, dated facts.
Assisted filing, US$29 per traveller. The card is also free on the government portal.
72 hours
The arrival card can only be filed inside the 72 hours before you land.
30 days
Visa-free stay for citizens of 60 countries and territories, since 15 September 2026.
33 nationalities
Can use the arrival auto gates at Suvarnabhumi since about 20 September 2026.
Your trip in four steps
1. When you book
Check your visa status
30 days visa-free for 60 countries and territories; 90 days for five treaty countries; e-Visa for everyone else. Passport valid six months beyond arrival.
2. 72 hours before landing
File the Digital Arrival Card
Passport, flight number, arrival date and the first night's hotel address. One card per traveller, children included. The QR code arrives by email.
3. At the airport
Immigration, then customs
QR code, passport and hotel booking in hand. Auto gates for 33 nationalities on a repeat visit; Foreign Passport counters for everyone else.
4. In Thailand
Watch the stamp date
Overstay costs 500 THB per day. One 30-day extension at an immigration office, 1,900 THB, before the stamp expires.
THE TRIP IN FOUR STEPS
Do you need a visa?
All nationalities and tiers30 days visa-free, since 15 September 2026
60 countries and territories, including
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- Australia
- Germany
- France
- Netherlands
- Sweden
- Italy
- Spain
- Poland
- Japan
- India
- Singapore
- United Arab Emirates
- South Africa
- +44 more
One extension of up to 30 days inside Thailand, 1,900 THB. Land entries: two per calendar year.
90 days by treaty
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Korea. Unchanged by the 2026 regulation.
Visa on Arrival: 3 countries only
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Serbia. Down from 31 countries. Everyone else applies for a 60-day e-Visa before departure.
Not on the list?
Tourist e-Visa at thaievisa.go.th, 3 to 10 working days. Airlines refuse boarding without it. Who lost visa-free entry
Entry rules at a glance
Full entry rules- Who needs the arrival card
- Every foreign passport holder, on every entry by air, land or sea. Babies and children too. Transit passengers who stay airside do not.
- When to file
- Only inside the 72 hours before arrival. Filing earlier is not possible; filing at the airport is possible but slow.
- Visa-free stay
- 30 days for citizens of 60 countries and territories, since 15 September 2026. Before that date it was 60 days.
- Extension
- One extension of up to 30 days at an immigration office, 1,900 THB, applied for before the stamp expires.
- Land borders
- Visa-exempt entries by land are capped at two per calendar year. Citizens of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore are not subject to the cap.
- Longer trips
- Apply for a 60-day tourist e-Visa before departure. Visa runs are no longer a plan.
What the arrival card asks for
The card, field by fieldFive groups of fields, about 15 minutes per traveller. Have these ready before you open the form.
Passport details
Name exactly as in the machine-readable line, passport number, expiry date, nationality.
Flight number and arrival date
The card is tied to both. A rebooked flight or a new date needs a new card.
Address in Thailand
Hotel name, street, district and postcode of your first night. "Bangkok" alone is refused.
Purpose of visit and occupation
Children are "Child", not "Student". Retirees are "Retired".
Country of residence, phone, email
The confirmation with the QR code goes to this email address.
Two ways to file the arrival card
Both produce the same card. The difference is who types it and who checks it.
Free
File it yourself, free
The Thai Immigration Bureau's portal takes the form directly. It is free and takes about 15 minutes per person. Have the passport, the flight and the hotel address ready.
Paid, optional
Assisted filing, paid
An independent service checks your details against your passport, files inside the 72-hour window and emails the QR code. US$29 per traveller, refunded if the card is rejected. Not the government, not required.
TDAC.travel is an independent information site. It is not the Thai government and not affiliated with Thai Immigration. The Digital Arrival Card is free on the government portal. The assisted service is run by the same company that publishes this site.
At the airport
The full airport guide
The walk
At Suvarnabhumi the gate-to-immigration walk takes 15 to 25 minutes. Use the toilets before the immigration hall; there are none inside.
Auto gates
Travellers from 33 nationalities with a filed card, a previous visit and visa-free entry can use the arrival auto gates. Everyone else uses the Foreign Passport counters.
At the counter
Fingerprints, a photo without glasses or hat, the QR code, passport and hotel booking in hand. No phones or photos in the hall.
Priority lane
Age 70 or over, pregnant, travelling with an infant, wheelchair users, business or first class.
Customs
One litre of alcohol and 200 cigarettes per person. Vapes and e-cigarettes are illegal. Cannabis is medical-use only. No fresh fruit, vegetables or meat.
Into the city
Metered taxi from the kiosk on floor 1 (keep the slip), Airport Rail Link from floor B, Grab from the app. Allow extra time in the rainy season.
Six mistakes that get a card rejected
Most rejections are typing errors, not rule breaches. Each of these sends a traveller back to the kiosk at the airport.
Filed too early
The portal accepts the card only inside the 72 hours before arrival. A card filed four days out does not exist.
Name not as in the passport
Type the name exactly as printed in the machine-readable line at the bottom of the photo page, including middle names.
"Bangkok" as the address
Immigration wants the hotel name, street, district and postcode of your first night. A city name alone is refused.
Old flight number
A rebooked flight or a new arrival date needs a new card. A same-day delay with the same flight number does not.
One card for the family
Every passport gets its own card, babies included. Group filing on the portal still produces one QR code per person.
Screenshot lost
Save the QR code offline and in the email. Airport Wi-Fi works, but the immigration hall is the wrong place to search an inbox.
Latest changes
All visa changes since 202427 September 2026
Bangkok floods: both airports open, allow three hours to get there
After close to 300 mm of rain in 48 hours the governor declared all 50 districts a disaster zone. Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang stay open; road access is the problem. Several airlines waive change fees for 26 to 29 September. A rebooked flight needs a new arrival card.
20 September 2026
Arrival auto gates open to 33 nationalities at Suvarnabhumi
The Immigration Bureau's expansion, approved on 17 August, is in use. Requirements: a filed arrival card, a previous visit to Thailand, and visa-free entry.
15 September 2026
Visa-free stay cut from 60 to 30 days
Published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August and in force since 15 September for 60 countries and territories. The 1,900 THB extension remains; land entries are capped at two per year.
Questions travellers ask
Is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card mandatory?
Yes. Every foreign passport holder needs one for each entry, including children and infants. Airlines and immigration check it. Transit passengers who do not clear immigration do not need it.
How early can I file the arrival card?
Only inside the 72 hours before you land. The system does not accept earlier submissions. Set a reminder three days before your flight.
Is the arrival card free?
Yes, on the Thai Immigration Bureau's portal. Independent services charge a fee for checking and filing on your behalf; that is optional.
My flight changed. Is my card still valid?
If the flight number or the arrival date changed, no: file a new card with the new details. If the flight is only delayed on the same day and keeps its number, the card stays valid.
How long can I stay without a visa?
30 days for citizens of 60 countries and territories, since 15 September 2026. One extension of up to 30 days is possible at an immigration office for 1,900 THB.
Can I enter by land without a visa?
Yes, but visa-exempt land entries are capped at two per calendar year, except for citizens of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore.
Flying within the next three days?
The 72-hour window is open. Assisted filing checks your details against your passport, files the card and emails the QR code, US$29 per traveller, refunded if the card is rejected.
TDAC.travel is an independent information site. It is not the Thai government and not affiliated with Thai Immigration. The Digital Arrival Card is free on the government portal.